1410 Sgt Ralph Barrett DCM MiD
15th Battalion, AIF
4th Pioneer Battalion, AIF
by Robert Simpson
1410 Sgt Ralph Barrett DCM MiD – 15 Bn AIF
Ralph Barrett was born in Steiglitz Victoria in 1884 a son to Ralph Barrett and Eliza Emma Hartshorn. They had been married in 1869 in Steiglitz and had eight children, of which Ralph was the youngest. Steiglitz was a town about 90 km west from Melbourne, named after the von Stieglitz family which owned the area as farmers. It was founded in the 1850’s after gold was found nearby. By the 1870’s the town had declined as the gold ran out. Gold mining recommenced in the 1890’s due to processing of the tailings but declined in 1896 due to disappointing returns. His Father worked as a miner. Little is known of his childhood except in 1886 his Mother passed away and in 1897 his Father did also. So, he may have been raised by older siblings, but who knows what happened after their Father died. They may have been fostered out. He first appears in the 1914 electoral roll in Bell Post Hill, Geelong North, Coria, Victoria as a labourer. There is a record in the Victoria Police Gazette of 3rd July 1902 on page 3 “RALPH BARRETT.-A warrant of commitment has been issued by the Scarsdale Bench against Ralph Barrett for 7 days’ imprisonment, in default of payment of 10s., fine, and 5s., costs, for using indecent language. Description :- Known as Wolf Barrett, labourer, about 20 years of age, looks older, 5 feet 9 inches high, stout build, dark complexion, black hair, no hair on face ; poorly dressed and dirty. – O.5928. 28th June 1902.”
He enlisted on 10th September 1914 in Geelong as Private 1410, 1st reinforcements 15th Battalion. He stated his age as 28 (27 years and 11 months), but he was actually 30. Ralph gives a brother as his next-of-kin as Edward, who was living in Berringa (states Scarsdale, near Ballarat, Victoria on embarkation roll) and states his occupation as a labourer. He was 5 foot 10 inches, weighed 14 stone and 9 pounds, had a chest measurement of 42 inches, and was of dark complexion with brown eyes and dark hair. His religion was Church of England. He had a scar on the right side of his forehead.
The regiment embarked on 22nd December 1914 from Melbourne on A35 HMAT Berrima. They arrived in Egypt on 31st January 1915. As part of the 4th Brigade they landed at Gallipoli on the afternoon of the 25th April. They were involved in the massive Turkish counter-attack on the 19th May, where Albert Jacka was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallant acts. From May to August the battalion was heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line. The 4th Brigade attacked Hill 971 in August, advanced during the night of 6th August but made slow progress due the difficult terrain. By dawn on 7th August they were well short of their objective. An assault on the summit attempted on 8th August proved a costly failure as the Turks were waiting on the high ground. He was promoted to Corporal on 9th August 1915. On the 20th he was transferred from the 4th Field Ambulance at ANZAC with dysentery to 16th Casualty Clearing Station at Mudros with enteritis and it was so bad he was sent to England on the 22nd on the Caledonia. He was admitted to the Military Hospital Lewisham on 1st September. On 3rd December he arrived at Mudros on the Olympic. He rejoined the unit from 8th December 1915 at Gallipoli. He is mentioned in the London Gazette as Corporal 1410A, 15th Australian Imperial Force for the Distinguished Conduct Medal on 29th November 1915. His citation reads: – “BARRETT R. Cpl. 1410a 15 Bn. For conspicuous gallantry on 6-7th August and 10th August 1915, at Chunuk Bair (Dardanelles). During the advance, and later, when the trenches were congested with dead and wounded, he made continual journeys across open ground under heavy shell and rifle fire to bring up ammunition. His courage and devotion to duty throughout a critical period exercised the greatest influence over the troops holding that section of the trenches, and assisted to restore confidence. 29.11.15.” Ralph is listed in the London Gazette on 28th January 1916 as Private 1410 15th Battalion Australian Infantry, for a Mentioned in Despatches. He rejoined the battalion at Anzac on 8th December 1915 and then they withdrew from Gallipoli and disembarked at Alexandria on the 29th.
Unfortunately, from here his service record took a turn for the worse. On 3rd January 1916 he was admitted to the 4th Field Ambulance at Ismailia, transferred to the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station and admitted to Detention Barracks Isolation Hospital at Abbassia with venereal disease. He was discharged to duty on 16th February 1916 at the Base and to his unit on 5th March. He requested to revert to the rank of Private on 11th. On 16th March 1916 he was transferred to the 4th Pioneer Battalion and is taken on strength at Tel-el-Kebir and reverted to the rank of Private from Acting Sergeant. He was promoted to Sergeant on 27th May 1916. The Battalion proceeded to join the BEF at Alexandria on 4th June 1916 and disembarked at Marseilles on 11th June. On 22nd July 1916 a Field General Court Martial was held. The charge was “disobeying a lawful command given by his superior officer 6-7-16”. He was found guilty and the sentence was to be reduced to the ranks. The sentence was commuted to read “To rank and precedence as if his appointment to the rank of Sergeant bore date 22-7-16”. On 25th November 1916 another Field General Court Martial was held. The charge was “Absenting himself without leave in that he in the Field at Brailly absented himself from tattoo 9pm 3-11-16 until Reveille 6am 4-11-16”. He was found guilty and the sentence was “To be reduced to the ranks & to forfeit all ordinary pay for a period of 14 days”. He also had a period of waiting before the trial of 20 days, bringing the total forfeiture to 35 days pay. The court martial was with another soldier, Private Jack Casey 1842. Jack seemed to have had a chequered military career and was in trouble a fair bit. Whether they went AWOL together or not is not known. Ralph was on leave from the 2nd to 14th August 1917. On 26th October 1917 he was appointed as a Driver and transferred to 5th Division Engineers. He returned to company duties and reverted to Private on 13th January 1918. He went to Paris on leave from 19th to 27th February. On 7th March 1918 he was detached for duty with Anzac workshops and was attached to the 4th Siege Company Royal Engineers for duty on 14th May. On 27th September he proceeded on leave for Australia from Taranto as per record from 4th Pioneer Battalion C. O. He embarked for Australia on 8th October 1918 and was discharged from service on 2nd February 1919.
A letter was sent to his brother Edward at Scarsdale Victoria on 28th April 1916 detailing his Mentioned in Despatches and one on 27th March 1916 detailing his award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal and details of the award.
In 1924 he was in the electoral roll as living at 32 Fenwick St Geelong with his job being a labourer. Unfortunately, not much more can be found of his life. He may have been married to Florence Elizabeth, but no marriage record can be found, there is no record of her surname and she appears to have passed away in Grafton on 11th October 1928 as Florence Elizabeth Barrett, parents William and Sarah J, as recorded in NSW BDM, registration number 20558/1928. They must have moved to Grafton beforehand. In 1953 he was still living in Grafton. A letter from his Grafton branch RSL and the NSW RSL branch to the records office in that year asks for his details, as he seems to have been in a car accident at some stage before then and had lost his memory. They were using his records to try to help him to recall those past events and his army service. The NSW RSL mentions him being involved in a car accident some time ago and suffering serious head injuries. “Grafton Sub-branch have been assisting Mr. Barrett in rehabilitating himself and desire this information in support of these efforts”. The Grafton branch letter dated 8th June 1953 mentions him suffering from loss of memory. He signed for his Mention in Despatches certificate on 24th June 1921 and he did receive his 1914-1915 star. According to the records he never received his British War or Victory medals. A letter was sent from Ralph on 21st August 1923, but no address was included and although a note says try Scarsdale, they were returned unclaimed on 8th November 1923.
With his family :-
Amelia Barratt was born in 1870 in Steiglitz. She married John Brassil in 1889 in Victoria and then Ernest Alfred Ord in 1915 after her first husband passed away. Her son Sylvester Brassil served in WW1 as Private 823 in the 31st Battalion, transferred to 5th Division Signal Company. She passed away on 22nd September 1938 in Werribee, Victoria.
Edward Barratt was born in 1871 in Steiglitz. He married Eliza Friday in 1897 in Victoria. In 1914 his address is recorded as Berringa P.O. as on Ralph’s service records or Scarsdale near Ballarat as on the troopship list. He died on 6th September 1939 at Steiglitz and is buried in Geelong Eastern Cemetery with his wife (1953) and a son (Albert Edward Barrett, born and died in 1902).
Eliza Emma Barrett was born in 1872 in Steiglitz. She married William Ernest Valenti Lampmann. In the 1913 electoral roll they were living at Belgrade Street Hawthorn. William died in 1937 and she died in 1938 and they are buried in Springvale Botanical Cemetery.
Benjamin Barrett was born in Steiglitz in 1873. He married Mary McCallum in 1902. In the 1903 electoral roll they were living in Scarsdale in Share Road Yallow Creek and he was a miner. He died on 17th September 1938 and is buried in Smythesdale Cemetery.
John William Barrett was born in Barr, Victoria on 31st July 1877. He married Elizabeth Ann Vernon in 1907 in Victoria. In the 1927 electoral roll they were living at Campbell Street Ararat and he was a miner. He died in 1962 in Ararat.
Sarah Ann Barrett was born in 1879 in Barraport Victoria. She married Thomas Augustus Everest in 1900 in Victoria. In the 1915 electoral roll he was a compositor and they were living at 105 Kilgour Street Geelong. He passed away in 1921 and she married Joseph Ernest Bamford. The Camperdown Chronicle of Friday 2nd June 1950 in page 7 had “MRS. Sarah Ann Bamford. widow of the late Mr. Joseph Ernest Bamford, died at Camperdown on Thursday, May 25, at the age of 71 years. For 25 years the late Mrs. Bamford resided at Gnotuk and later with her daughter, Mrs Hames, of Walls Street. She was born at. Blackwood and was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Barrett. She is survived by three daughters and one son by a former marriage. The funeral was to the Camperdown cemetery on Friday May 26, from St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, following a service conducted by the Rev. D. Wong, who also officiated at the graveside in the absence of the Rev. D. Drennan. Coffin-bearers were Messrs. J. Widdison, A. Hinkley, H. Schache and N. Boyd. The arrangements were carried but by Messrs. Collie and Lourey.”
Mary Louisa Barrett was born in Steiglitz in 1883. She did not marry and died in Hamilton Victoria in 1968.
The Maryborough Colonial & Military Museum just has his 1914-15 Star.
He passed away in Parramatta on 25th September 1955 and was buried in Liverpool Cemetery and Crematorium in Plot: Ang H, Section: 2, Grave 166 on the 28th. They have his age as 69. Unfortunately, there is no grave stone.
An update in 2020; the museum first applied to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs on 2 December 2019 about the grave having no memorial. They responded on 7 January 20 and advised that the application had been accepted. On 14 May 2020 the museum received official advice from DVA that the official memorial had been erected and they also included the three photos below.
ANZAC Biographies
On our website you will find the biographical details of ANZAC (as well as British) servicemen & women
whose medals or other memorabilia form part of the collection belonging to the
Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum,
Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.
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