The son of Sgt. Ernest of the First Kent Regt. and Leona Barnes of 41 Main St., Wallaceburg, ON. William had a sister, Wren Etta Barnes, of the RCN (WD). His brother, Don, was training with the RCNVR.  Prior to the war, Pte. Barnes was employed at the Wallaceburg Brass factory.  

Frank joined the Essex Scottish in April of 1940 and had gone overseas in July. He was a reported as a casualty on the Dieppe Raid in the Windsor Star of 16 September, 1942. The WN 8/10/42(P) reported that the International Red Cross at Geneva had confirmed that William was a POW in Germany as a result of the raid on Dieppe. He had been wounded on the Dieppe beach where he was captured.

The WN 12/11/42 in an article “Letters To Prisoners of War” gave instructions that each letter or parcel should be addressed to Prisoner of War Post, Service des Prisionerd de Guerre, Krugsgefangenenpost. A-22177 Pte. Wm. Barnes, Prisoner of War No. 42989, Stalag 9 C, Germany.

The WN 6/07/44 (P) reported that Bill had been welcomed home in 1944. The CDN 8/06/44 reported that Pte. Barnes age 22 years was along with Pte Roy N. Kett of Chatham, and they fought together. A photo of the happy home-coming included a examination of a sample of POW “Bread”; consisting of potato peelings and straw. Pte. Barnes returned to Canada aboard the S.S. Gripsholm.  

“It’s good to be home. The town’s street lights look good to me”. Jerry, the family dog, who was demanded a bit of attention at the family home on Main St., in Wallaceburg at this time.

Bill was reported to be nervous upon his arrival home; he had a condition evidently caused by the long trip out of Germany to Marseilles, then by ship to Barcelona, where he boarded the S.S. Gripsholm. The voyage to Belfast, Ireland, was uneventful. Also, he took a trip across the Atlantic to New York. He was then aboard a crack passenger train to to Montreal and via C.N.R. to Toronto, London, Chatham, and then home. He was greeted by his father Sgt. Ernie Barnes in London.  His nerves were likely caused from all the travel.

There was a cordial greeting for Pte. Barnes in Chatham from a crowd of his friends from Wallaceburg. Mayor J. Eric MacDonald spoke a brief welcome, along with remarks from the Chamber of Commerce and Canadian Legion.

Bill gave praise for the weekly parcels that came from the Red Cross. “If it hadn’t been for those parcels many of us would have starved”. He also was very grateful to the employees of the Dominion Glass Co. for the monthly cigarettes and the other folks in Wallaceburg who also sent ‘smokes’.  

Someone happened to mention baseball, and Bill wanted to know where he could see a game. He went to see a game a couple of nights later in Steinhoff Park in Wallaceburg. There is a photo of his father and mother greeting William at the game CDN 9/06/44.

William married Betty Frances (nee Mummery). (date unknown) 

William passed away 7 July, 2005.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Awards	CDN, 24-01-1945
Sources	CDN (14/11/05), WN &CDN 16/O9/42(MIA), W-RH

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