BARRY, J,
Private, was born at St Mary's Kilkenny, 1 February 1873; entered the Royal
Irish Regiment 1 December 1890, and saw active service in India, receiving
the India Medal, 1895, with clasps for services on the North-West Frontier,
Samana, 1897, and Punjab, 1897-98. He served in the South African Campaign,
received the South African Medal with clasps for Belfast, Cape Colony and
Winterbergen, and was killed in action at Monument Hill 8 January 1901. For
his gallantry in this action he was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross,
which was delivered to his representatives by order of King Edward VII, and
in accordance with the regulation of 8 August 1902: "J Barry (the late), No
3735, Private, 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment. During the
night attack on the 7th-8th January 1901, on Monument Hill, Private Barry,
although surrounded and threatened by the Boers at the time, smashed the
breach of the Maxim gun, thus rendering it useless to its captors, and it
was in doing this splendid act for his country that he met his death".
Out of 93 officers and men of the Royal Irish on the hill
only 7 escaped; the remainder were killed, wounded, or captives in the hands
of the enemy (8 killed, 5 died of wounds, 23 wounded, 51 taken prisoner).
The Boer losses were heavy and included 14 killed. Of the 3 officers,
Captain Fosbery was killed. Captain Milner was severely wounded, Lieutenant
Dease injured, and both were taken prisoners.
The attack on Monument Hill, one of the outer defence posts of Belfast,
Northern Transvaal, was made by a Boer force under General B. Viljoen,
consisting of 750 men of the Johannesburg and Bocksburg commandos. It took
place at night, in a thick fog, with the object of destroying the garrison
of the post and capturing the 4.7 gun which they believed to be in position
there, but which had in fact been withdrawn at nightfall on General Smith-Dorrien’s
orders. The maxim gun, which was rendered useless by Private Barry, was
recaptured by the Royal Irish a few months later, and was presented to the
regiment by the Secretary of State for War in 1904. It is now on display at
the National Army Museum in London.
VC, the reverse of the suspension bar inscribed ‘Private J. Barry, Royal
Irish Regiment’, the reverse centre of the cross dated ‘8th Jany. 1901‘,
together with Hancocks’ & Co card box of issue, IGS 1895 (2) Punjab Frontier
1897-98, Samana 1897 (3733 Pte 2d Bn Ryl Ir Regt.), QSA (3) CC Witt Belf
(3733 Pte 1st Rl Irish Regt).
DNW Sep 00 £85,000.
