I am not confident that I have the right family for Herbert Barker, so I am appealing for any information to confirm or deny my research.

Herbert Barker born on the 24 Mar 1924 in Shotton, according to his record on the H.M.S. Southern Flower, https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/person/20456.html and was the son of George Thomas & Lucy Barker (nee Leach), who I believe, married in a Civil Ceremony at Hawarden (Flintshire (Mold) HAW/04/59) in 1913.

The 1921 census gives us a glimpse of the Barker family living at 20, North Street, Shotton, Flintshire.  George would have filled in the census form, so I don’t know why he wrote his name as George A. Barker instead of George T. Barker as his second Christian name was Thomas, but he did have a son George Ambrose, so he could have been thinking off him.   However, he was head of the household and was now 29 years and 5 months old, he had been born in Barbridge, Cheshire and was a Bar Dragger at John Summers & Sons, Hawarden Bridge Steelworks, Shotton.   Lucy Barker was 27 years and 6 months old and had been born in Warrington, Cheshire.  Their children were George Barker, 8 years, and 9 months old, Lucy E. Barker 6 years and 5 months old, Florence May Barker 4 years and 1 month old and James H. Barker 1 years and 9 months old, all born in Queensferry, Flintshire.

I have no information on Herbert’s early years, so if anyone has any information, it would be greatly appreciated to make sure he is not forgotten.

The 1939 Register show parent’s George Thomas & Lucy with their son Eric, born in 1933, and the redacted persons living at Davies Cottages Pentre, Hawarden.   George is an Electrical Contractor, born on the 9^th of January 1881, Lucy, his wife, was born on the 11^th of May 1885, with Eric, born 28^th July 1933.  There is only one brother that is seen, the other three entries are redacted and therefore closed, so I do not know who they are, but could very well be Herbert and his siblings.

I have baptisms of George Ambrose Barker in 1914, Elizabeth Lucy in 1915 and Florence May Barker in 1917, and James Henry Barker in 1919, all Baptised in the Parish of Hawarden, if you would like to see them, please contact the website.  Their addresses were in Sealand and in 1917 George Thomas Barker was a Soldier, so was in the Great War.   However, as I don’t know his Regimental Number or Regiment, I have been unable to find his records, there are more than one George Thomas Barker in the records.

I do not know when Herbert enlisted or was conscripted, but in 1939 he would have only been 15 years old.  We do know that Herbert ended up serving on H.M.S. Southern Flower in the Royal Naval Patrol Service, as shown on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

According to the website https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/3464.html – Ships hit by U-boats, the H.M.S. Southern Flower was sunk by U-1022 (Hans-Joachim Ernst) on the 3^rd March 1945.

History.

Completed in October 1928 as whaler Southern Flower for Southern Whaling & Sealing Co Ltd, Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. In March 1940 requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to the A/S trawler HMS Southern Flower (FY 332). 1941 purchased by The South Georgia Co Ltd (Chr. Salvesen & Co), Leith.

Notes on event

At 11.32 hours on 3 March 1945 HMS Southern Flower (FY 332) (Skr William George Brown, RNR) was hit by a torpedo from U-1022, disintegrated and sank almost immediately four miles 322° from Skagi, Iceland. 25 crew members were lost, only the commander survived the sinking.

Aboard HMS Southern Flower (FY 332) when hit on 3 Mar 1945 was Herbert Barker:-

https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/person/20456.html

Herbert Barker

Roster information listed for Herbert Barker

RNPS (LT/JX 374080). British

Born      24 Mar 1924                     Shotton, Flintshire

Died      3 Mar 1945        (20)

Ship       Type      Rank / role         Attacked on        Boat

HMS Southern Flower (FY 332)   A/S trawler         Seaman 3 Mar 1945 (+)              U-1022 (1)

Sources –http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2367205/  and

https://uboat.net/boats/u1022.htm

U-1022 – Type – VIIC/41

Ordered              13 Jun 1942

Laid down          6 May 1943        Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 222)

Launched           13 Apr 1944

Commissioned  7 Jun 1944          Kptlt. Hans-Joachim Ernst

Commanders    – 7 Jun 1944       –             9 May 1945                      Kptlt. Hans-Joachim Ernst

Career – 1 patrol

7 Jun 1944          –             31 Jan 1945          31. Flottille (training)

1 Feb 1945         –             8 May 1945          11. Flottille (active service)

Successes           1 ship sunk, total tonnage 1,392 GRT

1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 328 GRT

Fate      

Surrendered on 9 May 1945 at Bergen, Norway (Waller & Niestlé, 2010).

Transferred to Lisahally on 30 May 1945.

Operation Deadlight (post-war Allied operation, info)

Sank for unknown reasons on 29 Dec, 1945 at 55.40N, 08.15W.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat

This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in June 1944. Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-1022 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

Herbert came from a large family and was obviously loved and missed as his name was put forward for him to remembered on the Hawarden War Memorial.