This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 1659


A rare Great War D.S.C. group of six awarded to Squadron Leader E. R. Barker, Royal Air Force, late Royal Naval Air Service, who was decorated for his part in a daring Handley Page 0/100 bomber raid against Zeebrugge in July 1917 - subsequently posted missing, believed drowned, he turned up in an internment camp in Holland


DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1914, the reverse privately engraved, ‘E. R. Barker, Zeebrugge, 15-16 July 1917’; BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (Capt. E. R. Barker, R.A.F.); FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR; DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS 1939-45, nearly extremely fine (6)


£2500-3000 D.S.C. London Gazette 11 August 1917:


‘In recognition of his services on the occasion of an air raid on Solway Works at Zeebrugge on the night of 15-16 July 1917 when bombs were dropped on the objective with good results.’


Edward Robert Barker, who was born in April 1898, joined the Royal Naval Air Service as a Temporary Flight Sub. Lieutenant direct from Shrewsbury School in July 1916.


His preliminary pilot training complete, he was posted to Manston in November 1916 where, among fellow pilots, was Charles Bartlett, whose wartime diary was later published under the title Bomber Pilot 1916-18, in which Barker receives due mention:


‘4 March 1917: The first Handley Page arrived from Manston at 3.30 p.m., piloted by our C.O., Spenser Grey, with St. John, Barker, Polly and a gun-layer as passengers. Weight three and a half tons empty, powered by two 250 h.p. Rolls Eagle VI engines. Armament three Lewis guns and 14 x 112lb. bombs. Speed 75 knots. Later models are to be fitted with 300 h.p. Sunbeams.’


‘15 March 1917: Feeling very rotten so cut breakfast and stayed in bed, lunching only on milk. Weather improving so took up N5222 for 55 minutes with Barker as passenger. Did some verticals, several steep spirals and steep stalls, so much so that poor Barker felt quite ill in the back seat. He would sit backwards and watch the tail most of the time, which he said vibrated like mad on steep turns and quite put the wind up him!’


And Bartlett shortly had occasion to experience combat conditions in a newly arrived “Bloody Paralyser”, for in the following month he joined No. 7 Squadron, No. 5 (R.N.A.S.) Wing at Dunkirk, where he would remain actively employed until November 1917. Going operational on the last day of May, with Petty Officer Dixon and Air Mechanic 1st Class Carter as his gun-layers, he attacked Ostend, where he noted the ‘searchlights were very active but could not hold me and the A.A. fire was very wild’.


And over the coming weeks and months, as confirmed by squadron records, he flew similar missions against the St. Denis Westrem Aerodrome (3 June - ‘One direct hit at least was made on one of the hangars’); Ghistelles Aerodrome (3 July - ‘Got caught by two very powerful searchlights and was shelled heavily by A.A. fire, which was very accurate’); a return visit to St. Denis Westrem (6 July - ‘Caught by searchlights when over objective but soon got out of them’); Ostend (11 July - ‘Searchlights at Ostend were very numerous and held the machine for several minutes’); his D.S.C.-winning exploits against the Solway Works at Zeebrugge (15 July - ‘Several hits were observed on the Mole and a fire was started which lasted three to four minutes’); the Brugeoise Works at Bruges (29 July); a return visit to Ghistelles Aerodrome (10 August); Bruges Docks (19 August); a return visit to the Brugeoise Works at Bruges (20 August); a return visit to Zeebrugge (22 August); Thourout Railway Junction (17 August), and another trip to St. Denis Westrem Aerodrome (26 August).


Advanced to Acting Flight Commander in February 1918, Barker next joined No. 214 Squadron and was posted missing, believed drowned, in another attack on Zeebrugge on 11 April 1918 - in fact his aircraft H.P. 0/100 3119 had crashed soon after take-off and he and his crew, Lieutenants H. H. Hudson and D. C. Kimmond. were interned in Holland.


Transferred to the Unemployed List in the rank of Captain in July 1919, Barker was recalled on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, when he was appointed a Flying Officer. Advanced to Squadron Leader in March 1942, he was demobilised in October 1945, having recently participated in the North-West Europe operations - his single entitlement to the France and Germany Star being indicative of a short period of employment in that theatre of war.


www.dnw.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204  |  Page 205  |  Page 206  |  Page 207  |  Page 208  |  Page 209  |  Page 210  |  Page 211  |  Page 212  |  Page 213  |  Page 214  |  Page 215  |  Page 216  |  Page 217  |  Page 218  |  Page 219  |  Page 220  |  Page 221  |  Page 222  |  Page 223  |  Page 224  |  Page 225  |  Page 226  |  Page 227  |  Page 228  |  Page 229  |  Page 230  |  Page 231  |  Page 232  |  Page 233  |  Page 234  |  Page 235  |  Page 236  |  Page 237  |  Page 238  |  Page 239  |  Page 240  |  Page 241  |  Page 242  |  Page 243  |  Page 244  |  Page 245  |  Page 246  |  Page 247  |  Page 248  |  Page 249  |  Page 250  |  Page 251  |  Page 252  |  Page 253  |  Page 254  |  Page 255  |  Page 256  |  Page 257  |  Page 258  |  Page 259  |  Page 260  |  Page 261  |  Page 262  |  Page 263  |  Page 264  |  Page 265  |  Page 266  |  Page 267  |  Page 268  |  Page 269  |  Page 270  |  Page 271  |  Page 272  |  Page 273  |  Page 274  |  Page 275  |  Page 276  |  Page 277  |  Page 278  |  Page 279  |  Page 280  |  Page 281  |  Page 282  |  Page 283  |  Page 284  |  Page 285  |  Page 286  |  Page 287  |  Page 288  |  Page 289  |  Page 290  |  Page 291  |  Page 292  |  Page 293  |  Page 294  |  Page 295  |  Page 296  |  Page 297  |  Page 298  |  Page 299  |  Page 300  |  Page 301  |  Page 302  |  Page 303  |  Page 304  |  Page 305  |  Page 306  |  Page 307  |  Page 308  |  Page 309  |  Page 310  |  Page 311  |  Page 312  |  Page 313  |  Page 314  |  Page 315  |  Page 316  |  Page 317  |  Page 318  |  Page 319  |  Page 320  |  Page 321  |  Page 322  |  Page 323  |  Page 324  |  Page 325  |  Page 326  |  Page 327  |  Page 328  |  Page 329  |  Page 330  |  Page 331  |  Page 332  |  Page 333  |  Page 334  |  Page 335  |  Page 336  |  Page 337  |  Page 338  |  Page 339  |  Page 340  |  Page 341  |  Page 342  |  Page 343  |  Page 344  |  Page 345  |  Page 346  |  Page 347  |  Page 348  |  Page 349  |  Page 350  |  Page 351  |  Page 352  |  Page 353  |  Page 354  |  Page 355  |  Page 356  |  Page 357  |  Page 358  |  Page 359  |  Page 360  |  Page 361  |  Page 362  |  Page 363  |  Page 364  |  Page 365  |  Page 366  |  Page 367  |  Page 368  |  Page 369  |  Page 370  |  Page 371  |  Page 372  |  Page 373  |  Page 374  |  Page 375  |  Page 376  |  Page 377  |  Page 378  |  Page 379  |  Page 380  |  Page 381  |  Page 382  |  Page 383  |  Page 384  |  Page 385  |  Page 386  |  Page 387  |  Page 388  |  Page 389  |  Page 390  |  Page 391  |  Page 392  |  Page 393  |  Page 394  |  Page 395  |  Page 396  |  Page 397  |  Page 398  |  Page 399  |  Page 400  |  Page 401  |  Page 402  |  Page 403  |  Page 404  |  Page 405  |  Page 406  |  Page 407  |  Page 408  |  Page 409  |  Page 410  |  Page 411  |  Page 412  |  Page 413  |  Page 414  |  Page 415  |  Page 416  |  Page 417  |  Page 418  |  Page 419  |  Page 420  |  Page 421  |  Page 422  |  Page 423  |  Page 424  |  Page 425  |  Page 426  |  Page 427  |  Page 428  |  Page 429  |  Page 430  |  Page 431  |  Page 432  |  Page 433  |  Page 434  |  Page 435  |  Page 436  |  Page 437  |  Page 438  |  Page 439  |  Page 440  |  Page 441  |  Page 442  |  Page 443  |  Page 444  |  Page 445  |  Page 446  |  Page 447  |  Page 448  |  Page 449  |  Page 450  |  Page 451  |  Page 452  |  Page 453  |  Page 454  |  Page 455  |  Page 456  |  Page 457  |  Page 458  |  Page 459  |  Page 460  |  Page 461  |  Page 462  |  Page 463  |  Page 464  |  Page 465  |  Page 466  |  Page 467  |  Page 468  |  Page 469  |  Page 470  |  Page 471  |  Page 472  |  Page 473  |  Page 474  |  Page 475  |  Page 476  |  Page 477  |  Page 478  |  Page 479  |  Page 480  |  Page 481  |  Page 482  |  Page 483  |  Page 484  |  Page 485  |  Page 486  |  Page 487