First Contingent 1899 · Farrier · Mounted Rifles 11th Reinforcements 1916
Quartermaster Sergeant John Barty
John Barty was a Scottish-born farrier from near Meikleour in Perthshire who joined the First Contingent as a shoeing-smith and sailed on the Waiwera in October 1899.
By April 1900 he was in hospital in South Africa and listed as likely to be invalided home. A man of the same initials and trade appears again in January 1916 as a shoeing-smith in the 11th Reinforcements, and the Auckland Museum links him to a First World War number, 16603. Very little else about his life has been found, so this page is deliberately short.
His story
From Perthshire to New Zealand
Barty's next of kin in 1899 was a Mrs Barty at Kirton of Lethendy, Meikleour, in Perthshire, Scotland. His date and place of birth are not recorded, nor how or when he came to New Zealand. His trade was farrier.
Source: NZHistory soldier record (Barty, reg. no. 18); Online Cenotaph record C122465Shoeing-smith, First Contingent
The official roll published in October 1899 lists J. H. Barty among the shoeing-smiths of the contingent. He was numbered 18, in No. 1 Company, and sailed on the Waiwera on 21 October 1899.
Source: New Zealand Mail 26 Oct 1899 (Papers Past NZMAIL18991026.2.34.1); Online Cenotaph C122465; NZHistory soldier recordIn hospital in South Africa
On 12 April 1900 Major Robin's report named J. Barty among ten First Contingent men in hospital and likely to be invalided to New Zealand.
Source: Hawke's Bay Herald 13 Apr 1900 (Papers Past HBH19000413.2.15.9); Marlborough Express 12 Apr 1900 (MEX19000412.2.26.4)A shoeing-smith again
A camp notice from Featherston on 27 January 1916 records Shoeing-smith J. H. Barty temporarily appointed Quartermaster Sergeant of A Squadron, 11th Reinforcements. This is most likely the same man (same initials and trade), and is consistent with the Cenotaph pairing his South African number 18 with the First World War number 16603. Whether he sailed with the 11th Reinforcements, and where he served, was not found.
Source: Evening Post 27 Jan 1916 (Papers Past EP19160127.2.76.2); New Zealand Times 28 Jan 1916 (NZTIM19160128.2.65); Online Cenotaph C122465
Rank and insignia
The rank he held, and the badge a soldier of that rank wore. These are simplified illustrations.
His medals
“Documented” means a source we name says he received it. “Listed on the Online Cenotaph” means the museum’s record lists the medal but we could not confirm it elsewhere. “Entitled” means his service dates qualified him, but we have not seen a record of the medal itself. The drawings are simplified illustrations.
His ships
Afterwards
Nothing reliable has been found about Barty's life after 1916: no marriage, residence, death or burial record turned up in the sources reached. The Online Cenotaph carries only his service numbers, his embarkation on the Waiwera and references to his Archives NZ files. His South African war file is at Archives New Zealand (R20518510) and may hold more.
His sign
This is the Service Record sign as we would make it from his record: his rank, name, regiment, number and date of embarkation. The medals on the sign are worked out automatically from the embarkation date, so the medals listed above are the ones to rely on.
Photograph
We haven’t hosted a photograph here
Rather than copy someone else’s image onto our own site, we’d rather send you to see it where it’s properly held: his full record at the Auckland War Memorial Museum’s Online Cenotaph.
Sources
- John Henderson Barty, Online Cenotaph, Auckland War Memorial Museum.
- NZHistory soldier record, John Anderson Barty
- Papers Past, New Zealand Mail, 26 Oct 1899, N.Z. Contingent
- Papers Past, Hawke's Bay Herald, 13 Apr 1900, New Zealanders Invalided
- Papers Past, Evening Post, 27 Jan 1916, Featherston Camp
- Archives New Zealand, military personnel file R20518510
What we could not confirm
Middle name conflict: Online Cenotaph says 'John Henderson Barty'; NZHistory's database says 'John Anderson Barty'. The 1899 roll and 1916 camp notice both use the initials J. H., which supports Henderson.
Link between the 1899 man and the 1916 'Shoeing-smith J. H. Barty' is by initials and trade plus the Cenotaph pairing of numbers 18 and 16603; it is probable, not proven. WWI embarkation, unit and fate are unconfirmed.
Rank: the Quartermaster Sergeant appointment in January 1916 is described as temporary. His substantive rank is unknown; the Cenotaph shows no last rank. Decide whether to head the page 'Quartermaster Sergeant' or 'Shoeing-smith'.
A Balclutha contractor named John Barty went bankrupt in 1900 (Otago Daily Times 13 Jul 1900). Different man; not used.
Whether he was invalided home in 1900 is not confirmed; April 1900 report says only 'likely to be invalided'. He did not appear in the casualty sources reached.
No birth, marriage, death or burial information found. Medals are 'entitled' only.
The Cenotaph record is almost empty and unverified by museum staff; an Archives NZ file exists but could not be viewed.