Military History

Barry is listed as dying of his wounds on 26th October 1914. The 1st Battalion war diary reveals that he was wounded on the 24th October near Nordwesthoek. The 1st Battalion war diary entry for the 23rd and 24th October are transcribed below.

St. Jean - 23 Oct 1914: At St. Jean. French attacking Foret de Houthulst, their troops moving through our village all afternoon.

St. Jean / Polygon Wood - 24 Oct 1914: Got orders to move at 9.30 a.m. in support of 22nd Brigade where the Germans were reported to have broken through our line at Polygone Wood. Marched to Eksternest (Westhock a big scale map).

5th Brigade had cleared wood when we arrived about 4 o'clock. Got to attack the village of Nordwesthoek (called Molenaarelshoek, a large scale map) with the Berks on our left and the French on their left, taking the time from the French advance which was directed on Zonnebeke.

A. Company on left. B. in the centre and C on the right. C. Coy. were ordered to keep touch with the 4th Guards Brigade; the latter however did not advance and C. Coy. had to hang back to keep touch with them. The advance was carried out in good order. A gap was made between C. Coy and B. Coy owing to C. having to hang back and ½ Coy. of D. was sent up. The advance continued to the edge of Nordwesthoek village, when A. Company came against a heavy fire from loopholed houses. The Head Quarters section with the C.O. and myself followed with D. Coy (½) and reaching the first road, the C.O. went to the left under cover of the hills with the intention of getting to a Farm which he intended to make his Head Quarters.

B. Coy. was getting a bit shaken and I went up with them and got them going and then crossed the hill to the left and joined the C.O. who instead of going to the Farm under the cover of the Hill had crossed over. We advanced towards A. Coy and had just reached a fence near the road which ran into the main Zonnebeke – Becelaere road when the Colonel fell shot through the heart and I got shot through the wrist. I carried him with the help of L/Cpl. Jones into a large hole made by a German shell to get him out of the heavy rifle fire which we were under and then went back to call the Doctor when I got back the Colonel was dead. We buried him after in the little orchard by where he had intended to make his head Quarters. I don’t know what we shall do, he was much more to me than a C.O. and has made the regiment what it is.

A. Coy were hung up owing to the Germans with machine guns in the houses and the other 2 platoons of D. were sent up to reinforce A. Lieut. Denny with D. Coy charged some of the houses occupied by the Germans and was mortally wounded and died in hospital two days later.

Casualties: 1 Officer killed, 2 wounded (Capt. Hudson & Lt. Denny). Lt. Denny afterwards died of his wounds.
24 N.C.O.’s and men killed and wounded.
Lt. Synge went sick to-day with bad knee (Oct. 24th).