First Day of the Battle of the Somme casualty 1914-1915 Star trio awarded to Private F. Barker, 9th Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, a native of Sheffield who having enlisted would see service on the Western Front from 13th October 1915 before being killed in action on 1st July 1916 – the First Day of the Battle of the Somme. Having no known he is now remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
Group of 3: 1914-1915 Star; (19736 PTE. F. BARKER. YORKS: L.I.) British War Medal; (19736 PTE. F. BARKER. YORK. L.I.) Victory Medal; (19736 PTE. F. BARKER. YORKS. L.I.) not omission of ‘S’ on the unit on the BWM
Condition: note omission of ‘S’ on the unit on the BWM, Extremely Fine
Frank Barker was born in St. Phillips, Sheffield, and enlisted at Sheffield before seeing service on the Western Front from 13th October 1915 with the 9th (Service) Battalion, King’s Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) . He would be killed in action on 1st July 1916 – the First Day of the Battle of the Somme and having no known grave is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
The 9th and 10th (Service) Battalions of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry would attack to the north of Fricourt, and prior to zero hour crawled out into no man’s land ready for the assault. In front of them the German wire had been well cut by the week long artillery bombardment and both battalions made swift progress through the German’s front line trenches.
Within 30 minutes they had secured an area around the north of Fricourt village as far as the road to Contalmaison. Here they were held by machine gun fire coming from their front and flanks, and dug in.
To their left the 34th Division’s attempt at taking La Boisselle had been repulsed with enormous loss to its Tyneside Brigades. As the 34th Division attempted to remedy the situation the KOYLI found themselves in the unenviable situation of maintaining a position surrounded on three sides
