231743 Sgt. Stanley John "Tanker" Barker British Army 1st Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment from:Northampton My father, Stanley Barker, put up his age up and joined up 4 December 1928, just aged 15 years. Initially in the Royal Tank Corps but transferred to 1st Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment. On the 23rd March 1931 he was posted to India. He was discharged into reserves on or around 4th April 1938.
He was called out of reserves 9th March 1938, to served in France with BEF. He was part of the rear guard until the last. Station at Hull after evacuation. He was Court Marshaled for spreading malicious rumors when he supposedly said that the "Babes in the woods would be the next ones to be bombed" The Germans had been bombing Hull regularly.
Posted to India on 13th April 1942, Stanley was in Kohima to stop the Japs, he never spoke much about his war years and sadly passed away before I was old enough to ask all the questions that I have been trying find out. He took his discharge in India to join the Indian Police, with a rank of Sargent. He married my mother there, my brother was born in India. When the partition India and Pakistan happened they returned to England. But in May 1961, the family emigrated to Australia. He sadly passed away in March 1976.
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