Alexander Thomas Davis Barr – First World War
RSL Victoria remembers the sacrifice of Private Alexander “Alec” Thomas Davis Barr who gave his life in service of his/her country during the First World War.
Alec was born in Ballarat on 28 October 1895 and was one of the twelve children born to Charles and Rhoda Elizabeth Barr. Alec’s parents resided in Lydiard Street and owned a store in Barkly Street, continuing the tradition of his grandfather, James Robson Barr, who had been a pioneer draper in Ballarat. The Barkly Street Store was described, in 1902, to be ‘a particularly new shop [where] a really first-class business can be done’ when it was advertised for sale.
Alec attended Humffray Street State School in Bakery Hill, Ballarat which had a reputation as being the ‘centre of education’ in Ballarat from 1905 and later became Ballarat Primary School. Barr’s Koroit Stores were built at 132 – 134 Commercial Road, Koroit about 1906 and the family left Ballarat. Alec attended Koroit State School around this time.
After leaving school he assisted in the family business as a grocer. According to a letterhead dated 1915, the business specialised in millinery with his father describing himself as a draper, grocer and general storekeeper. Both Alec and his older brother, Charles William Barr, served with the local Koroit militia unit, 71 Infantry.
Alec enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Melbourne on the same day that he turned 19 – 28 October 1914 with the consent of his parents. A local newspaper had already reported two days earlier that he had gone to the camp at Broadmeadows due to being accepted into the Third Expeditionary Force. He completed another enlistment form on 8 January 1915, with his parents again providing their consent, and was assigned to 13 Light Horse Regiment. He was still at the Broadmeadows camp when his brother Charles enlisted on 26 April 1915. According to the local newspaper, both brothers were still encamped at Broadmeadows on 3 May 1915.
Alec departed Melbourne with C Squadron, 13 Light Horse Regiment aboard HMAT A34 Persic on 28 May 1915. He joined his unit on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 3 November 1915. 13 Light Horse Regiment had been stationed at Gallipoli since September, mainly around the Shrapnel Gully area. Barr, together with 13 Light Horse Regiment, remained at Gallipoli until the final stage of the evacuation on 20 December 1915. Sometime during the intervening period, Barr kept a memento of his experience at Gallipoli after a narrow escape from being hit by a Turkish-made artillery shell. This is now in the collection of the Australian War Memorial.
The unit returned to Mudros where it was broken up to support divisional cavalry squadrons. Alec departed Mudros on 8 January 1916 and arrived in Alexandria five days later. After about a month in Egypt, he joined the 5th Division Cavalry in Tel-el-Kebir and Perry Post before returning to Alexandria. Alec was aboard HMT Tunisian on 10 July 1916 when it sailed for Marseilles so that he could join the British Expeditionary Force in France. Unfortunately, Alec caught influenza on board and was admitted to No2 Convalescent Depot at Rouen upon arrival at Marseilles on 17 July. He returned to Base Depot at Etaples at the end of July but was back in hospital about a fortnight later with tonsilitis.
Alec was transferred to the 1 Anzac Salvage Section (5th Division), in France on 26 March 1917. Salvage units were formed to recover ‘supplies, ammunition, equipment, engines of destruction, and rolling stock’ in the field according to The Herald, Melbourne. Salvage operations were undertaken on either a routine basis or as part of battle operations.
22 March 1918 was described in the unit war diary of 1 Anzac Salvage Section as a fine day. The unit was stationed at Dranoutre, Belgium but Captain Charles Edward Viner, and presumably others, proceeded to Ballieul during the day. Viner was in the Salvage Corps office when the kitchen and cellar were hit by three shells resulting in the death of five Australians and five civilians. Alec was one of the Australians killed.
His brother visited the cemetery at Ballieul the following day. He advised his parents that Alec and ‘four mates were having dinner in their billet when a shell burst in their room and killed the five of them’. Captain Gordon Peters, of the 1 Anzac Salvage Section, also wrote a condolence letter to Rhoda Barr which she received in June 1918:
I cannot say how very deeply we all deplore and feel the loss of our brave comrade, and your devoted son, Alex. He was so popular with us all and was a splendid comrade and a good friend to everybody. Apart from that I had a very great esteem and regard for him. He was to me a personal friend, and I miss him more than I can say…
Alec is buried in the Ballieul Communal Cemetery Extension. His brother Charles returned home in May 1919. Both men were included on the Koroit State School Honour Board that was unveiled during a ceremony held in the Koroit Mechanics Hall on 25 April 1918.
RSL Victoria pays tribute to Alexander Thomas Davis Barr, his family, and all those who have sacrificed in the service of their country.
Lest we forget.
Written and researched by Theresa Cronk
