Barnett, Private Gordon Werring

Service highlights

  • Service number: B117943
  • born: 27 February 1925
  • Enlisted 12 October 1943 in Toronto with the Canadian Army
  • Completed infantry training in Brantford, then parachute training at Camp Shilo in 1944
  • Served with C Company, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
  • Deployed to Northwest Europe during the Battle of the Ardennes period, then prepared for the Rhine crossing airborne assault
  • Died: 24 March 1945 during Operation Varsity near Wesel, age 20
  • Buried at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Remembered on the cenotaph at Rannoch and the Second World War plaque at St. Marys Town Hall as well as his family has honored him through the Legion Banner Program
  • Medals include the 1939–1945 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939–1945, and Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp

A Life and Service Remembered

Gordon Werring Barnett grew up on his family’s farm near St. Marys, part of a line of Barnetts who worked that land for generations. He was raised in a home that valued steady work and community, and he was known as athletic and active, playing baseball and hockey. Away from the rink and ball field, he enjoyed hunting and considered himself a good shot. He left school young to work on farms, expecting to return to that life when the war was over.

When he enlisted in 1943, he was described as a tall, slim young man in good health, with a practical, farm-raised outlook. In training, he showed determination and solid intelligence, even if the paperwork noted he struggled with math. After infantry training, he volunteered for parachute work, choosing one of the most demanding paths available. By the summer of 1944 he was overseas, training in England and then joining C Company of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion.

That winter, the battalion was rushed to Belgium as the fighting intensified in the Ardennes. After returning to England and training again, Gordon took part in Operation Varsity on 24 March 1945, the great airborne assault across the Rhine. C Company was among the first out over the drop zone, and the descent came under fire. Gordon was killed that day, one of many paratroopers lost in the opening moments of the operation.

After his death, Gordon’s personal effects were gathered and sent home. One item, a seal ring he wore, became especially treasured by his family and was carefully kept as a lasting reminder of him. He was first buried near the battlefield, then later reinterred at Groesbeek, where so many Canadian families have a place to rest, an be remember. Back home his name is commemorated on the WW2 plaque on the Town hall and the cenotaph in St. Marys.

Major battles and operations

  • Battle of the Ardennes period, Belgium (winter 1944–1945): The battalion was sent into Belgium to reinforce Allied forces during the German offensive.
  • Operation Varsity, 24 March 1945 (Rhine crossing near Wesel, Germany): Airborne assault to secure ground east of the Rhine. Gordon was killed during the drop with C Company.

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