Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree—Richard William Barker, DSC

 

Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree—Richard William Barker, DSC

Richard William Barker, DSC (Distinguished Service Cross), was the eldest son of James Barker (1859-1926) and Ellen Maria Keeble Brown (1863-1952).  James and Ellen were married on September 22, 1889 in the parish church of Kessingland, Suffolk England.  Together, they raised nine children, eight of whom lived to adulthood.  Their daughter Norah Ellen died tragically at only 2-1/2 years old, as a result of injuries and burns sustained from falling into an open fire.  Their children were:

    1.       Richard “Dick” William Barker, DSC, 1889-1966

    2.       Janet Marian “Jenny” Barker, 1892-1967

    3.       Charles Alfred “Charlie” Barker 1893-1961

    4.       Donald James “Mac” Barker, 1895-1971

    5.       Norah Ellen Barker, 1898-1900

    6.       Dorothy “Dorrie” Frances Barker, 1900-1999

                                       7.       Arthur Frederick “Bux” Barker 1903-1988

                                       8.       Jack Harvey Barker, 1905-1943

                                       9.       James Elliot Barker, 1908-1979

Richard William Barker became a fisherman at a young age when he left school to join the Lowestoft fishing fleet.  He received his skipper’s license at the young age of 21 and two years later, he married Priscilla Holbrook on December 31, 1913 at St. Edmunds church in Kessingland.  They had one son, Jack Richard Holbrook Barker, 1916-1994.  After a lifetime at sea, Richard finally retired and he and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1963.  Richard died in 1966 and Priscilla died in 1970.

Much of Richard Barker’s life was told in the Lowestoft Journal in 1963. 

Lifetime at sea—and thrills galore for Skipper Barker, D.S.C.

            Mr. and Mrs. Richard Barker, well-known Kessingland residents, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary quietly on Tuesday at their home, 7, The Ridge, Kessingland Beach.  The couple—both born and brought up at Kessingland—were married at St. Edmund’s Church, Kessingland, on December 31st, 1913, by the Rev. Ralph B. Foster.

            Both enjoy fairly good health and like reading and television programmes during the evenings.  Their only son, Jack, who served in the Royal Navy for 15 years, is living near Brighton.

            Mr. Barker, who is 74 (his wife is four years younger) has been actively connected with the sea all his life, joining the Lowestoft fishing fleet soon after leaving school.  He obtained his skipper’s ticket at the early age of 21 and his first command was the drifter Result, owned by the late Mr. Arthur Harvey.

            When the first world war broke out, Mr. Barker joined the R.N.R. and was in command of the drifter Majesty, attached to the Dover Patrol, from 1914-1919.  While with the Dover Patrol, Mr. Barker’s ship was in action several times with German submarines and it was in one of these encounters off the Goodwins that the Majesty, in company with other drifters, destroyed a large German U-boat, U48.


Awarded D.S.C.

            Of the 43 members of the crew, 17 were picked up and landed at Dover.  For this exploit, Skipper Barker was awarded the D.S.C. and received his medal from the late King George V at Buckingham Palace.

            After the war, Mr. Barker returned to continue fishing from Lowestoft and in 1928 was skipper of the Veracity, the first motor drifter working from Lowestoft.  During 1928, Mr. Barker left the fishing fleet, and for a year was in command of a ship shark-fishing from Madagascar.

            Back home in 1930, Mr. Barker again joined the Veracity at Lowestoft and eventually took her to Dover, where he left her when she went on a treasure hunt to the Cocos Islands.

            Mr. Barker, still enjoying life at sea, then took to yachting and in 1934 was skipper of the 30-ton Veronica, visiting many ports in France, Holland and most ports around the British Isles.  He continued as skipper of various yachts until 1939, when he joined the Salvage Division of the Admiralty with which he remained as captain of various vessels working from the Thames until 1948.

 

Hot Spot

            During these years engaged on salvage work, he again saw much active service afloat, the mouth of the Thames being a “hot spot” for enemy planes and drifting mines.  When a Sunderland flying boat crashed into the sea off Southend, Mr. Barker, who was then in command of the Kinloss, took a leading part in the rescue of the crew.  Writing to commend Captain Barker and his crew at the time, the Air Minister wrote: “The Council are of the opinion that the courage and complete disregard of danger shown by the members of your crew in approaching the burning wreckage, despite the imminent risk of explosion of the fuel in the tanks of the aircraft, is worthy of the highest praise and that the seven survivors undoubtedly owe their lives to your timely assistance.”  Another letter of praise for the rescue work was received by Captain Barker from Air Vice-Marshal C. W, Weedon.

            Coming back to yachting after the war years, Mr. Barker was for two years skipper of the racing cutter Guiding Light, owned by Lord Normanton, and afterwards other yachts sailing from Southampton.  Mr. Barker had yet another change in 1955 when for a time he was skipper of a tug working from Fawley before he retired from active life at sea.

            Mr. Barker has been a member of the H.A.O.B. for 47 years, and still attends the meetings of the Sailors’ Rest Lodge at Kessingland.

            Mrs. Barker went sailing with her husband on many of his trips around the British Isles while yachting, and came from a sea-fating family well known in Kessingland.  In her younger days, Mrs. Barker was a member of St. Edmund’s Church choir and gave her services for many years as a vocalist at local concerts.



  

 

 

Genealogy:  Richard "Dick" William Barker DSC 1889-1966 was the brother of

Charles Alfred "Charlie" Barker 1893-1961 and his daughter was Joyce Lilian Barker 1928-1997 and her husband was Frederick Albert Burgess 1925-2016 and his father was John Henry Burgess 1890-1965 and his wife was Esmee Margarite Elain Adams Read 1899-1992 and her mother was Mary Ann "Annie" Elizabeth Adams Pike 1867-1940 and her mother was Mary Ann Elizabeth Adams 1840-1923 and her mother was Elizabeth Leggett 1818-1867 and her father was James Leggett 1795-1875 and his father was William Leggitt 1771-1842 and his father was William Leggett 1742-1820 and his father was Jonathan Leggett 1710-1756 and his father was Nicholas Legget 1678-1710 and his mother was Anne Lewes 1650-1730 and her brother was Thomas Lewis 1645-1688 and his daughter was Elisabeth Luis 1675-1753 and her daughter was Mary Frankling 1718-1768 and her son was John Copeman 1753-1830 and his son was William Copeman 1792-1876 and his daughter was Anne Copeman 1817-1891 and her son was George Albert Mann 1853-1942 and his son was Gilbert Maurice Mann 1892-1952.

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