Stanley Harry Barnard

This story is shared with the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher.

Stanley Harry Barnard was born in Pernambuo, Brazil circa 1921/1925 according to the BMD Consular Births, the son of Harold Ernest & Corina Duarte Barnard (née De Barros) who married in Pernambuco, Brazil circa 1916/1920. Harold Barnard was born in Leytonstone, Essex circa 1890/1891, the son of Ebenezar A. & Sarah P. Barnard. His father, Ebenezar, was a Banker’s Clerk, who I believe worked for Lloyd’s Bank, 71, Lombard St., London at least in 1921.

On the 4^th of July 1913, we see Harold Barnard setting sail on the ship “Aragon,” to Pernambuco, Brazil with 6 other young men who were Clerks and one Timekeeper. Job opportunities had developed in Brazil as British and German banks played crucial roles in financing Brazilian trade and infrastructure and Harold came to work as an accountant of the Bank of London and South America.

However, Harold returned to the UK in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War. He served in the East Surrey Regiment and was demobbed on the 22nd March 1919. He returned to Brazil in October and ship manifests reveal that he spent the next few years going back and forth betwen Brazil and the UK with his wife. They eventually had 5 children: Percy, Stanley, Francis, Gladys, and Iris.

I do not have any information about the children’s young and teenage years, but Stanley and his brother only appear in a few of the ship manifests and it appears that they remained in Recife, Brazil for most of the time.

We see Stanley living at 17, Earl’s Crescent, Harrow on the 1939 National Register, which was taken on the 29th of September 1939. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force in the Spring/Summer of 1941. He learnt o fly whilst at based at RAF Snailwell, Cambridgeshire. On 20 February 1943 he was promoted to Flying Officer and posted to 168 Squadron, a reconnaissance squadron. The squadron became part of 2nd TAF in July 1943 and carried out photo reconnaissance missions as well as attacking shipping and coastal targets. It also carried out training with the Army and, prior to D-Day, it was used to locate and photograph German installations in northern France.

Stanley Barnard took off at 7.20 from RAF Odiham and crossed into France at Ouistreham on a tactical reconnaissance mission. There was light German anti-aircraft fire reported from Caen airfield but his plane exploded mid-air at 3000 feet about one mile from Lion-sur-Mer, Calvados. It is believed he was hit by anti-aircraft fire from a warship.

The news of Stanley's death was sent to his parents by the Foreign Office. A short newspaper article appeared in a local newspaper announcing his death.

It saddens me to tell you I found Francis Eric Barnard in the CWGC Debt of Honour too. Francis was to be killed in action on the 11th of April 1945, less than a year after D-Day and the loss of Stanley. And in 1952 their elder brother, Percy, who had joined the Brazilian Air Force, was killed when carrying our air sea rescue training.

British Normandy Memorial - Additional Information

Unfortunately, we do not have a photo of Stanley Barnard. If you are aware of one, or you are related to Stanley, we would love to hear from you so we can add to his story.