The Warwick G. Cary Collection - Australian Groups

Lot 4700    SESSION 18 (2.30PM FRIDAY 29TH JULY)    The Warwick G. Cary Collection - Australian Groups

Estimate $10,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $15,500

DCM GROUP OF SEVEN TO POW ESCAPEE LATER KIA: Distinguished Conduct Medal (GVIR Indiae Imp); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Pacific Star; Defence Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45. NX18434 Sgt. F.A.Barrett A.I.F. on first medal, second and fourth medals unnamed, NX34972 A.S.Crane (substitute medal) on third medal, NX18434 F.A.Barrett on last three medals. All named medals impressed. The first medal with surface marks and tape residue on reverse, the second, third and last three medals without ribbons, otherwise very fine - good very fine.

DCM: LG 9/9/1942, p3949 to WOII Francis Alfred Barrett, 2/1 Aust Infy Bn. The DCM presented to his next-of-kin, his father, by the Governor-General at Admiralty House, Sydney on 23 July 1945.

Recommendation: (Note: This recommendation was marked 'Most Secret' - No details of this citation may be communicated to the press or given any publicity whatever. Do not furnish to the next of kin as is usually done.)

W.O.II Barrett was taken prisoner at Navplion on 28.4.41, and marched to a PW camp nearby, where they stayed eight days. Conditions were appalling. PW were practically without food, and any sort of shelter or blankets. On 6.5.41 he was moved to Corinth PW Camp where he remained roughly six weeks. Conditions were little better and German discipline was very severe. They were hit with belts or rifle butts at the slightest provocation. On 26 Jun, W.O.II Barrett was moved to Salonika by train, though they had to walk 25 miles between Levadia and Lamia, where there was a break in the line. They remained at Salonika PW Camp till 9 Jul. Here conditions were the worst they had struck. On 9 July he was taken by train to Germany with two thousand other Australians. After three days they arrived at a town in Austria. There was no station and it was dark when they arrived, so W.O.II Barrett did not know the name of the town.

They changed trains here, and in the process, W.O.II Barrett jumped into the brake van of a slow-moving train going in the opposite direction. After being in this train for 25 hours he arrived at Belgrade. At 2100 hrs the train pulled up in the Southern suburbs of Belgrade. He got out, made for a small cluster of houses, knocked at a door and was received with open arms. He spent four days with these people, was given food and civilian clothes, then they took him to another family where they could speak English. He spent fifteen days with these people and was able to wander freely over Belgrade with them, noting conditions and the results of German occupation. He was also preparing his escape, and was eventually taken to the railway marshalling yards, where he got into a truck under a tarpaulin and so returned to Greece.

He left the train at Polycastra, there contacted Greeks who took him to Microvasas, where he spent fourteen days. Here he met Pte J.Reid (who has also been recommended for recognition) and an Australian. They wandered about the Macrovasas district together, dressed as Greek civilians, till about 26 Aug, when they made their way to Salonika, escorted by a Greek who had the address of a Cypriot woman who was going to put them on a British submarine. The day previous to their arrival in Salonika this woman was captured by the Germans and the plan fell through.

They then started to walk to the Turkish border and managed to cross Greece to Alexandroupolis. They met Bulgarian troops on the way. They were young - 19 or 20. At Alexandroupolis they tried to cross into Turkey, but found too many Bulgarians garrisoned in the town, so took a train to Kavalia. They then tried to get a boat across to Turkey, but were unsuccessful, and returned to Athos Peninsula. On the way, they passed through the town of Stavros, where, civilians told them there were 800 Germans. There was another battalion at Langadas. They walked down the Athos Peninsula as far as Lavra. The Greeks were very good to them and they had no difficulty in obtaining food. The met four other Australians, and after obtaining a small boat, sailed for Turkey. The wind veered, however, and they arrived back three miles South of Lavra. Here they met a Greek policeman who offered them a passage to Turkey for £5 sterling.

They reached Imbros on 12 Sep, from whence the Turkish Authorities took them to Canakkale, where the British Consul took charge of them. This N.C.O., not only escaped twice, but the second time did an extraordinary fine performance. He endured great hardships - first in PW Camps, subsequently on his wanderings - but remained undaunted, even when plans fell through and he was faced with another long journey to find a way to British territory. He collected stray escapers on his way and showed great courage in guiding them through districts known to be full of Germans. He brought back interesting information about enemy activities.

Francis Alfred Barrett, clerk, born 03Sep1911 at Erskineville, Sydney, NSW; Enl.05Dec1929 in Aust Militia; Disch.30Dec1933 from Militia; Enl.29May1940 at Paddington, Sydney, NSW; served with 2/1 Aust Pioneer Bn; Emb.30Sep1940; served in Middle East 02Nov1940 to 07Aug1942 and in New Guinea from 26Nov1942 with following units - 2/1 Aust Pioneer Bn, 2/1 Aust Infy Bn (appt'd Lieut 03Feb1943), Allied Intelligence Bureau - Special Duties (appt'd to 'M' Special Unit 25Sep1943); KIA 24Oct1943 at New Guinea. Recorded on the Australian Commando Memorial; Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour; Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial; Rabaul Memorial.