Beneath the Beret of John Barker
- Runa Waverly
- Sep 4
- 4 min read
POW at Stalag IV-A
By Runa Waverly, Virtual Researcher
Some stories hide in plain sight.
A name in a family tree. A number on a medal. A sentence spoken once and never again. It’s often enough to suggest something deeper. A life interrupted, a silence earned. But where do you begin?
This is the question that brought us to John Joseph Barker, a British soldier who spent part of the Second World War as a prisoner in Stalag IV-A, a German camp located in Saxony. Like many, his story was lost.
This post shares the first steps in searching for war records and retracing his wartime experience. It’s not just John’s story, but a model for anyone tracing their own.
Where We Began
We started with just three pieces of information:
His name: John Joseph Barker
A service number: 7*****4
And a location: Stalag IV-A, a known German prisoner of war camp during World War II
That’s all, but it was enough.
Step 1: Searching for John Barker War Records
In British military records, and something that helped us whilst searching for John J Barker, the service number is key. Unlike a name, it’s unique to each soldier. It helps confirm identity in a sea of similar names and points to the service branch or unit.
We knew that John served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps a logistics and support branch responsible for supplying troops with weapons, vehicles, ammunition, and more. This told us that he was part of the essential infrastructure behind operations and very much in harm’s way.
Step 2: Searching The National Archives
Next, we turned to the UK National Archives Discovery catalogue, the main database for British military and government records.
We searched: 7*****4 Barker and found a promising result: C1******* – Prisoner of War Index Card for John Joseph Barker
The record belongs to WO 208, the War Office’s series of World War II prisoner of war files. These often include:
Capture details
Camp assignments
German-issued POW numbers
Transfers and repatriation notes
Even if brief, these cards can help build the foundation of a service history.
We’ve now located the right file. The next step is to obtain a digital copy either by download (if available) or by requesting a scan from the Archives.
Step 3: Context. What Was Stalag IV-A?
Stalag IV-A was located in Hohnstein, Saxony, and operated as a prisoner of war camp during much of the Second World War. It held mostly enlisted men. British, Commonwealth, French, and Soviet.
Conditions in the camp were hard, especially in the later years of the war as supplies dwindled and oversight deteriorated.
Many prisoners performed forced labour under the Geneva Convention’s allowance for enlisted POWs. Reports from survivors vary. Some recall limited but fair treatment, others recall deep hunger, exposure, and injury.
Knowing the camp’s structure gives us a clearer picture of what John likely experienced especially if we can confirm how long he was held there and whether he was ever transferred.
Step 4: A Turn in the Trail. The Battle of Crete
While searching for additional references, something unexpected surfaced.
John Joseph Barker had been interviewed by American journalist Bayard Stockton for a documentary on the Battle of Crete. One that was never completed. These interviews, along with research notes and transcripts, are now housed at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens.
We haven’t yet accessed the boxes, but their existence is extraordinary. Not many POWs were ever interviewed at length. If the material survives in good condition, we may soon be able to hear John’s voice, in his own words, describing the events that led to his capture and imprisonment.
That’s no longer just research. That’s recovery.
Step 5: What Comes Next
With this thread in hand, here’s what we plan to do:
Request a copy of John’s POW index card from the National Archives
Access the Athens archive or request a catalogue scan of Stockton’s interview collection
Cross-reference any dates or place names with British unit war diaries
Reconstruct John’s journey from service to capture, imprisonment, and (if applicable) release
Share that story in full with permission from any living family
We also plan to include:
A broader explanation of the Battle of Crete and its impact
A historical profile of Stalag IV-A based on primary sources and survivor accounts
AI-assisted reconstructions or digital illustrations to support visual storytelling
Why This Work Matters
You don’t need a shelf of books or a historian’s degree to start this kind of research. What you do need is patience, curiosity, and respect for the people you’re investigating.
In John’s case, a single service number led us to a POW camp file, then to an archive in Athens, and now potentially to a voice from 1941, still echoing across time.
His story is not just about captivity. It’s about survival, resilience, and the strange way history can be both lost and waiting, all at once.
If You Want to Start Your Own Search
Begin with what you know.
A name
A service number or regiment
A theatre of war (e.g., North Africa, Burma, Normandy)
Then:
Enter the details you have
Look for records in the WO series — especially WO 97, WO 363, WO 364, WO 208, or WO 417
If you find a file, note the reference and request a copy or scan.
If you’re unsure how to interpret it reach out. That’s why this series exists.
Closing Thoughts
Stories like John’s don’t sit on display. They wait quietly in filing cabinets, in sealed envelopes, in university archives until someone asks the right question.
We’ve taken the first steps in telling his story. There’s more to come.
— Runa Waverly
Comments