Peter Roderick MacGregor Barron, was born on the 6 August 1922 in Beadle District, North Yorkshire. He was the youngest son of John and Helen Barron, of Morecambe.
He was granted an emergency commission, as a Second Lieutenant, in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, on the 17 January 1942.
He was posted from the 122nd Officer Cadet Training Unit, Larkhill, to the 204th Independent Anti-Tank Battery, RA on the 24 January 1942. [1] At this time the Battery was attached to the 219th Independent Infantry Brigade, responsible for guarding the South Coast of England.

Peter successfully completed Parachute Course 30 at RAF Ringway, 5 – 13 October 1942. He was part of the Air Landing Brigade Group on the Course, which only did the shortened version of four descents, but 2/Lt. Barron completed seven descents to qualify as an Army Parachutist.

He was promoted to War Substantive Lieutenant on the 1 October 1942, and on the 23  October the Battery was redesignated the 2nd (Oban) Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery, RA, as it had been assigned to the 1st Airborne Division in August.
By now a Troop Commander, on the 12 April 1943 he boarded the MS Boissevain, at Gourock in Scotland, along with the rest of the Battery. They were bound for North Africa and landed at Oran on the 23 April. Various training schemes were carried out in North Africa, usually in support of the 2nd Parachute Brigade, in preparation for a possible airborne operation that was due to take place in Sicily in July. However, this operation did not take place.

On the 8 September the Battery moved from M’Saken Camp in Tunisia to the port of Bizerta to embark on naval ships to take part in Operation ‘Slapstick’. They split into two parties: ‘F’ and ‘G’
Troops embarked on the USS Boise, with ‘E’ and ‘H’ Troops plus a skeleton Battery Headquarters boarded HMS Abdiel (Lieut. Barron was on this ship). These ships, part of a Royal Navy Cruiser Squadron, were bound for the Southern Italian port of Taranto. The USS Boise began to disembark her troops in the port at 23.00 hours on the 9 September, but at 00.30 hours, on the 10 September, HMS Abdiel struck a mine and sank in a few minutes. The Battery Commander, Major. JR Wilson was amongst those that were killed. [2]

In the reorganisation that took place Capt AF Haynes (who had been the Second-in-Command), took over as Acting Battery Commander, and Lieut Barron took over as the Acting Second-in-Command. [2]
The Battery initially supported the 4th Parachute Brigade, but then took over supporting the 2nd Parachute Brigade. They remained in Italy until the end of November 1943 (having handed over all their guns, vehicles and equipment to the newly created 300th Airlanding Anti-Tank battery, RA) and then sailed back to Bizerta in North Africa. A train journey from Bizerta to Blida took place between the 1 to the 6  December, and they remained there for nearly three weeks. They finally set sail from Algiers, on board the SS ‘Maloja’ on the 26 December and docked in Liverpool on the 4 January 1944. They were now to be billeted at Barleythorpe, near Oakham in Leicestershire.

On the 8 January Capt James Elliott was posted to the Battery and took over the post of Battery Captain ‘O’ (Operations) and assumed the duties of Second-in-Command. Capt Barron now took over as Battery Captain ‘A’ (Administration).
On Monday, 18 September 1944, Capt. Barron took off in a Dakota aircraft of the 315th Troop Carrier Group, USAAF from Spanhoe aerodrome to fly to DZ ‘Y’, Ginkel Heath, as part of Operation ‘Market-Garden’. After the jump onto the drop zone he would have joined up with the 4th Parachute Brigade HQ Party and then, await the arrival of the Battery Main Party. He was then to brief the Battery Commander on any adjustments or change to the plans.

On Tuesday, 19 September, an attempt was made to break through the German blocking line north of Oosterbeek along the Dreijenseweg. This attack was not successful and the 4th Parachute Brigade Group were forced to withdraw, back towards Wolfheze and then south over the railway towards Oosterbeek.

‘Capt. Barron 2 A/L A.Tk Bty stayed too and with great common sense brought a Polish A-Tk gun (abandoned) into action, and put a useful scare-the-crows shoot against the advancing Bosche.  The latter were taking all they were given and were not difficult to check.  I do not know figures but I believe this rather confused move under pressure resulted in the loss of a fair amount of tpt and notably a-tk guns.’ [3]

Capt. Barron was still at Brigade HQ, with a small party of the Battery HQ personnel in the late afternoon early evening, 19 September, and moved with them south of the railway. By Wednesday, 20 September, he was still with the Brigade Headquarters group and was involved in the fighting at the ‘hollow’. ‘Capt. Barron was wounded bullet hand and shoulder (I then took his British rifle in exchange for my German one).’ [3]

Although wounded he and his Sergeant still managed to evade capture on that day. He was 'Mentioned In Despatches' on this date (announced in the London Gazette 20 September 1945). He also later refused treatment and chose to stay with his Commander. Later on the 20 September the remnants of the 4th Parachute Brigade, including Capt Barron and his small party made it into Oosterbeek. By the Friday, 22 September he was in a position to the east of the Oosterbeek cross-roads. ‘There were now no 10th Bn officers and 10th Bn remnants were commanded by Capt Barron (2 A-Tk Bty) wounded in hand and shoulder on 20 Sept see above) and FOO Lt White.’ [3] However, later on that day: ‘To unify 21 Coy front I decided to relieve 10 Bn remnants with them.  Relief carried out by 23, 0200 hrs and remains of 10 Bn, 50 strong with no officers of their own, under Capt. Barron and Lt White were given some sleep in Bde HQ area after some grim battling.  Capt Barron had no business to be in those houses at all.  Only one or two of us knew the way up and I allowed Barron to guide up some  reinforcements.  He stayed wounded arm and all.’ [3]

From the 23 to the 25 September Capt. Barron made constant rounds of the guns still in action from 2 A-Tk Bty. Many men who survived the action commented that their only source of information about what was happening came from the regular ‘rounds’ of their positions by Capt Barron. It was from him that all the gun crews got their orders to withdraw on the night of the 25 September, and he lead a group of twenty of them down to the river.

He was last seen at 3 am on the morning of the 26 September (during the withdrawal) on the North bank of the river, directing his men to safety. When he went forward to find out in what order the units were to be embarked, he disappeared without a trace.

When he was liberated from his POW Camp, Major. Haynes commented: ‘We were of course a glider unit with a small number of personnel who trained as parachutists, I think only Captain. Barron parachuted in with 4th Brigade HQ, sadly he was lost and was never found. From all the reports he distinguished himself with great bravery and was the officer commanding the party of 20 or so O.R’s of the battery referred to in the war diary’.

He has no known grave, but is commemorated on the Groesbeek Memorial to the missing (Panel 1).

NOTES:
[1] 204 Independent Anti-Tank battery, RA War Diary. January 1942.
[2] 2 (Oban) Air Landing Anti-Tank Battery, RA War Diary. September 1943.
[3] Diary of Brig JW Hackett. 4 Parachute Brigade. September 1944.