renfrewshire

Second Lieutenant John Lyle Barr

from IWM Collections

• 2 older comments, and then…
• Gary Donaldson said:

  Lieutenant John Lyle Barr was a Forward Observation Officer for C Battery of 157th Brigade (CLVII Brigade), Royal Field Artillery. CLVII (Aberdeen) Brigade was raised in Scotland in August 1915 as part of Kitchener's New Army to support 35th Division. 35th Division was originally primarily made up of 'Bantam' battalions, men under 5' 3" who had previously been declined for military service as beneath the stipulated height requirement.
  
  This 'Bantam' Division trained in North Yorkshire and went to France in in late January and early February 1916. 35th Division (104, 105 and 106 Brigades) was committed to the attack on the First Day of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916.
  
  On the 20th July 1916, the 35th Division were tasked with an assault in the area of the village of Guillemont. C Battery of CLVII Brigade RFA was probably in Direct Support of 20th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (4th Salford Pals) and John Lyle Barr would have been working with their Command Group to direct the fire of the guns by telephone and runner.
  It is difficult to ascertain what objectives they were assigned to capture but a section of trench between ‘Arrow Head Copse’ and Maltz Horn Farm was to be cleared of the enemy, and it could also have been to support a French attack on their right at Maurepas. Whatever the objective, the attack went nowhere and cost the 35th Division 450 casualties from combined rifle, machine gun and shell fire. There was a specific action in Trones Wood commencing at 4.30am on 24th July in which 20th Lancashire Fusiliers were involved and took significant casualties. Of interest is the astonishing story of Captain Richard Coke MC who led this attack (see www.lancs-fusiliers.co.uk/gallerynew/20THBN/20thBN.htm ).
  
  John Lyle Barr is buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery, Abbeville, Departement de la Somme, Picardie, France, in Plot: VI. B. 2. This cemetery served No 2 and No 5 Stationary Hospitals to which many seriously wounded casualties of the Somme battlefield were evacuated.
  
  John Lyle Barr is also commemorated in Argentina on the First World War Memorial in St. Andrew’s Church, Buenos Aires, suggesting that he was employed and living in South America, returning home to fight for his country.//

• themastertons said:

  His name appears on Bridge of Weir War Memorial as 2nd LT J LYLE BARR - RFA. Family members confirm that he was known as "Lyle". Following article is from the Paisley and Renfrewshire Gazette, 5th August 1916. " SECOND SON KILLED: Information was received last Friday by Mrs Barr, Rockcliff, Bridge of Weir, of the death from wounds of Second-Lieutenant J. Lyle Barr, R.F.A., at No.2 Stationary Hospital, Abbeville, France. He was the third son of the late James Barr C.E., Glasgow, and was employed for eight years with Messrs Agar Cross & Co., Ltd., for three years in London, five years in their Buenos Aires office. He was a keen sportsman and belonged to a Rugby team and the Tigre boating club in Buenos Aires. While playing for his team, his knee was badly injured, rendering him unfit for Military Service had he not undergone an operation on coming to this country. Lieut. Barr received his commission on March 31st 1915, shortly after his elder brother was killed in Cuinchy, France, while serving with the Glasgow Highlanders, and he proceeded to France with his regiment early in February of this year. He had only returned from hospital at Havre after a short illness when he received his wounds. Lieut. Barr’s sunny disposition made him a favourite amongst his friends, by all of whom his death will be much regretted."
  The family memorial in Kilbarchan Cemetery, near Bridge of Weir reads: "oSacred to the memory of JAMES BARR who died at Rockcliff, Bridge of Weir 28th July 1910 in his 67th year and of his wife MARY TRAIN who died at Rockcliff Bridge of Weir 6th Sept. 1918 in her 67th year and his sons Priv. FREDERICK TRAIN BARR C. Coy. Glasgow Highlanders killed in action in France 25th Feb. 1915 in his 27th year. 2nd Lieut. JOHN LYLE BARR 159th Brig. Royal Field Artillery died of wounds at Abbeville, France 26th July 1916 in his 27th year. Capt. WILLIAM SPIERS BARR 18th Highland Lt. Infantry died of wounds at Sorel-le-Grand France 23rd May 1917 in his 23rd year."

• Charlotte Czyzyk said:

  Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/