Jerome BARRETT (1)

05 May 1916

BARRETT - April 1916, killed in action in France, Private J. Barrett, 9th West Riding Regiment, and formerly of Skipton aged 28 years.

05 May 1916

ANOTHER SKIPTON SOLDIER REPORTED KILLED

News has come to hand that Pte. J. Barrett, of the 9th West Riding Regiment, was killed during a bombardment on Apri1 26th through a dugout being blown in upon him. The information has been forwarded by a colleague in the same regiment. The deceased soldier was a Skipton lad and enlisted shortly after the outbreak of war. He was 28 years of age, and formerly resided in the Middletown district. Prior to the war he was employed by the Midland Railway, and as a boy was a chorister at Skipton Parish Church.

12 May 1916

KILLED WITH THE 9TH WEST RIDINGS

Pte. J. Barrett, 9th West Ridings, and formerly of Skipton, was, as announced last week, killed while serving in France. The information came to hand in the following letter from the deceased soldier's platoon sergeant:-

"Dear Mrs. Barrett, - It is with deepest regret that I have to write to inform you of your son's death. For the past five weeks he has been in the platoon of which I am sergeant, and I think it my duty to inform you of his death, which took place on the night of April 26th. He was killed during a bombardment by a dugout falling in on him. All who knew him respected him and join with me in sympathy with you and all his friends in this great loss. It may comfort you to know that his death was instantaneous."

Pte. Barrett was well known in Skipton. He was 28 years of age, and was formerly employed by The Midland Railway Company.

27 April 1917

BARRETT - In memory of my dear son, Pte. Jerry Barrett, killed in action in France, April 26th, 1916.

"He did his duty and answered the call."

From his loving Mother and Sister.

03 May 1918

BARRETT - In memory of my dear son, Private Jerry Barrett, Duke of Wellington's Regiment, killed in action April 27th, 1916. - "At rest."

From his loving Mother and Sister.

02 May 1919

BARRETT - In ever loving memory of my dear son, Private Jerry Barrett, 9th Duke of Wellington's Regiment, killed in action in France, April 27th, 1916.

Though lost to sight,
To memory ever dear.

From his loving Mother and Sister Maggie.

30 April 1920

BARRETT - In proud and loving memory of Pte. Jerry Barrett, killed April 26th, 1916.

R.I.P.

From his loving Mother and Sister.

29 April 1921

BARRETT - In loving memory of my dear brother, Pte. Jerry Barrett, killed April 26th, 1916.

"Ever remembered."

From Sister Maggie.

23 February 1923

ODDFELLOWS' WAR MEMORIAL

UNVEILING CEREMONY AT A SKIPTON LODGE

OVER 200 WHO SERVED

There was a large attendance of local members of the Independent Order of Oddfellows at the Friendly Societies' Hall, Skipton, on Saturday afternoon, on the occasion of the unveiling of a war memorial to the members of the Loyal Traveller's Friend Lodge, I.O.O.F, M.U., who fell in the war.

The Memorial takes the form of a beautifully designed scroll within an oak frame with a glass front, the work of Mr. H. Spencer, junr., and it bears the inscription:-

LOYAL/TRAVELLER'S FRIEND LODGE,/SKIPTON DISTRICT ./I.O.O.F. ROLL OF HONOUR M.U./OF/THOSE MEMBERS OF THIS LODGE WHO FOUGHT FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY TO UPHOLD THE SACRED CAUSES OF BROTHERHOOD AND HUMANITY IN THE GREAT WAR, 1914-1918.

Below the inscription are the names of 173 members who served in the war, and of the 40 members who were killed. The names of the fallen occupy a central position on the scroll, and above them are the following words:-

IN MEMORIAM
OF THOSE WHO MADE THE
SUPREME SACRIFICE.
THEIR HEARTS ARE LIFTED UP
THEIR HEARTS
THAT HAVE FOREKNOWN
THE UTTER PRICE,
THEIR HEARTS BURN
UPWARD AS A FLAME
OF SPLENDOUR AND OF
SACRIFICE

The names of the fallen are as follows:- H. Armstrong, J.J. Brown, J. Barrett, Robt. Brown, W.W. Bell, A. Clayton, W.H. Coles, T.C. Chew, Tom Downes, T.M. Drummond, Jos. Emmott, Thos. Edmondson, J. Easterby, F. Gallagher, J.W. Garwood, G.E. Godwin, S.J. Hargreaves, M. Hargreaves, A. Hebden, J. Hebden, A. Hawkswell, T.E. Inman, M. Lund, R.C. [R.G.] Metcalfe, Hbt. Maudsley, Hy. Maudsley, A.J. Pimnock [Pinnock], H.Y. [Harry] Riley, T.W. Storey, J.H. Stewart, R. Spencer, J.W. Shuttleworth, Wm. Tempest, Hbt. Thompson, Fred Thornton, J.W. Varley, John Ward, J.A. Whittaker, J.W. Whittaker, and R.D. Whittaker.

The Unveiling Ceremony

The unveiling ceremony was presided over by Bro. Thos. Bellamy, and was performed by Bro. Amos Culpan, Prov. C.S., and a simple service included the singing of the hymns, 'O God our help' and Kipling's Recessional, 'God of our fathers,' and the reading of a portion of Scripture, and the offering of a prayer by Bro. James Greenwood, of Bradford, and formerly of Skipton.

Bro. Bellamy observed that those members of the Lodge whom they were met to honour went into battle, suffered untold privations, and, in many cases, made the supreme sacrifice. They gave their lives in defence of their homes and their country. Further than that, they gave their lives for justice and freedom, and in order that we might live. It was the duty of Oddfellows, equally as much as other sections of the community, to do everything within their power to make the country better for that sacrifice. "In the time of our prosperity," concluded Bro. Bellamy, "never let us forget those who served us in the time of our adversity."

A Lesson of the War

Prior to unveiling the memorial, Bro. Culpan described the ceremony he had been asked to perform as one not unattended by sorrow. It was an occasion upon which one felt a desire to make their Order better for the sacrifice of its members, and to extend the true spirit of brotherhood. In nearly 4,000 of their Lodges they would find a roll of honour. Over 22,000 of their members made the supreme sacrifice, and thousands of others were ruined and shattered in health and without prospects for the future. Each and all of them ought to perform some daily service that would make the sacrifice of those men worth while. One result of the terrible ordeal of 1914 to 1918 was the creation of a better feeling between men, and a desire to break down the class barriers that formerly existed. That was one of the great lessons of the war.