Barker, William George
William George Barker VC, DSO & Bar, MC & Two Bars was a Canadian First World War fighter ace and Victoria Cross recipient.
William Barker's VC Citation:
"On the morning of the 27 October 1918, this officer observed an enemy two-seater over the Foret de Mormal. He attacked this machine and after a short burst it broke up in the air. At the same time a Fokker biplane attacked him, and he was wounded in the right thigh, but managed, despite this, to shoot down the enemy aeroplane in flames. He then found himself in the middle of a large formation of Fokkers who attacked him from all directions, and was again severely wounded in the left thigh, but succeeded in driving down two of the enemy in a spin. He lost consciousness after that, and his machine fell out of control. On recovery, he found himself being again attacked heavily by a large formation, and singling out one machine he deliberately charged and drove it down in flames. During this fight his left elbow was shattered and he again fainted, and on regaining consciousness he found himself still being attacked, but notwithstanding that he was now severely wounded in both legs and his left arm shattered, he dived on the nearest machine and shot it down in flames. Being greatly exhausted, he dived out of the fight to regain our lines, but was met by another formation, which attacked and endeavored to cut him off, but after a hard fight he succeeded in breaking up this formation and reached our lines, where he crashed on landing. This combat, in which Major Barker destroyed four enemy machines (three of them in flames), brought his total successes to fifty enemy machines destroyed, and is a notable example of the exceptional bravery and disregard of danger which this very gallant officer has always displayed throughout his distinguished career." VC citation, London Gazette, 30 November 1918
-
Interment Info
His funeral, the largest national state event in Toronto's history, was attended by an honour guard of 2,000 soldiers. The cortege stretched for more than a mile and a half, and included the Chief of the General Staff and his senior officers, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Mayor of Toronto, three federal government cabinet ministers, and six other Victoria Cross recipients. An honour guard was also provided by the United States Army. Some 50,000 spectators lined the streets of Toronto en route to Mount Pleasant Cemetery, where Barker was interred in his wife's family crypt in the Mausoleum. (Wikipedia) Mount Pleasant: Terrace B, Crypt B
Honours
People in this Cemetery
 Foster Hewitt was a radio broadcaster most famous for his play-by-play calls for Hockey Night in Canada. He coined the phrase "He shoot! He | |
 Sir Byron Edmund Walker was a wealthy banker who is best remember for his philanthropic support of the arts. He was a patron of many Canadian educational and cultural institutions such |
 Robertson Davies was a novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor. He was also the founding Master of Massey College, University of |
 Northrop Frye was a literary critic and literary theorist, considered one of the most influential of the 20th | |
 William Lyon MacKenzie King was Canada's 10th Prime Minister. He was the dominant political leader in Canada throughout most of the 1920 to the 1940s. He is commemorated on the |
 Frederick Banting was the discoverer of insulin and winner of a Nobel Prize for medicine in 1923 shared with J.J.R. |
 Glenn Gould was a pianist who became one of the best-known and most celebrated classical pianists of the twentieth century. He was particularly renowned as an interpreter of the |
 Ken Thomson, was a Canadian businessman and art collector who, at the time of his death, was the richest person in Canada, and the ninth richest person in the world, according to |
Other members of the Order of Canada
Copy of Other members of the Walk of Fame
 |
 |