Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An Order of St. John group of four awarded to Sick Berth Steward Second Class J. A. Barrett, Royal Navy and Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve

The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Serving Brother’s breast badge, silver and eneamel; British War Medal 1914-20 (M.9070 J. A. Barrett. 2.S.B.S. R.N.); Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (949 J. A. Barrett. S.B.S. 2Cl. R.N.A.S.B.R.); Service Medal of the Order of St John, with four Additional Award Bars (3364 Amb. Offr. J. A. Barrett. Bacup Div. No. 4 Dist. S.J.A.B. 1923.); together with the recipient’s related miniature awards, the Service Medal of the Order of St John with only two Additional Award Bars, these mounted as worn; a St. John Ambulance Association Re-examnation Cross, bronze, the reverse engraved ‘ 128810 John A. Barrett.’; a Silver War Badge, the reverse officially numbered ‘RN48538’; and a R.N. Sick Bert Staff lapel badge, good very fine and better (4) £140-£180

John Arthur Barrett was born at Bacup, Lancashire, on 14 August 1875 and joined the Royal Navy as a Sick Berth Steward on 2 August 1914, serving for the entire Great War at Haslar Royal Naval Hospital (and therefore not entitled to the Victory Medal). He was shore demobilised on 12 March 1919, and subsequently joined the Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve.

Barrett first joined the Bacup Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade on 6 April 1908, and was promoted Corporal in December 1913. He was appointed an Ambulance Officer on 6 May 1924, and was appointed a Serving Brother of the Order of St. John on 20 May 1926. Through his time with the Order of St. John he was an active officer, serving as Chairman of his local Ways and Means Committee from 1920.

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