Son of Nellie Elizabeth Barratt and Stepson of Bertie Simpson. Gateway School 1934-38.
Sergeant (Navigator/Bomb Aimer)
13 Squadron gave air support to the American 5th Army and British 8th Army fighting in the Italian campaign. It was engaged mainly on night operations intended to hinder, and as far as possible prevent, the movement of reinforcements and supplies to the enemy front-line. Flares were dropped to identify targets when there was no moon, and bombs were released at heights generally below 2000 feet making the aircraft vulnerable to ground fire.
Sergeant Barratt was one of the crew of Baltimore FW358 that crashed at Pontemoli, Italy, during a night operation. He is buried in Staglieno Cemetery, Genoa, Italy, Grave III. A. 11.
Crew members:
Baltimore Bomber
Pilot- Flt. Lt. William Lawrence Saunders-Knox-Gore, 128927, aged
Navigater/Bomb aimer – Sgt. Arthur Barratt, 1579787, aged 21
Wireless Op. – Sgt. Joseph William Lenton, 1615679, aged
Wireless Op. – Sgt. Norman Lewis Young, 1238128, aged
History information
The Italians entered the war on the Allied side, declaring war on Austria, in May 1915. Commonwealth forces were at the Italian front between November 1917 and November 1918, and rest camps and medical units were established at various locations in northern
Italy behind the front, some of them remaining until 1919. From November 1917 to the end of the war, Genoa was a base for commonwealth forces and the 11th General, and 38th and 51st Stationary Hospitals, were posted in the city. Staglieno Cemetery contains 230 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. There are also 122 Second World War graves, most of them garrison burials, whilst others were brought in from the surrounding country.
The 1939-45 plot was designed by Louis de Soissons.