Military History

Embarked Fremantle per HMAT ‘Berrima’ for UK 23.12.1916.
Roll Rank 2nd Lieutenant.
Roll Unit 8th Reinforcement, 51st Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force.
Barnes disembarked at Devonport, England with his 51st Battalion, 8th Reinforcement. He marched in to Hurdcott with 15th Training Battalion 21.2.1917. From Hurdcott he marched into Codford with 13th Training Battalion 6.3.1917. Barnes was placed on Command at Candahar Training School 27.3.1917. He proceeded overseas to France with his Unit 28.5.1917 and was taken on Strength with 51st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force in the field. The 51st Battalion were active at Messines in June 1917 and Polygon Wood in August 1917. Barnes was admitted to the 14th General Hospital at Wimereux with Bronchitis and Pleurisy 4.10.1917. He was transferred to the Hospital Ship ‘Jan Breydel’ for transport to England, where he was admitted to the 3rd General Hospital, London 11.10.1917. He was reported as seriously ill (West Australian Newspaper 26.11.1917). On recovery and discharge from hospital he proceeded overseas to France 7.1.1918. Barnes was promoted to Lieutenant 28.10.1918. His Battalion spent a cold and wet winter in the trenches. Barnes was admitted to the 32nd Stationary Hospital at Wimereux, France with TB and later diagnosed as Pleurisy. He was transferred per Hospital Ship ‘St David’ to England and admitted to the ‘Prince of Wales Hospital’ and later to Cobham. He was reported as seriously ill a second time’ (West Australian Newspaper 12.2.1918). Barnes marched out for leave in Australia.
Embarked for Australia per HT ‘Durham Castle’ 10.3.1918 then changed at Cape town to HMAT ‘Orontis’.
Returned/Disembarked at Fremantle 4.5.1918.
Appointment Terminated 21.6.1918.
Final Rank Lieutenant, 51st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force.
Medical Condition Invalided with Bronchitis and fibrosis of lung.
Awards and Medals British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Notes Barnes had 2 brothers who served in WW1, Captain Charles Albert Barnes of the 11th Battalion who was KIA at Gallipoli and Corporal Gordon Howard of the 11th Battalion who was KIA in France. Barnes died 20.10.1948.
Photos Jack Barnes farewelled at the Railway station by his sister. Photograph source K.Ellinson
             Barnes Brothers Charles, Gordon, John. Photograph reproduced with permission of Hesperian Press 2014 p79
             HMAS 'Berrima' under construction 1913. unsourced image Wikipedia
             Polygon Wood, Australian soldiers in shell holes. Photographer unknown, photograph source AWM E0078
             Frozen, water filled shell crater , Wytschaetes Ridge, Messines 1917. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced AWM H17002

Information Source
AWM E0078. Polygon Wood, Australian soldiers in shell holes. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM H17002. Frozen, water filled shell crater , Wytschaetes Ridge, Messines 1917. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced  from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
Australian War Memorial Embarkation Roll- John Viveash Barnes
'Australia's Fighting Sons of the Empire'. Image of Barnes brothers sourced  with permission of Hesperian Press (Facsimile Edition) Published Victoria Park WA. 2014
Ellinson K. Jack Barnes farewelled at the Railway Station. Image sourced Ellinson family
Guildford Grammar School Honour Roll
Guildford Primary School Honour Roll
Guildford War Memorial
NAA: B2455, Barnes J V
​St Matthew’s Honour Roll
West Australian Newspaper
Wikipedia. HMAS 'Berrima". Unsourced image,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Berrima
Wise, H. and Co. Western Australian Post Office Directories

10 Johnson Street, Guildford, WA.

Associated Images