Hugh Barwick enlisted in the 48th Highlanders in Toronto in 1911. He was a Lieutenant when he, with those volunteering for overseas, had their final parade on 29 August and left for Valcartier, Quebec for their formal attestation on 19 September 1914 to join the 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders). Barwick was a Lieutenant in No. 2 Company and trained on Salisbury Plains in England. They left The Plains at Amesbury on 12 February 1915 and boarded SS Mount Temple for France. In France they went to Armentieres on 26 February to learn trench warfare. The battalion then moved to Ypres arriving 15 April.
A quote from the 48th’s history states: “Here the 48th and the Canadian battalions would be called upon to save the line from a disastrous breakthrough. The 48th would face gas and virtual extinction as they met the call with gallantry. On 22 April the Germans attacked the Turcos (Algerians) to the left of the Canadian line using the first gas attack of the war. Despite valiant counterattacks by the Canadian 3rd and 2nd Brigades, and the establishment of a defensive position by the 1st Brigade on the ground that they had retaken, by the 24th the German penetration had the 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders) all but surrounded. They were ordered to “stand to the end” to prevent a catastrophic breakthrough. At 4 a.m., as dawn broke, two Germans rose out of their trenches dragging hoses pouring green gas. When the German troops assaulted the trench of No. 1 Company, they found only dead Highlanders. In the trench beside them, two platoons and machine guns held tenaciously , repelling five waves of Germans until finally overwhelmed, the last of the front-line positions of the 3rd Brigade to fall. Back at St. Julien No. 2 Company and two companies of the 14th Battalion repelled three waves of the enemy but by 12:45 p.m. they too were overwhelmed. At advance headquarters, Major W.R. Marshall rallied a makeshift group and stopped a mass attack. Surprisingly the Germans failed to follow up their advantage across the front. The Canadians had plugged the gap and the 48th had met their challenge.
Army Form B.213, which battalions were required to furnish showing their effective strength records: 18 April 1915 – 27 officers, 953 ORs [other ranks]; 25 April 1915 – 3 officers, 316 ORs Colonel Currie, in a handwritten note, said simply: “I have lost 661 out of 881 available rifles.””
No. 2 Company, after the battle, had remaining just 3 officers, one of which was Lt Barwick, 3 Sergeants and 36 men, all of whom surrendered. On 30 April Lt Barwick was reported missing in action. On 23 May 1915 a list reported him as a Prisoner of War at Bischopswerde Camp. During his stay there he was promoted to Captain on 24 April 1916. He moved to Crefeld Camp on 24 April 1917, then Schwarmstedt camp on 11 July 1917, then Holzminden Camp on 16 October 1917. On 21 March 1918 he arrived in Holland (during WWI Holland was on the German side of the war) for internment and was then sent to the UK to Ripon Camp in Yorkshire arriving 24 November.
Captain Barwick returned to Canada and was discharged from the army on 6 February 1919 at District Depot No. 2 in Toronto.
NOK: mother, Mrs. Walter Barwick at 61 Chestnut Park, Toronto.
