BARTON, Harold Ernest

Harold was born 1913 in Newport to Ernest Walter & Annie (nee HAYLES) of St John’s Road, Newport. In the 1939 roll Harold is listed as living at 54 Cavendish Road, New Malden, Surrey. In 1941 he married Lilian WESTON at St James’ Church, New Malden, Surrey.

On the afternoon of the 22nd May 1942, two Spitfire pilots left the airfield at Redhill for a practise flight when they came across low cloud over Firle.  Flt Lt BARRETT climbed above the cloud & returned to Redhill but Harold went below the cloud which was lower than expected.  He hit the end of the row of houses destroying part of it & injuring one of the residents. Harold, aged 28, was killed; the end of Stanford buildings was badly damaged both by the impact & the resulting fire.

Harold was recovered from the aircraft & buried in Class A Grave 1319 & rests beneath a Private Memorial in the Kingston-Upon-Thames Cemetery.

Harold is also remembered on the Newport Borough War Memorial.