VICTOR BARRY
It seems likely that Victor Barry joined the Hampshire Regiment as soon as he was old enough which might explain why his name does not appear in the census for either 1891 or 1901. During that time the regiment served in India, Burma and South Africa.
His name had first appeared in the census of 1881 when he was ten years old. At the time of his birth in 1871 his parents James and Augusta (also known as Augustine) Barry were living at 16 White Hart Row in Old Portsmouth. Both parents had been born at Portsea, James in 1831 and Augusta (nee Cousin) in 1837, as had Victor and his five older siblings, James, Thomas, Augusta, Margaret and Josephine.
Victor's father James died in 1878 after which his wife Augusta took work as a charwoman in order to support her family. They had all moved to 3 Dugan's Court, Penny Street by the time of the 1881 census. A few years later Victor's career in the army began along with his absence from the census until 1911 when he was recorded as a Sergeant in Barracks at Aldershot.
After the outbreak of the Great War Victor was posted to the 10th Battalion which then spent six months in Ireland before being sent to Gallipoli where they landed in August 1915. Victor was killed in action there a month later.
FURTHER INFORMATION
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) list Sergeant V Barry (3/4647), 10th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, died 25/09/1915, aged 27. Buried at the Embarkation Pier Cemetery (Sp. Mem. A.8.).
Victor Barry is commemorated on the Cenotaph and on the original plaques of the Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral WW1 Memorial Cross. He is not listed in "The National Roll of the Great War", Section X.
RESEARCH NOTES
The original plaques on the Cathedral WW1 Memorial Cross deteriorated to such an extent that at some later stage, possibly in the 1950s they were replaced. Unfortunately the names on the plaque could not all be read and two of them, including Victor Barry were inadvertently replaced by other eligible names. The full story can be read at the Memorials in Portsmouth website.
Tim Backhouse
October 2014