Barden | William Herbert
Biography
William Herbert Barden (Service No. 14404146) was killed in action on 12 November 1944 aged just 20. He was a Private in the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment. He was initially buried on the premises of L. Jacobs, Holthesedijk, Vierlingsbeek and subsequently re-interred on 2 June 1947 in grave IV. E. 9 at the Overloon Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Overloon. His inscription reads “Tho’ you sleep, son, far away your memory clings each passing day. Mam, Dad & Sister”
No photo of William Herbert Barden has yet been found. Should anyone reading this have a photo of him or further information regarding him – or if they are aware of any errors in his biography below can they please contact the Foundation?
Military career
William Herbert Barden enlisted at Northampton on 1 September 1942, although he was initially sent to the reserves until 15 October 1942. He gave his address as 113 Southampton Road, Northampton, the same as his father, William George Barden, whom he named as his next of kin.
He was born in Northampton on 23 February 1924. He was described as 5ft 6in tall, weighed 113 lbs and had hazel eyes and auburn hair. His religion was given as Church of England. His educational grade was Grade D and he was considered fit. He was a Salesman.
He had served in the Home Guard in the 12th Battalion Northamptonshires from January 1942 and was still in the Home Guard when he enlisted.
After his period in the reserves, he joined the 52 Primary Training Wing of the General Service Corps at Norwich on 15 October 1942. He was transferred to the 70th Bn Northamptonshire Regiment on 25 November 1942. This was a
Young Soldiers’ Battalion. It provided continuation training and had a home defence role. The Battalion was based in Cornwall at this time.
He was transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment on 25 February 1943.
The Battalion formed part of the 9th Infantry Brigade attached to the 3rd Infantry Division commanded by Major-General Bernard Montgomery. Following the evacuation from Dunkirk in May 1940, it spent the next four years training in various parts of the United Kingdom before taking part in the D-Day landings. William was posted to North West Europe on 4 June 1944 and will therefore have taken part in the landings.
It was engaged throughout the Normandy Campaign, taking part in Operation Charnwood, Operation Goodwood, and throughout the rest of the Northwest Europe Campaign until Victory in Europe Day in May 1945.
Following the failure to take the bridge at Arnhem in Operation Market Garden in late September, the Allied Forces were left in a very precarious narrow salient through the Netherlands. It was the aim of Operation Aintree to widen this salient by heading south from Nijmegen to take Overloon and then Venray before finally eliminating a German bridgehead on the River Maas near Venlo.
During October 1944 the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment played their part in capturing Overloon and Venray in terrible conditions of rain and wet ground. William will have survived a particularly bad day for the Battalion on 14 October when it suffered very heavy casualties from intense artillery and mortar fire on the approach to a stream between Overloon and Venray. A total of 32 men from this Battalion are buried at Overloon, and the vast majority of these men were killed that day.
The operation succeeded in widening the salient, though casualties were so great that the decision was made to delay eliminating the bridgehead near Venlo to later in the war to focus on other priorities. The enemy had been pushed back eastwards towards the Maas, but attacks still occurred, especially at night.
The rest of October and early November was a relatively quiet period for the Battalion. On 9 November the Battalion then relieved the Royal Ulster Rifles, taking up a position to the east of Overloon and just west of the railway line near Holthees. During the night on 12 November the Battalion was attacked by a strong enemy fighting patrol with both sides suffering casualties. It was probably at this time that William was killed. This was just two days before the Battalion was relieved and moved to an area north of St Anthonis for a well earned rest for a few days. William is buried alongside two other men from the same Battalion who died on the same day, Private Cecil Wilfred Panter and Private Kenneth Jeffrey.
He had served for a total of 2 years and 73 days of which 161 days were in North West Europe.
He was awarded the 1939/45 Star, France & Germany Star, and the 1939/45 War Medal.
His personal effects were sent to his mother, Mrs FG Barden, at 113 Southampton Road, Northampton, on 13 April 1945. They consisted of an identity disc, a wallet and some photos.
William Herbert Barden’s Birth Family
William Herbert Barden was the son of William George Barden and Frances Gertrude Barden (nee Faulkner). William was more generally known as Herbert, and as Sonny within his family. His father, William George Barden, had married Frances Gertrude Faulkner in 1923 in Northampton. They had two children in Northampton: William Herbert in 1924 and Gwendoline on 19 June 1925.
In 1939 William and Frances were living at 113 Southampton Road, Northampton. William was working as a Grocery Warehouseman. Both children were present.
Sadly, Herbert died in 1944 in the Netherlands aged just 20.
His parents wrote to the Mayor of Nijmegen in May 1946 having seen that a War Graves Committee was being set up in Nijmegen to attend to the British Soldiers’ graves. They enquired about the whereabouts of Herbert’s grave as all they had been told was that it was an isolated grave 19 miles south of Nijmegen. Harry van Daal responded on behalf of the Burgomaster of Vierlingsbeek on 5 September 1946 informing them that he was buried in the garden of Mr L. Jacobs’ house along with two men of his unit. He told them that the grave was tended very carefully by the people of Overloon and that he would shortly be buried in the British Cemetery there. His parents responded, expressing their appreciation for the people of Overloon who were attending his grave. In July 1948 they visited his grave and in 1950 they placed a notice in the Northampton Chronicle and Echo of 11 November “in everlasting remembrance of our dear son, Herbert (Sonny) killed in action Nov 12, 1944, aged 20, in Overloon, Holland. Beautiful memories are all we have left of one we loved and shall never forget – from his loving Mother, Dad and Sister.”
His mother, Frances Gertrude Barden, died less than two years later on 29 July, 1952 in Northampton. She was still living at 113 Southampton Road, Northampton and her husband administered her estate. He was now described as a Caretaker. It is possible that he may have remarried. He died in 1969 in Northampton.
Herbert’s sister, Gwendoline Barden had married Ronald J Mort in 1951 in Northampton. They do not appear to have had any children. Her husband died in 1974 in Northampton and she, herself, died in 1993, again in Northampton. William George Barden’s Geboorte Familie
William George Barden’s Birth Family
William George Barden was born on 21 May, 1899 in the Newport Pagnell district of Buckinghamshire to Henry James Barden and Susannah/Susan Barden (nee Kent). Henry had been born at Bow Brickhill, Buckinghamshire in 1860. Susannah Kent was born in 1859 also at Bow Brickhill. Henry James Barden married Susan Kent in the Newport Pagnell district in 1882. This whole area is now absorbed in the Milton Keynes urban area – a new town from the 1960s.
They appear to have had six children as follows: Florence Jane 16/10/1882, Sarah Elizabeth 1886, Ada 1/7/1889, Minnie 16/4/1895, William George 21/5/1899 and Leslie Harry Barden 18/7/1908.
It is thought that the family moved sometime between 1883 and 1890 from Bow Brickhill which is in the south of Milton Keynes, near Bletchley, to Bradwell which is further north. By 1891 Henry and Susannah were living at High Street, Bradwell. Henry was working as a Coal Carter. By 1901 they were living at Devonstable Cottages, Old Bradwell. Henry was working as a “Navvy on line” – presumably the railway line. Ada, Minnie and William were present, but Sarah Elizabeth and Florence had left home. By 1911 the family were living at Bradwell Bury Lane, Bradwell. Henry was working as a Carter’s contractor. Of the children, only Minnie, William and Leslie were present. Florence, Ada and Minnie all married in 1914 – 1916.
By 1921 Henry and Susannah were living at 28, Abbey Road, Bradwell. Henry was working as a Labourer Builder for M J P Robinson Builder. Only William and Leslie were at home. William was working as a Saw Machinist at a Toy Factory but was out of work. Although a company called Smith’s was mentioned, the name F Tilley was scored through suggesting he might have worked there. This was a Toy company started up in Wolverton by Frederick Tilley in 1914. It was an opportunistic venture started because wooden toys could no longer be imported from Germany due to WW1. After the German imports resumed the company declined and was closed in 1922 with the building being converted into first a theatre and then a cinema.
Henry Barden of 28 Abbey Rd, Old Bradwell died on 24 December 1929 after an illness of over 2 months. It was stated in the Wolverton Express of 04 January 1929 that he had lived in the village of Bradwell for over 40 years and was employed at Wolverton as a Carter to Messrs TP Robinson and Sons, builders and contractors, with which firm he had worked for about 30 years. The mourners included his widow, his son Mr William Barden of Northampton (with his wife), his son Leslie Barden and three of his married daughters: Mrs E Jones of Bedford, Mrs R Bass of Coventry (with her husband) and Mrs Whitlock of Bedford.
By September 1939, Susan Barden was living on her own at 74 Station Road, Woburn Sands, Buckinghamshire. She died early in 1944 so would not have known of her grandson’s death later that year.
Frances Gertrude Faulkner’s Birth Family
Frances Gertrude Faulkner was the daughter of Herbert Ephraim Faulkner and Phyllis Faulkner (nee Carter). Herbert Faulkner was born in Northampton in 1864 while Phyllis was born on 29/8/1865 at Rothersthorpe Locks, Northants. Herbert and Phyllis had married in 1890 in Hardingstone, Northamptonshire. They had children as follows, all born in Northampton: Frances Gertrude 26/10/1890, Ezekiel Henry 27/6/1894, Herbert Joseph 7/6/1895.
By 1901 Herbert and Phyllis were living at 18, Horsemarket, Northampton where they remained until at least 1939.
Herbert worked as a hairdresser from at least 1901 to at least 1921. In 1911 all three children were still at home. Ezekiel and Herbert Joseph were working as hairdressers.
Ezekiel signed up in the Royal Army Service Corps on 24 February 1916 – but was shown as Henry Ezekiel Faulkner. His records show that he was a hairdresser prior to joining up, living at 25 Bedale Road, Wellingborough. His service record includes time in Boulogne in 1918. He was demobbed on 27 March 1919. He married in Greenwich, London in 1921, but it seems the family moved back to Northampton, with Ezekiel’s son following his father as a hairdresser.
In 1921 Frances and Herbert Joseph were still living with their parents. Herbert Joseph had been working as a Clerk at Armstrong Whitworth Shipbuilders, Newcastle upon Tyne, but was out of work. He married in Northampton in 1924.
Henry Ephraim Faulkner died on 30/3/1939. He was still living at 18 Horsemarket, Northampton.
In September 1939 Phyllis (born 29/8/1863) was shown as widowed and living at 18 Horsemarket. With her was another widow, Mabel McLellan born 24/2/1881.
Phyllis Faulkner may have gone on to marry again in late 1939, though this is uncertain.
Letters to and from Herbert’s parents
