Private Alfred John Barber
Alfred John Barber (or Barbour) was born on 29 April 1890 at Knockbeg, Collooney, County Sligo, the only child of farmer John Robert Barber and his wife Matilda Jane (née Lindsay). His mother died when he was just eleven years old. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Knockbeg with his father and grandfather, and working as a chemist's assistant.
Barber enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Dublin on 1 January 1916, reporting for duty at Antrim four days later (regimental number 2061). He gave his occupation as student.
In July that year, while in training at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp, Barber was involved in an accident in which a horse fell on him, aggravating a hernia which he had had prior to enlistment. He was operated on at the military hospital in Belfast, returning to duty on 8 August. It appears, however, that he did not fully recover, and on 18 August 1917 he was transferred to the Labour Corps (No.87757). Posted to No.664 Home Service Employment Company, Barber was assigned for duty to the North Irish Horse at Antrim. On 17 November 1917 he was posted to No.395 Home Service Employment Company.
Barber was transferred to the Royal Fusiliers (No.G/87757) and posted to the 6th Battalion on 22 July 1918. Six weeks later he was transferred to the Royal Defence Corps (No.85710), remaining in Ireland throughout. On 6 October 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve. He was granted a pension, his level of disability assessed at 30 per cent in September 1919.
By 1921 Barber was living at Irvinestown, County Fermanagh, and working as a land steward. On 4 October that year he married Isabella Lindsay in Terwinney Methodist Church, Drumkeeran, County Fermanagh. He died less than a year later, on 8 July 1922.
Sligo Independent and West of Ireland Telegraph, 22 July 1922