The Soldier's Details

Fred Barker enlisted AIF 2 Aug 1940 and later joined 2/4th’s ‘C’ company 11 Platoon under C.O. Lt Boyle.

He left ‘Aquitania’ with 100s of 2/4th man against orders at Fremantle, and was unable to re-board prior to his ship sailing the following day 16 January 1942 for Singapore.

Please read about the 90 men left behind in Fremantle – some locked up in Fremantle against their wishes with nobody to free them.

Barker was taken POW by Japanese about 8 March on Java and placed in Bicycle Camp Batavia.

He sailed from Java to work on the Burma end of the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘A’ Force Burma, Java Party No. 4 Black Force.

When the rail link was completed by end of 1943, POWs in Burma were south to Thailand to one of about 4-6 large camps or hospitals.  Barker was evacuated to Tamarkan Camp.  He was recovered at the end of the war from Thailand, flying first to Rangoon in Burma then to Singapore

The above was included ‘Daily News’ 12 Sept 1945.  There were numerous brief stories of families receiving the good news of their loved ones – for some it was the first news since capitulation.

Fred married Thelma May Nelson in 1937.  They had a family of three children.  Fred was the son of Harry Barker and Edith Maud Routley who married Victoria in 1893. They had a family of six children.

Harry Barker died in 1949 in Perth aged 70 years and Fred’s mother died in Perth in 1942.

In the 1949 Electoral Roll Fred and Thelma were residing a Rowland St, Subiaco. He was working as a dredgehand.

Fred died 1 November 1955 aged 50 years and was cremated at Karrakatta.

Thelma died in 1983.