Essex_Farm_CWGC_Cemetery_Thomas_Barratt_VC

Thomas Barratt VC (5 May 1895 – 27 July 1917) was an English recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...

forces. Barratt was born on 5 May 1895 to James and Sarah Ann Barratt.Barratt, Thomas
Commonwealth War Graves Commission He was 22 years old, and a private in the 7th Battalion,

The South Staffordshire Regiment The South Staffordshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for only 68 years. The regiment was created in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot and ...

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

when he performed the act for which he was awarded the VC and which led to his death on 27 July 1917 north of

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the

Staffordshire Regiment Museum The Staffordshire Regiment Museum is a military museum in Staffordshire, England, preserving the history of the Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's), its antecedent regiments and its successor regiment, the Mercian Regiment, from 1705 ...

Whittington Barracks DMS Whittington, otherwise known as Defence Medical Services Whittington (formerly Whittington Barracks), is a military base in Whittington, Staffordshire, near Lichfield in England. It is home to the Staffordshire Regiment Museum, the Headquarte ...

, Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. He was commemorated in

Tipton Tipton is an industrial town in the West Midlands in England with a population of around 38,777 at the 2011 UK Census. It is located northwest of Birmingham. Tipton was once one of the most heavily industrialised towns in the Black Country, w ...

by a block of flats being named Barratt Court. When these flats were renovated the plaque erected in his memory went missing. A replacement plaque was unveiled at a ceremony in May 2012.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Thomas Barratt, Coseley's own VC
''(biographical details)''

"Belgium"
Location of Thomas Barrett's Victoria Cross
"Staffordshire Regiment Museum" {{DEFAULTSORT:Barratt, Thomas 1895 births 1917 deaths People from Coseley South Staffordshire Regiment soldiers British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel killed in World War I British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Burials at Essex Farm Cemetery Military personnel from Staffordshire