Second Lieutenant William Roche Brereton-Barry

Regiment: Royal Dublin Fusiliers
Panel reference: Panel 144 to 145.
Date published: 26/04/1918
Killed in action: Yes
Date of death: 16/08/1917
Cemetery: Tyne Cot Memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Information: Second Lieutenant William Roche Brereton-Barry, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who was reported wounded and missing on August 16th 1917, is now officially presumed killed. He is the second son of Judge and Mrs. Brereton-Barry, Langara, Glenageary, Co. Dublin, and was educated at Mount St. Benedict School, Gorey, and the Oratory School, Edgbaston, Birmingham, where he was a member of the O.T.C. In February 1916, he obtained a commission in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, being then just eighteen years of age. In March 1917, he joined the battalion in France, and took part in several important engagements. On August 16th, during the advance of the Irish Division, he was severely wounded and was urged to drop out and return, but insisted on advancing with his men under very heavy machine gun and shell fire, until his right leg was broken by a piece of shell. Unfortunately it was impossible to send out a stretcher until after dark and when the search parties went out, no trace of Lieut. Brereton-Barry could be found. He was awarded the parchment certificate for gallant conduct and devotion to duty.