| Place | Africa: Egypt, Frontier, Sinai, Romani Area, Romani |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/21825.001 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Bronze |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | United Kingdom |
| Date made | c 1922 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Next of kin plaque : Private D U Barclay, 3 Light Horse Regiment, AIF
Description
Bronze next of kin plaque showing on the obverse Britannia holding a laurel wreath, the British lion, dolphins, a spray of oak leaves and the words 'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR' around the edge. Beneath the main figures the British lion defeats the German eagle. A raised rectangle above the lion's head bears the name 'DAVID URQUHART BARCLAY'.
History / Summary
David Urquhart Barclay was a twenty seven year old clerk at the Commercial Bank of Tasmania when he enlisted for service in the AIF on 4 December 1914. He was allocated the service number 801 and assigned as a trooper to the 2nd reinforcements for 3 Light Horse Regiment (3 LHR), part of 1 Light Horse Brigade. After training in Melbourne he embarked on the troopship SS A45 Hessen on 2 February 1915, and was taken on strength with his regiment in Egypt and assigned to C Squadron.
The regiment arrived at Gallipoli, without their horses, on 9 May, and acted in reserve throughout most of the campaign. Barclay was evacuated sick for a week in September, and slightly wounded on 10 October at Destroyer Hill, North Anzac, when he elected to remain with the regiment. 3 LHR was withdrawn from Gallipoli on 14 December, and travelled via Mudros to Alexandria, arriving on 26 December.
Between January and May 1916 3 LHR were deployed to protect the Nile Valley from bands of pro-Turkish Senussi Arabs. On 16 May they were reunited with the units of 1 Light Horse Brigade in the defence of the Suez Canal, which culminated in the Battle of Romani between 3 and 6 August, when the Turks were finally forced from their positions near the Canal and the allied advance into Palestine began. Barclay was killed during the battle, on 4 August. He was later buried at Romani el Malor by Chaplain H K Gordon. In 1925, together with the bodies of other light horsemen killed in the battle, Barclay's remains were exhumed and reburied in the Kantara War Memorial Cemetery in Egypt. This memorial plaque was sent to his father (also David Barclay) on 12 July 1922.