| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
James Barr was born in Nafferton on the 22 Apr 1881, the son of Harry and Ann Barr, he was one of five children. He joined the East Yorkshire Regiment aged nineteen. The 1901 census shows him at the York Infantry Barracks, Fulford, York. He spent 6 years in the Army and in the 1911 census is shown working as a carter.
In 1911 he decided to emigrate to Canada. He set sail on the "Tunisian" from Liverpool arriving in Quebec, Canada on 4 Aug 1911. He is shown as working as a galvaniser in Canada. On 11 Mar 1915 James Barr joined the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force, his medical records show he was a tall man over six feet and was heavily tattooed. He sailed from Montreal aboard the S.S. Corsican on 19 Jun 1915 to fight in the war, his rank was sergeant. By 20 Jan 1916 he had been promoted to Company Sergeant Major. He won the Military Medal. He was killed in action on the 9 Sep 1916 on the Western Front, in France. He was buried in the Sunken Road, Cemetery at Contalmaison. He left a wife Laura and a son Harry.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |