Pte. Charles Frederick Barrett

193rd Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders)

Nova Scotia

1916

This studio portrait photo was taken before the 193rd Battalion went overseas. Charles Barrett wears the standard Canadian Army uniform, including the 1913 Canadian pattern seven button service dress jacket. Only his balmoral with distinctive full feathers, indicate his service in one of the battalions of the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. His cap and collar badges appear to be General List. He has not yet been issued the 193^rd Battalion badges. He is missing a waist belt.

Military Service Record

Charles Frederick Barrett was born in New Glasgow, NS, on November 22, 1895, the son of John A. and Stella Barrett. He was living in New Glasgow, and working as a clerk, when he enlisted in the 193^rd Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders) on March 16, 1916, in Truro, NS. He was single and had no prior militia experience. He was assigned the rank of private and given the service number 901332. At some point during the war Charles got married but specifics are not indicated in his service file.

Charles began his basic training with the 193^rd Battalion upon enlistment, and was with them when they relocated to Aldershot, NS, in the spring of 1916, where they united with the other battalions of the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. In October, 1916, he departed Halifax, NS, with the brigade and sailed for England on board the troopship RMS Olympic. Around that time he was promoted to the rank of lance corporal but reverted back to the rank of private shortly afterwards. After only a couple of months in England, the 193^rd Battalion was disbanded to provide reinforcements to units already at the front. As a result, in early December, 1916, Charles was transferred to the 73^rd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) for a short period and joined them in the field in France.  On February 25, 1917 he was transferred again, this time to the 25^th Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles) who were also at the front. In June of the same year he was taken on strength with the newly formed 14^th Canadian Machine Gun Company which was later absorbed into the 2^nd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps. From his medical files, it appears Charles spent much of 1918 in hospitals and at base camps due to various illnesses. He returned to Canada, via England, in May, 1919, and was demobilized from the army shortly after his arrival home.

Photographer:  Unknown
Ref. Number:  0-4 (20-1-4.4)
Image Information:  Scan of original photo 
Source:  Robert MacLellan Collection