838248 Pte. Walter Gerald Barrett was born on October 18th, 1897 in Owen Sound, Grey County, Ontario, a thriving fresh water port on the shores of Georgian Bay.
When hostilities broke out Percy attested to the 147th Battalion on January 1st, 1916, and assigned to "B" Company.
Billeted locally over the remainder of the winter, the 147th Battalion mobilized in Owen Sound in the spring of 1916 and left for training at Camp Niagara. As the conditions in the Camp were wanting the unit moved to the new training facility of Camp Borden in late June.
In September 1916 the unit received their orders to proceed overseas, but due to an outbreak of diphtheria they were detained in Amherst, Nova Scotia, for over a month. The unit finally sailed for Great Britain on November 14th 1916 on the S.S. Olympic.
On January 1st, 1917, the 147th Battalion ceased to exist when it became the nucleus for the 8th Reserve Battalion. On September 27th, 1917, Walter was taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. and though noted as a sniper he didn't appear to have attended sniping school whilst with the 4th CMR, or to have been utilised with such shooting skills. Walter served with the unit through Passchendaele on October, but was then invalided sick to England with a severe trench foot condition at the end of the month. He was held in England for treatment, being transferred to the 2nd Central Ontario Regimental Depot (2nd C.O.R.D.), in February 1918.
Walter, via the 3rd Reserve Battalion, returned in September 1918 to the 4th CMR, with whom he saw out the war. However, he was unlucky enough to contract pleurisy in April 1919, but recovered quickly.
Pte. Walter Gerald Barrett was struck off strength July 26th, 1919, having come through the war with no recorded wounds.
Biography details credit: George Auer, with additional service details provided by 4cmr.com