Arthur Charles Barber

Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known 1894
Place of Birth	Canning Mills, Western Australia
Death	21 Oct 1975
Age at Enlistment	24 years, 6 months
Description	5'3½" (1.61m) tall; weight 129 lbs (58.5kg); dark complexion, grey eyes, dark hair.
Occupation	horse driver
Religion	Catholic
Address	NOK
Next of Kin	Wife Mrs Constance Phoebe Barber
Military Information
Reg Number	3079
Date of Enlistment	19 Jun 1916
Rank	Driver
Unit/Formation	5th Pioneer Battalion, 7th Reinforcement
Date of Embarkation	9 Nov 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A8 Argyllshire
Date of Return	21 Jun 1919 - 3 Aug 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Königin Luise
Fate	Wounded in Action 16 May 1918 Returned to Australia
Monument	none at present
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

A month after entering Blackboy Hill camp, Arthur was allocated to the 4th reinforcement draft for the 44th Battalion. With two further months training he was transferred to the 7th reinforcement draft for the 5th Pioneer Battalion, then training in the Belmont camp.

Arthur travelled to England with the Pioneer reinforcements, and spent 2 months in camp at Perham Downs preparing for France.

On 28 Mar 1917 he proceeded overseas from Folkestone, and was for a time retained at the 5th Division's base depot until called forward on 30 May 1917 to join the 5th Pioneer Battalion in the field at Vaulx-Vraucourt. He remained with the unit until he was wounded in action (gassed) on 16 May 1918, although he did have a period of unauthorised leave between 2:00pm on 17 Jan 1918 and 3:30pm the same day when he was apprehended by Military Police. The 90 minute absence was to cost him 7 day Field Punishment No.2.

Hospitalised in the 41st Stationary Hospital the day after he was wounded at Bussy-les-Daours, he was released back to duty on 29 May 1918. Granted UK leave from 21 Jul 1918 until 6 Aug 1918, before being AWOL a second time, from 7:00pm on 9 Oct 1918 until 9:00am the next day. This unauthorised leave was rewarded with another 7 days Field Punishment, and the forfeiture of a day's pay.

Arthur remained in France until 14 Apr 1919 when he began the return journey via England. In the interim he was appointed as a Driver on 21 Jan 1919, and another lot of furlough meant he was absent from his unit from 9 Feb until 29 Feb 1919.

Discharged by 5th Military District on 10 Sep 1919.

Post War

Constance died on 3 Mar 1935 at Jardee, via Bridgetown.

Notes

While Arthur's enlistment papers show him to be Church of England both he and Constance are buried as Catholics.