barker59 Posted 18 February , 2011 Share Posted 18 February , 2011 Apologies as I'm posting so many questions at the moment but have become rather hooked on this forum! My grandad dob 1898 fought in WW1. I have no idea of his regiment and we have no photos unfortunately. My mum remembers him telling her that one day they were asked for volunteers for a new weapon and that it was a tank. Obviously this story could have become 'distorted' over the years but this seemed true. He was a very quiet unassuming man who I remember having burnt hands and the most awful cough. Is it possible to find out any more about this do you think. Apparently he lied about his age when he joined up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 18 February , 2011 Share Posted 18 February , 2011 Hi Barker. What was his name for a start, that way members may be able to help narrow the fella down for you. Regards Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barker59 Posted 18 February , 2011 Author Share Posted 18 February , 2011 Hi Barker. What was his name for a start, that way members may be able to help narrow the fella down for you. Regards Andy. Thanks Andy. His name was George Henry Barker dob 3/9/1898 St James London. Think he was living in Soho when he enlisted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barker59 Posted 19 February , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 February , 2011 Thanks Andy. His name was George Henry Barker dob 3/9/1898 St James London. Think he was living in Soho when he enlisted. As it is possible he lied about his age it is very hard to check any records. He might also have been living in Camden. On his wedding cert it gives his occupation as motor mechanic. I would love to be able to find out more about him to tell my mum. I don't mind searching but don't really know where to look. So I was wondering if any records exist of tanks being used in WW1 and the volunteers. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 19 February , 2011 Share Posted 19 February , 2011 I have been through several war diaries of tank units that are held in the National Archives at Kew. From what I have read, it is very very unlikely that you will find mention of your grandad. If it is possible to narrow down which unit he served with then the records will give you good information about what that unit did. There are other records that I have not looked at, and there is information held elsewhere, such as the Tank Museum. Others will know the likelihood of success with these sources. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 19 February , 2011 Share Posted 19 February , 2011 Given the information, this appears to be his Birth Registration:- Name: George Henry Barker. Year of Registration: 1898 Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec District: Westminster (1870-1913). County: London, Middlesex. Volume: 1a. Page: 469 1901 Census shows the family at 55, New Compton Street, Holborn, London Albert Barker age 35; Carman, born Norwich, Norfolk Caroline Barker, age 31, born Clerkenwell (nee Earl) Edith Barker, age 10, born Marylebone Frances Barker, age 9, born Marylebone George Barker, age 3, born St James, Henry Earl, brother in law, age 25, born Clerkenwell. If we accept family story as being accurate, then the only Medal Index Card I have found is Private George Barker 97115 Tank Corps, Victory and British War medals only. Born in 1898, your George Henry would not likely be Overseas until 1916, so only entitled to the 2 medals..... but making the leap from one Name to finding that it was "yours" is just guesswork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 20 February , 2011 Share Posted 20 February , 2011 The service number would make him a tankman after January 1917. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johntaylor Posted 20 February , 2011 Share Posted 20 February , 2011 Hi, the family story certainly sounds convincing but proving it is another thing. The medal cards show three Pte George Barkers in the Tank Corps (78762, 96536 and 97115). There are several George Henry Barkers but all in infantry/artillery etc. The medal registers held at Kew may show which battalions the various George Barkers served in, and the War Diaries may include lists of casualties ... but it's a very long shot. Racking my brains here. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johntaylor Posted 20 February , 2011 Share Posted 20 February , 2011 I just checked the service records and it appears there were any amount of George Barkers in the Tank Corps. Good job they weren't all in the same crew or it would have caused enormous confusion. We can eliminate No 97115 who was from Great Yarmouth and born around 1889, but there were two others whose files have survived (Nos 310990 and 310914). However the former was from Crewe and the latter from Wigan, so it doesn't help. Sorry, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barker59 Posted 23 February , 2011 Author Share Posted 23 February , 2011 Thank you all so much for your efforts in looking. It is just my luck to have a rather 'common' name to be researching. (Not as bad as the Smiths though!). I saw my mum recently and she has been searching through all her old papers to see if there is any more info but no luck. All she know is that he volunteered for this 'new' weapon after he had been serving for a while. He was invalided out of the war, again no dates, but was in hospital in Shirley in Southampton as his hands were badly burnt and one of his ear drums had been shattered. (Gassed as well I think.). I know he was still living with his dad and several of his sisters when he enlisted. His older sister married in April 1914 and was living in what looks like Kirby Street Tower Hamlets. I think this just might be one of those questions that doesn't have an answer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barker59 Posted 15 September , 2012 Author Share Posted 15 September , 2012 I have just had a really lucky breakthrough on my search for info on my granddad. My mum, on one of her many tidy ups found a coin/medal, George V on one side, man on horseback skull and crossbones on other side but around the edge engraved no 7 96536 then letter E. Of course when I put these details into ancestry I found papers on him. My mum was so happy. We know it is definitely him as his injuries said burns on both hands and face, bad eyesight caused by same, partly deaf caused by petrol catching fire in action. Some of the paper work is very hard for me to read but his discharge address is certainly where he once lived. It appears he enlisted with the rifle brigade (TR) 19th TR battalion(?) 14780 I haven't been able to find any records for when he enlisted. The records showed that he was at Netley and transferred to Bitterne I think There is an award listed for him medal victory TC/101b7 12th tank corps. If anybody could help at all with any more information I would be so grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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