Rowland Edwin Barker moved to Collingham around 1934/5 having seen service in the Army in World War 1.

Family background

Rowland Edwin Barker was born on the 29th April 1897 in Fairburn, Yorkshire, the son of Edwin, a colliery man, and his wife Annie Maria. Theirs was a large family, Annie had had 9 children, but by the time of the 1911 census, when they were living in Fairburn, only three of their children were still living at home, and, sadly, 3 of their children had already died.

Rowland's service record for World War 1 has not yet been traced. It may be one of the thousands destroyed in World War Two when the archive was damaged in the Blitz, or it could be that his papers were merged with his Second War and has not yet been publically released. A medal roll for World War 1 shows a Rowland E Barker served as Driver 270431 in the Royal Field Artillery, but we cannot be certain this is the correct record and no further information about his battalion or battery has so far been discovered. After the war we believe Rowland returned to live with his siblings near Fairburn, Yorkshire.

On the 1st August 1934, the 37 year old Rowland married Alice Evelyn Hall in St. Oswald's Church Collingham. Both Rowland and Alice gave their residence at the time of their wedding as Collingham, and Rowland listed his occupation as a poultry farmer. Rowland and Alice both appear on the electoral rolls for Collingham from 1935 to 1939, and in 1939 they were recorded living at Westfield, Harewood Road, Collingham, sharing an address with Mr and Mrs Jim Hall, Alice's parents. At the time of the National Registration, Rowland gave his occupation as a poultry farmer living on his own account, but the comments section of the roll shows that he was already playing a role in the war effort as an Air Raid Precautions Warden (ARP Warden).

Service record

At the outbreak of World War 2, Rowland was aged 42 (in 1939) and under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939 which introduced compulsory service for men aged 18 to 41, he may have just missed call-up. However as a previous soldier he may have come forward to fight and the second National Service Act, making service compulsory for men up to 60 would have meant that he would have been expected to serve.

After the war

Rowland Edwin Barker, of 4 Micklethwaite View, Wetherby, died on the 7th January 1984 aged 86.

Biography last updated 19 December 2024 13:42:24.