Private John Alexander Barr
John Alexander Barr was born on 23 June 1898 at Coreen, Broughshane, County Antrim, the last of six children of agricultural labourer William Barr and his wife Mary (née McKeown). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Tullymore, Broughshane, with his parents, three of his siblings and a nephew.
Barr enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Ballymena on 6 August 1917 (No.2649). He was described as being 5' 9¾" tall, with a fresh complexion, sandy hair, and with 'brown stains' on his right thigh. He gave his age as 19 and his occupation as a farm labourer.
He was reported to have deserted from the regiment's reserve base at Antrim on 10 September 1917. It is not known if he was subsequentially apprehended.
At least one of Barr's brothers, Wilfred, also served during the war, in the Royal Irish Rifles (No.7895). Wounded in June 1916, he was discharged two years later and died on 22 October 1923 at the age of 27.
This page last updated 5 February 2024.