John Henry Barber

A Petty Officer 1st Class with H.M. Trawler Courtier, John died on 6th of January 1916 at the age of 45. 

John was born at Durham on 19 October 1870, a son of Abel and Ann Barber. In 1871 John, and his mother, were with his maternal grandmother, Harriet Rose, at 9 Rack Terrace, Kidderminster. By 1881 John’s mother had died and his family lived at a Court in Mill Street, Kidderminster. 

John was working as a labourer when he joined the Royal Navy, as a Boy 2nd Class, on 13 April 1886. On 14 October 1899 he became a Boatman with the Coastguard and, from 25 May 1902, he was based at Kessingland. On 31 October 1914 John became a naval pensioner. 

On 9 June 1903 John married Catherine Maud Gouldby at Saint Edmunds Church, Kessingland. John was a coastguard and they both lived at Kessingland. In 1911 they lived at Sea View, Cliff Road, Kessingland, and John was a naval pensioner – net mender working on his own account. Later Catherine lived at 3 The Ridge, Kessingland Beach. 

John was mobilized on 15 July 1915. On 19 November 1914 he was drafted to the Armed Boarding Steamer H.M.S. Fiona. He was drafted to H.M.S. Pekin, a base for auxiliary patrol trawlers and drifters, and he joined the trawler Courtier.   

On 6 January 1916 the Courtier was engaged in operations off Kilnsea, Spurn Head, when the trawler struck a mine. Eleven of the crew were killed, including John, and another man died from his wounds.