BARKER William Arthur

Resident and enlisted Worcester.

William Barker was born in Worcester in 1893, the son of Richard and Julia Barker. Richard married Julia Adams in 1871 and the couple had at least 3 sons and 3 daughters. William was their 3rd son.  In 1901 Richard was employed as a brewer’s carter and the family were residing in Lion Walk, Worcester.  William’s older sister Mary lived next door with her husband Arthur Knight.  Richard died aged 58 in 1910 and by 1911 Julia, along with William and his younger sister Gladys, were living with her daughter Mary, son in law Arthur and their two children at their home at 42 Mayfield Road, Worcester.  William was employed as a labourer at the Vulcan Ironworks.  After the outbreak of War in August 1914, William enlisted in the Worcestershire Regiment in November 1914.  He was killed at the front when practising bomb throwing behind the lines when a bomb in his hand accidentally went off killing him at once.

A photograph of Private W.A. Barker of Worcester can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 23rd June 1917, available at Worcestershire Archives.