Barber-Cyril-Roaf
“No. 2 Squadron, No. 1 Wing, R.N.A.S.
January 8, 1918
Dear Sir,
I am very sorry that I have to tell you about your son’s death, but you will have received a telegram before you get this.
He had been here only a few weeks, and although the type of machine that we use was unfamiliar to him, he had quickly learnt to fly them well, and we found that he was very game and really keen on flying. He had not been over the lines while here, but had been learning all about his machine and gaining flying experience; on his last flight he had gone up to practice firing his machine gun at a target; this is the last test which pilots have before going across the lines.
He had been flying very well but on this occasion the machine slide slipped on a turn; this became a nose-dive and it was too low to recover from.
His death was instantaneous and you can be assured that he felt no pain; it all happened in ten seconds. The accident was one which always will happen as long as men fly aeroplanes built for fighting. It has been a great loss to the Squadron as he was promising so well as a pilot; I had great hope for him, and I am sure he would have won honours had he been spared; he was full of fight. He was buried today with full Naval honours (over 150 officers and men attended as he was very popular in this Squadron and another near here) as he died for the Empire as well as any man in this war; his grave is in the Dunkerque Cemetery, Dunkirk, France; if you ever come over this side you can easily find it. He had many friends here; particularly among the Canadian officers; I believe one or two of them are writing you.
In conclusion I can only say that while I regret his death so much, I congratulate you and his mother on having bred a son who did his duty so well and died so nobly,
I remain yours very sincerely,
(Sgd) F. Esk Sandford Squad. Comdr”
Born in Georgetown on January 25, 1894, Cyril was the youngest son of Robert Brock Barber (of the Barber Paper Mills) and Agnes Cobban Freeman. The 1901 Canadian Census places Cyril living in the village of Georgetown with his parents, older brother William Brock and a 30-year-old maid. Cyril attended Georgetown High School, but by age 17 the 1911 Canadian Census shows the family having moved to Port Credit.
Cyril enlisted March 14, 1917 and is listed as a Probationary Flight Officer with the Royal Flying Corps, Naval Wing.
Flight Sub Lieutenant died at the tender age of 23.
Cyril is commemorated on the Georgetown Cenotaph Remembrance Park, Georgetown High School, on a memorial stain glass window and the Honour Roll at St. George’s Anglican Church, Georgetown.
Truly a Canadian Hero. His story lives on.
Information obtained from Vitalcollections.ca, Ancestry.ca and Canadiangreatwarproject.ca
