Thomas Frederick Barker

This story and photos are shared by the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher. Photos courtesy of  Libraries and Archives Canada.

Thomas Frederick Barker was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the 13th of June 1917, the son of Charles Frederick and Mary Ellen Barker. He had other siblings: one brother, John Douglas Barker, born circa 1919; and three sisters, Elva Myrtle Barker, born circa 1909; Eileen Florence Barker, born circa 1910; and Winetta Barker, born circa 1912.

Thomas' parents had married on the 8th of September 1908 in Toronto and Thomas had lived in Ontario all his life. He attended Rose Avenue Public Primary School between 1924 and 1931 and then Jarvis Street Collegiate between 1931 and 1936. After leaving school, he worked as an apprentice heating engineer for 6 months. He then got a job as a brokerage clerk on the floor of the Toronto Stock Exchange. After 1½ years there he got a better job with the brokerage firm making $19.00 weekly. He left this job to enlist and was signed up on 7th August 1941.

In his service record we discover that he was 5ft 11 tall, was of medium complexion with blue eyes and brown hair.  A report written by a medical officer on his enlistment stated that he was a keen sportsman and played basketball and hockey for his Church league but his chief hobby was reading which he used to do a considerable amount. The report finishes:

"This airman is a good steady individual with a more mature out look than most of his class mates. In contradistinction to others he does not feel it was any disgrace to be washed out as a pilt. He is accustomed to calculating and has had a good education. The impression obtained is that he will make an excellent observer and is well suited for a commission." 

He trained at Portage la Prairie, graduated as a navigator in September 1942 and was given a commission as a Pilot Officer. On completion of his training he married Vere Cecile Mathews in Toronto on the 19th of September 1942.  He then went to the UK, arriving in Bournemouth in November 1942. After further training he was promoted to Flying Officer in March 1943 and then posted to 620 Squadron on the 27 August 1943.

On the 5th June 1944 Thomas Barker was to fly his last mission. He was a crew member in Stirling Mk.IV LJ288, 620 Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF). They took off at 23:35 on 5 June 1944 from RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire to drop parachutists of 7th Battalion, Parachute Regiment as part of Operation Tonga (6th Airborne Division's parachute and glider assault in the early hours of D-Day). But their aircraft was hit by German anti-aircraft fire and it crashed about half a mile north of Château Sarlabot, Dives-sur-Mer, Calvados killing all on board.

He was reported missing after air operations and notification was sent to his wife Vere Barker. In September 1945 Vere Barker wrote to the Casualty Section asking for official confirmation. The letter reflects the length of time and struggles some families had in getting confirmation of the death of their loved ones.

Vere wrote: Would you kindly give me official confirmation of the death of my husband F/O T. F. Barker - J14207. He was reported missing June 6 1944, over Caen, France. To date, I have received two unsatisfactory letters from you telling me official confirmation would follow & as yet I have not received it.

The pilot - Irvine Caskey - of Macdonald, Manitoba was presumed dead the beginning of Aug,/45. Surely it does not need to take you as long, as on March 14 I received word of the crash at Caen.

I would appreciate it very much if you would look after this for me - it is very trying on one's nerves not to have anything definite.

However, it took over almost four years for details about his death to be confirmed. On the 17th February, Vere Barker received a letter from the RCAF Casualty Officer stating:

"It is with regret that I again refer to the loss of your husband, Flying Officer Thomas Fredrick Barker, but you may wish to know of a report received from our Missing Research and Enquiry Service. Investigating Officers of this Service located the graves of your husband, his crew and their passengers at the scene of the crash near a road leading to Houlgate Battery (...) Exhumation was carried out but unfortunately Flying Officer Caskey was the only one who could be individually identified (...) The crew, together with the paratroopers who had been passengers in the aircraft were re-interred in the cemetery at Douvres la Deliverande. Graves 2 to 11 in Plot 3, Row K and Graves 1 to 11 in Plot 4, Row K are being registered collectively with the names of the passengers and crew members who could not be individually identified."