Barrett | Harry
Biography
Harry Barrett (Service No. 14202495) was killed in action on 14 October 1944. He was a Private in the 1st Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment and was aged 21. He was initially buried on the Willems premises in Vierlinsbeekscheweg near Rouw and subsequently re-interred on 2 June 1947 in grave IV. E. 1. in the Overloon Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery.
A military record indicates that he came from Yorkshire. However, it is likely that his name was actually Harry Barratt rather than Barrett.
No photo of Harry 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
Harry was in the 1st Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment at the time of his death. It isn’t known when he enlisted, but given his age, it is likely that he did not participate in the Battalion’s evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940.
Following the evacuation, the Battalion had been transferred to the 8th Infantry Brigade (which included the 1st Suffolk Regiment and 2nd East Yorkshire Regiment) attached to the 3rd Infantry Division, nicknamed Monty’s Ironsides. With this division, it landed at Sword Beach on D-Day and fought its way through Normandy, taking part in the battles for Caen and the Falaise Pocket.
From 16 to 18 September they moved in three stages through Belgium to reach Lille St Hubert, just south of the Dutch border, south of Eindhoven. Here they were to assist the East Yorkshire and Suffolk Regiments to make a bridgehead over the Escaut Canal which they crossed on 20 September to reach Hamont, just west of the Dutch border and then reaching Weert in the Netherlands by the 22nd, despite the Allied forces facing difficulties from bridges which had been destroyed.
They remained in this vicinity until 25 September when C Company moved eastward towards Schoor as part of a plan to clear the west bank of a canal which lay further east. The whole Battalion were expected to take part in this the following day, but it had been decided that they were to move to Maarheeze that day, so only C Company took part in this. Their progress was slow, so they were ordered to disengage and continue after the rest of the Battalion to Maarheeze. On 27 September they moved on again to reach Bakel which is just north east of Eindhoven. The following day they moved again slightly further north to Mortel to allow the American 7th Armoured Division to occupy the area at Bakel. The Americans were moving through to St Anthonis. The Battalion remained at Mortel until 1 October when they moved further north to Heumen which is just south of Nijmegen and north of Cuijk and then to nearby Mook on 3 October.
By this time, Operation Market Garden further to the north had failed to take the bridge at Arnhem. This left the Allies in a narrow corridor through the Netherlands. An attempt was made by the American 7th Armoured Division on 30 September to widen this corridor east to the River Maas by attacking Overloon from their position at St Anthonis, but this attack failed.
The 1st Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment remained at Mook until 8 October when they moved south to Wanroij. It had been decided that the Americans were to withdraw and leave widening the corridor through Overloon, Venray and Venlo to the British. Initially, it was intended that the attack on Overloon would begin on 11 October. However, this was postponed until 12 October due to the very wet weather and ground conditions.
On 12 October the attack started at noon with a very heavy artillery barrage. The 2 East Yorks. led the attack on what was described as Dog Wood to the west of Overloon while the 1 Suffolks targeted Overloon itself. Both achieved their objectives by 1500 hours, but with some mopping up still to do. The 1 South Lancs. were initially held in reserve but at 1700 hours A and D Companies were ordered to advance to clear a remaining area with one troop of the 3 Grenadier Guards in support of each forward Company. They met very little opposition and by dusk were in position on the forward edge of a clearing to the west of Overloon. They moved a little further south the following day, but were then instructed on 14 October to move to a road between Rouw and Halfweg north east of Overloon to secure control of a junction leading from that road to Schaartven. This was the day on which Harry was initially reported as missing and then this was corrected to killed in action. The exact circumstances of his death are not known, but one Company experienced heavy small arms fire and encountered mines while moving into their required position.
According to his comrade and veteran James (Jimmy) Cartwright, Harry was killed when he stepped on a mine. James Cartwright visited Overloon War Cemetery in 2004 during the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Overloon and was interviewed about this by the Maasdriehoek newspaper.
Private Harry Barratt is named as a casualty of WW2 on the Knottingley War Memorial.
Family Background
Harry Barratt was born on 25 January 1923 in the Pontefract district which includes Knottingley. His parents were Harry Barratt and Annie Amelia Carr who married in the same district in 1921. It is not thought that Harry and Annie had any other children.
In September 1939, Harry, Annie and young Harry were living in Becketts Buildings, Weeland Road, Knottingley. Harry (snr) was born on 20 February 1891 and was working as a Warehouse Manager, Pressed Glass. Annie was born on 21 November 1901. Harry (jnr) was born on 25 January 1923 and was a Warehouseman, Pressed Glass. Interestingly, Harry (Snr) and Annie’s surnames were initially given a Barrett but later amended to Barratt. The same was not done for Harry (jnr).
It is likely that Harry and his father were working for Bagley Glass. This started in 1871 as a glass bottle factory. However, by 1912 it had branched out into pressed glassware. The most prosperous time for Bagley Glass was the period between the World Wars (1918-1939) when the firm became a leader in inexpensive domestic pressed glassware. The company’s greatest achievements are considered to have been made from 1933 onwards, when Bagley introduced a series of superb art deco designs in a range of clear and frosted pastel colours.
Annie Amelia Barratt died in 1986 in Pontefract district. It is not known when Harry (snr) died, nor much about his origins.
Harry’s Mother’s Background
Annie Amelia Carr was the daughter of Martha Carr who had been born in Hunslet around 1875. Martha seems to have had another child, John Carr, born around 1909 in Knottingley.
Martha Carr was the daughter of Crispin and Elizabeth Carr. Crispin was a potter, born in Hanley, Staffordshire in 1828. Elizabeth was born in Knottingley in 1835. They had three children: Annie born 1872 in Mexborough then Martha in 1875 and Crispin in 1877, both in Hunslet.
In 1881 Crispin and Elizabeth were living with their three children at Hill Top, Knottingley. By 1891, they were living at Bedford Place, Knottingley. Annie was working as a Pot Maker and young Crispin as a Glass Hand Taker In. Elizabeth Carr died in 1895 aged 59 while Crispin (Snr) died in 1900, both in Pontefract district.
Martha’s brother, Crispin Carr, married Lily Humphries on 11 December 1897 in Knottingley. Lily had been born in 1881 in Sharlston, Yorkshire.
In 1901, Martha Carr was living in as a servant in the household of John and Louisa Wild and their three children at Cramptons Row, Knottingley.
In 1911, she was living at Hill Top, Knottingley with her daughter Annie and son John. There too was her brother Crispin and his wife Lily. Crispin was working as a Pot Handle Maker. Crispin and Lily had two children with them, Stephen born 25 December 1900 in Hill Top, Knottingley and Lily born 22 December 1909 in 13 Wordsworth’s Yard, Pontefract. Crispin and Lily had a third child, Annie, on 20 February 1913 in Wordsworth’s Yard, Pontefract. Their son, Stephen, died in 1917 aged 16.
In June 1921, Martha Carr was living at Forge Hill Lane, Knottingley. Her children, Annie and John, were with her. Annie was working as a Glass Bottle Packer for Burdin & Co Ltd. This was another glass maker in Knottingley. It is thought that John Carr died aged 16 in 1926.
It is possible that Martha’s brother, Crispin, had died by June 1921 as his wife Lily was living as a boarder with her children, Lily and Annie, in the household of William Bircher at Elm Street, Pontefract. William and his son John who was living with him were both from Bilston in Staffordshire.
Martha Carr died in 1929 in Pontefract district aged 52.
