Major Robert Heberden Barber, Northamptonshire Regiment

Robert was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, on the 3rd of June 1916. He was the youngest of three children born to Walter and Violet Barber. They lived at Beacon Hill in Hucknall where his father was a solicitor.

Robert was educated at Seacroft Preparatory School in Lincolnshire and then after completing his secondary education at Repton School Robert attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

He was commissioned Second Lieutenant on the 30th January 1935. By this time he had developed a passion for falconry, writing several books on the subject.

In January 1937 Lieutenant Barber was posted to Razinek in India with the 1st Battalion Northamptonshires, fighting in Waziristan. Whilst in India he led an expedition to search for a glacier in Nepal and also became a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society In April 1939.

Robert returned to the United Kingdom on leave, intending to return as the ADC to the Governor of Bombay. However, as the Second World War broke out, there was a shortage of officers having combat experience.

He went to France with the British Expeditionary Force, returning in January 1940 to the holding battalion of the Regiment. Ten months later Robert was Promoted Temporary Captain and posted to 12 Corps General Headquarters.

Shortly after receiving confirmation that his captaincy was permanent, Robert married Eileen Combe on the 14th. June 1941. He was then posted to General Headquarters Home Forces at Aldershot where his thorough analysis of German troop movements led him to travel to the Quebec Conference in August 1943. At the conference the plans for the invasion of mainland Europe were confirmed.

Upon his return to England in February 1944, Major Robert Barber was appointed to command D Company, East Yorkshire Regiment, leading them through training in Scotland.

Although offered a position on the General Staff, He turned it down to be with D Company as they landed on Sword Beach on D Day. As he led his HQ Section across the beach a mortar bomb exploded amongst them, Killing or wounding most of the party, including Major Robert Heberden Barber.