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Memorial
FOR
HARRY (HENRY) FREDERICK BARTON
Postcard from Harry to his brother William
and wife Annie
Dear Annie and Willi?
Just a line to let you know
I am quite well and jolly. hoping these few lines will find you
same. Will write long letter soon.
from your ever loving
brother Harry.
From Harry to his brother William.
Letter written 21st June 1915
 Dear
William,
Many thanks for your letter
which I received quite safe. So very () to hear you and Annie
and Georgie are quite well as it leaves me fine? the best of
health.
So Will you have lost your
mate. I daresay you miss him after working together for such a
long time. I should like to know his address then I could write
a line to him. I say William I am surprised to hear Charlie has
passed for General Service, really I don’t think he will like it
for you know what Charles is, he cannot bear bosses, but we all
have to put up with it.
Well Dear William we were
in action the latter part of last week and am please to say I
got away without a scratch for I can tell you it was warm. My
old chum, the one that sat next to Dad the last Sunday in
England, the one with eye glasses, was killed and several of my
chums were wounded and missing. Still be got the Boches on the
run. you know the old saying We never stopped running till we
got home. Well William I am sure they followed that motto. And
another thing there losses as you see by the papers were twice
as much as ours. Dear William we received the following message
from the General Commanding (Give me best wishes to the Gunners?
they did splendid so you see we were there.
Well, William they say
there is no humour in war but I could not help smiling when a
small party of Boches were helpless, they nearly fell over
themselves with eagerness to surrender. Well William I don’t
think this war will last long, the advance is killing them to
hard and I keep having field cards from Ted so the old warrior
is quite safe. Well William you ask me if I want anythink, I
lost my small ? in the advance. But what I miss most is my
mirror, it was a steel one. I
 should
be please to have another one.
Well, Dear William we
having a rest now and I might tell you well it’s the life I
like, plenty of adventure so don’t let nobody worry about me. I
had one or two narrow shaves but they will have to be quicker to
catch me. That’s all this time so will close with fondest love
from your ever loving brother Harry. Give me best love to Annie
and little Georgie
Good night dear brother.
From Harry's brother, Trooper E. Barton,
also on active service, to their brother William. Letter dated
28 October 1916
 My
dear brother Bill, I live in hopes to find you quite well
pleased to say I ham quite well and feeling fine ..I am so very
sorry to hear about poor Harry but I ham afraid Bill he was
killed as he was not found by his RAM Corp but still he may have
been found by some other party and taken to hospital as in the
paper he was only reported wounded.
I wrote to the officer
commanding his platoon and this is the letter he sent to me. I
could not send it straight to mother so break the news as gently
as possible. Tell her to hope for the best and say that the body
was never found and by that the officers mean to say it is more
than likely he was found by some other party and taken to
hospital. I hope so with all my heart. If any more is heard he
is going to write to mother
and me.
Look after mother and as
much as possible. Of course mother will worry so much but let us
all hope for the best. Poor boy died? like? (five words
obscured) soldier, god we have lost some good boys out here, it
is so awful really. But we are all doing well up here but it
will not finish this year. Give my love to all roundand tell
Mother to cheer up. Rather be happy and smile for to know he
died for England so you and all can live in free choice
(freedom?). So goodbye for the present, God bless you all, I
remain your ever loving brother Ted. Love to Annie and George
(word obscured)
From Harry's Commanding
officer to Harry's brother. Letter dated 14th October 1916
 Dear
Barton,
Your brother, I find, after
making enquiries, was shot right through the body and the man in
the ? gun team who was with him at the time saw him fall right
back and flinging out his arms fall right back into a shell
hole. He cried out “My God” but nothing else. The gun of course
had to go forward so the man could not stay with him and nothing
more was seen of him. The RAMC know nothing of him.
I did hope he might be
found, he was a most excellent soldier and always cheerful,
quite one of the best of my platoon. I am very sorry indeed both
for your mother and yourself I really think he must have died.
You had better break the news as gently as possible. You could
(two words obscured) so much better than I.
There is still the
possibility of his having been evacuated after all as all the
bodies were buried and he was not found and all the wounded were
evacuated I am afraid the chances are very small. If anything
more is heard you and you mother will be informed immediately we
hear it.
Yours sincerely (name
uncertain)
Harry Barton's Parents,
Edward and Emma
with grateful thanks to
Rosemary Wells
see also
Exhibition 06
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