Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

Role lists Flight Commander Killed whilst flying in DH2 5918. Commission in East Yorkshire Regiment (David Barnes)

The Royal Aero Club Aviators Certificate Records shows : Born 29th Jan. 1893, at Camborne.
Nationality: British.
Rank of Profession: Lieut. 11th East Yorkshire Regt. Certificate taken on: Maurice Farman Biplane
At : The Military School, Catterick Bridge
Date: 14th January, 1916
Killed in Action: 8th August 1916 in France. [This date is at odds with other records]

Earned the Military Cross on 20th May 1916.

London Gazette: Supplement 24th June 1916 Temp. Lt. David Wilson, Genl. List (attd. R.F.C.). "For conspicuous gallantry and skill. After his machine had been damaged in a combat with an enemy machine and was difficult to control, he continued his patrol and assisted another officer to bring, down an enemy machine. Later he found another enemy machine, dived at it, and brought it down in flames within our lines."

Masonic :

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley