TOPIC:

Albert Barron was born into a life of privilege, the son of a well-to-do Doctor but this was all about to change when he, like so many others in the first draft, left England's shores with the Imperial Yeomanry for the Boer War.

Albert Harold Barron M.I.D.

Private, 35th Company, 11th Imperial Yeomanry
Lieutenant, 36th Company, Imperial Yeomanry – Anglo Boer War
Major, Army Service Corps – WWI

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen and South Africa 1901 to 6458 Pte. A.H. Barron, 35th Coy. 11th Imp. Yeo
- 1914/15 Star to Major A.H. Barron, A.S.C.
- British War Medal to Major A.H Barron
- Victory Medal (with M.I.D. Oak Leaf) to Major A.H. Barron

Albert Barron was born in Hollymount, County Mayo, Ireland on 5 January 1871 the son of Gerald Edward Barron, a Medical Doctor, and his wife Nannie (born Falkiner)

The first sight we get of young Barron was thanks to the 1881 England census where, at the age of 10, he was a Boarder at St. John’s College in Cuckfield, Sussex. From a well-to-do family he was no doubt sent away to school. From there he moved on to Merchant Taylor’s School for several years. His attendance at a number of prestigious Public schools paid dividends because, according to the 1891 England census, a 20 year old Barron was a Scholar at Jesus College, Oxford.

Resident in Cranborne Corner in Winkfield, Berkshire, Barron was with his father Gerald, a Widower at this stage of his life and siblings Isabel (16) and Ethel (15). Making up the numbers were 40 year old Alice de Boos, a Governess and Manager of the Household as well as Lucy Wise, a servant and cook, Emily Baison, House and Parlour Maid and James Cox the Groom in charge of stables.

According to the “Commoners of Jesus College” roll Barron matriculated from Oxford in 1888 and was described in his biographical notice as being the “3rd son of Gerald Edward Barron, Physician. St. John’s, Matric, 16 October 1888, aged 17 (from Merchant Taylor’s School), scholar 1888; Honours: - a classical mods. 90, 3 classics 92.”

What was he to do with this impressive array of academic qualifications? Quite simply Barron chose the life of a Journalist for such is how he described himself on 12 January 1900 when he applied to become a member of the Imperial Yeomanry. It is important to contextualise what was happening in the world as it was at the turn of the 20th century – two small and, in global terms, almost insignificant Boer Republics on the southern tip of Africa had been in a belligerent and acrimonious exchange of words with the might of the British Empire for quite some time.

There had been an influx of foreigners into especially the Transvaal after the discovery of gold in the late 1880’s with many of these being British subjects. The Boer Government under Paul Kruger was happy to accept their taxes but wouldn’t go as far as offering them the vote. This was to an extent understandable as the majority of the Transvaal’s inhabitants, centred around Johannesburg, were British and the very real threat existed that Kruger would be booted out of office were they to be enfranchised.

This is what led to the dispute which, in October 1899, led to a declaration of war on Great Britain by Kruger and his Orange Free State ally to the south. Initially progress was slow but the Imperial forces, hopelessly understaffed experienced a number of setbacks in late 1899 in what became known as Black Week. The Regular Army was being hard pressed to contain the Boer incursions into the Cape and Natal and it was decided, in England, to raise a Yeomanry Corps of volunteers to help with the fighting.

Initially (certainly in the first draft) the stamp of man recruited was of the very best type. There were stories of members of the Peerage and regular Officers accepting the rank of Private in order to get in on the action. Enter on stage then Albert Barron, a 29 year old Oxford graduate and Journalist and the son of a wealthy Doctor – just the sort of fellow who would fit the mold for service In South Africa.

On attestation Barron confirmed that he was physically a very large 6 feet 2 inches in height and that he weighed 178 pounds. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and black-grey hair and was a member of the Church of England. By way of distinguishing marks about his person he had a scar on his right thumb. The Doctor having passed him Fit for the army he was assigned the rank of Trooper and no. 6458 with the 35th (Middlesex) Company, 11th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry.

On 27 February 1900 Barron and his Battalion landed at Cape Town and commenced operations against the Boers. The 35th Company were to become famous later on in the campaign where, at Tweefontein on Christmas Eve 1901, they were ambushed and surprised by a force of Boers and, together with their fellow companies, were routed incurring may dead and wounded in the process but Barron had long left their ranks by that time.

He returned home after having taken part in the operations at Wittebergen and in the Cape Colony and Orange Free State. Returning home on 18 July 1901 he took his discharge on 28 July 1901 only to be commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 36th Battalion (East Kent), Imperial Yeomanry with effect from January 1902. There is confusion as to whether or not he returned to South Africa and the war in his new capacity. What is known is that, according to the London Gazette of 26 August 1902, he resigned his commission on 11 August of that year.

For his efforts Barron was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen and South Africa 1901 issued to him in the rank of Trooper.

That Barron was in South Africa either before the end of or shortly after the war is beyond dispute – records indicate that he joined the Transvaal Education Department in 1902 and was involved in starting schools in the Standerton District of the Transvaal. At some point his brother Richard Burton Barron (also a Boer War veteran) had purchased the farm ‘Platrand’ in the Standerton district and Albert Barron soon joined him in this venture.

There was time also for romance and on 1 December 1910 he married Mary Isabela Livingston at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Pietermaritzburg, Natal. The marriage certificate has him as a 39 year old bachelor Farmer from Standerton in the Transvaal whereas his bride was a 30 year old spinster from Pietermaritzburg. One of his sisters, Ethel, signed as a witness to the event and one can’t help but wonder if the entire family had moved to South Africa. Returning to the farm the couple set about the task of raising a family and it was on 22 July 1913 that daughter Rosemary was born in the Standerton area.

Life settled down to its normal slow pace under the African sun and Barron was, no doubt, happy with his lot – with his educational background he had been instrumental in getting the school system in the area where he lived off the ground and the farm “Platrand” which he ran with his brother was a model of efficiency and one of the largest farming concerns in the district. No-one had foreseen that, in matter of a few years Imperial Germany was going to flex her new-found muscle and take on the world in what became known as the Great War of 1914-18.

On 4 August 1914 the world woke up to the news that Germany and her Allies were at war with Great Britain and her Allies. Despite being 42 years old and no longer in the prime of life Barron saw it as his duty to enter the fray and, on 28 September 1914 was commissioned into the (BEF) – British Expeditionary Force – as a Temporary Lieutenant with the Army Service Corps and sent to Aldershot Camp. From there he moved on to Clonmel Camp on 14.10.14 with the 16th (Irish) Division Train and was later moved on to Lilworth, Moore Park, Pirbright and Blackdown Camps. On 1 December 1914 he was promoted to Captain and then to the rank of Temporary Major on 1 April 1915.

The time had now arrived for him to be posted to the Front and he entered operations in France from 19.12.15 as Officer Commanding the 142nd Company, 16th (Irish) Division Train where he served on the Somme. An extract from the 142nd Coy’s War Diary states that they landed at Havre at 08h00 on the 19th December and proceeded to the rest camp with a strength of one Officer and 68 other ranks. Having stopped at Abbeville to water the horses they arrived at Chocques and marched to Hesdigneul where they joined up with 143 Company. All men and Officers were then “under canvas”. On the next day they were instructed to dye their tents as, being white, they were likely to be spotted. “A good example of how not to do things as there are thousands of khaki coloured tents at the Base and on the Line of Communication”

Barron was Mentioned-in-despatches (LG 29.5.17) for operations in Flanders including Messines and on 13 August 1917 returned home to the United Kingdom for a spot of leave. On 20 October it was back to France where he was to remain until being repatriated on 17 March 1918. On his return to the U.K. he was made Officer Commanding, Royal Park Horse Transport Depot on 16 April 1918 before being posted to the Blackheath Depot on 13.June 1919. From there it was to the Southern Command on 21 July 1919 and on to Winchester and duty with 432nd Company, Royal Army Service Corps on 24 December 1919.

Eventually, the war having been over since November of 1918, Barron was allowed to sail for South Africa on 1 February 1920, being discharged in absentia on 1 March 1920 and being allowed to retain the rank of Major. His wife who had accompanied him to England and had been living at 63 Coombe Road, Croydon sailed with him.

At the ripe old age of 89 years and 5 months he passed away at his home in 21 Shipston Lane, Victoria, Johannesburg on 2 June 1960 survived by his wife and his many children, Patrick Harold Faulkiner Barron, Rosemary Barron, Antony Livingston Barron and Richard William Barron.

Great research Rory. Here's Barron's entry in the Merchant Taylor's School Register 1927.

Best wishes, Justin

Thank you Justin - knowing that he was involved in education in the Transvaal for two years provides context,

Regards

Rory