Private Daniel Barfield
Army Number: 6076
Battalion: 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment.
Born and lived at Langley Mill, Derbyshire and was a coal miner. Husband of Lucy Jane Barfield of 15 Dean Street, Langley Mill, Derbyshire. He enlisted at Nottingham 19th August 1914, went to Gallipoli 1st July 1915 and was killed in action 24th July 1915.
“LANGLEY MILL PRIVATE KILLED.
“SHELLED AS LEAVING DUG-OUT.
“Mrs. Daniel Barfield, Dean-terrace, Langley Mill, has received a letter from the officer in charge of the Company to which her husband, Pte. D. Barfield, is attached, of which the following is a copy: —
“9th Sherwood Foresters,
“B.E.F.,
“Mediterranean,
“24-7-16.
“My dear Mrs. Barfield, — It is with the deepest that I am writing to tell you about the sad death of Daniel Barfield, which occurred this morning. He, as you know, has acted in the capacity as my servant for some time, and a more faithful or finer soldier I have never known. He had just left my dug-out this morning when a shrapnel shell exploded against the side of the dug-out and wounded him so severely that he died in about 20 minutes. He was unconscious at once. I cannot adequately express my deep regret; he had always acted towards me more like a father than anything else, and if it is any consolation to you and the poor boys, his children, to know he held the esteem and love of every officer in the regiment, and his death is regretted by all, but he died as he would have wished, a Christian father and a British soldier.
“I have the honour to be, Madam, yours faithfully and sincerely,
“W. HENRY J. SUTCLIFF.
“No official confirmation has yet been received. Pte. Barfield is the first Langley Mill man to killed during the war, and he leaves a widow and two young children.”
Ripley and Heanor News,’ 13th August 1915.
“LANGLEY MILL HERO.
“OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF DEATH.
“Official notification has reached Mrs. D. Barfield, who resides at Dean-terrace, Langley Mill, regarding the death her husband on the 24th of last month, and the following letter has also been received by her from Regt. Sergt.-Major J. C. Prow, with whom Pte. Barfield first enlisted into the Army at the age of 18 years:
“I hardly express mine and the whole of our Battalion’s sorrow to you. Poor Dan was liked by everyone in it. I hope you will try and bear up. You have one thing to look to, your dear husband was killed doing his duty for his King, country, and the dear ones he left at home. I had known him for over 23 years, we were recruits together and always found him to be a good, brave soldier, and a man who was liked and respected by everyone. We are in the trenches and have been in four days. The doctor who Dan was servant to said he would write to you. I hope and trust you and the little ones he has left behind will be well looked after.”
“Private Barfield, who was attached to the 9th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, during the present war, had seen active service on two previous occasions. In 1879-8 [1897-98] he took part in the engagements on the Indian frontier, for which the medal with clasps for Tirah and Punjab, and was also in possession of the South African medal with clasps for Transvaal, Orange Free State, and Cape Colony.
“The dead hero, although a man of a rather retiring disposition, was well known in the district, and the greatest sympathy is felt with the widow and two small children.” [2]
Ripley and Heanor News,’ 27th August 1915.
Buried: Redoubt Cemetery, Helles, Turkey. Special Memorial A. 94
Private Daniel Barfield is also commemorated on the following local memorials :-
Langley Mill Methodist Church War Memorial (St. Andrew’s Church) Langley Mill, Derbyshire.
His son, Gunner George Norman Barfield, 14 Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, was killed in action on 31st May 1940. Buried in Oostduinkerke Communal Cemetery, he was the 33-year-old husband of Hannah Lee Barfield, of Langley Mill, Nottinghamshire.