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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Gdsm John Thomas Barfoot Coldstream Guards 5729


DaveP624

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Hi all, after a bit of info.

I am going to the 100th anniversary Remembrance Parade in Ypres at the Menin Gate this year and have been lucky enough to be asked to lay a wreath at the memorial. I am ex Army myself and I decided to do some digging as to my relatives from the WW1 era that may have served. I have found that my Great Grandfather was one John Thomas Barfoot of 4 Iron Gate Yard, Eagle Sq, Great Bridge, Tipton, Staffs. He served in the 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards from 1904 to 1919, regimental number 5729 and was injured in 1916 in France. He was married to Louisa (married at St Marks, Tipton. Staffs). After joining in 1904 he was posted to India and South Africa, with some time in Egypt where he appears to have been hospitalised for 54 days with VD!! Unless I am reading his records incorrectly, that is definitely what it says :) He seemed to spend a lot of time in and out of hospital in France after 1916 before being “PB’d” but the medics writing is almost indecipherable, I really cannot make sense of it or figure out what happened to him, I know that 3 Coldstream Guards were involved in the Somme at the time. Any information about the 3rd Coldstreamers during the time he was in would be much appreciated and obviously the Holy Grail would be to get a picture but I know that is highly unlikely. I have ordered a replica set of his gongs that I will proudly wear on the 11th and I am in the process of tracking down his final resting place so that respects can be paid.

Cheers

Dave

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The July 1916 injury seems to have been DAH: disorderly action of the heart (seen in medical records).

The 3rd Battalion war diaries are here at the National Archives, downloadable for a small fee. They are also available on Ancestry.

 

Mike

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Thanks for that Langdon, I can hardly make anything out on any of those pages! The war diaries were an interesting read, it looks like they were actually in billets when he was declared "PB" although I assume that is when they would have got to see the MO. My only regret is that I have left it this long to find out about him, Ancestry really is a clever resource.

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Cant see he was posted to India or SA - CG not served in India and SA was in the Boer War 1899-1902

 

a picture is best sourced from looking in his local papers around the time of any wounds etc

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Hi,

 

On ‎14‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 18:26, DaveP624 said:

the medics writing is almost indecipherable

 

Findmypast have the same set of papers (link) as Ancestry, but their scan quality is better. For example;

 

Ancestry

650170142_BarfootAncestry.jpg.85a5c741ae790bfa381eaa4a0beed8d1.jpg

 

 

Findmypast

345219117_BarfootFMP.jpg.cceac295b77cefd36fbdffe8597d81f3.jpg

 

Regards

Chris

 

Edit:

For DAH - see here

Edited by clk
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  • 1 year later...

 

Hi

 

thanks for getting in touch, I have sent you a message. In the mean time this is the image that I mentioned in my message.

 

Best regards

 

Dave

CCF08112018-2.jpg

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People have commented that I looked like him at that age, can't see it myself, his uniform is cooler :) That is me on the far right many, many years ago.

David 2.jpg

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Just as an aside...in 1898 a John Barfoot of Eagle Square was fined 5 shillings for not sending his kids to school regularly.

Edited by sadbrewer
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25p is a bargain compared to what schools charge now to take kids on holiday

 

did you find out anymore with the India posting you mentioned?

 

 

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