Colin Fraser Barron
A Scottish-born Canadian soldier whose single-handed charge captured a German machine gun post, earning the Commonwealth's highest honor for valor.
1893–1958 (age 65)·Recipient of the Victoria Cross·Birthday: September 20·The Lost Generation
Biography
Colin Fraser Barron's story is one of transatlantic courage. Born in rural Scotland, he sought a new life in Canada as a teenager. When the Great War erupted, he was among the first to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. His moment of defining bravery came on November 6, 1917, during the brutal Battle of Passchendaele. As his battalion was pinned down by deadly German machine gun fire, Corporal Barron, on his own initiative, dashed forward through a storm of bullets. Using grenades and his bayonet, he killed the entire crew of a key machine gun nest, captured the weapon, and turned it on the fleeing enemy. This astonishing act cleared the way for his company's advance. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry. Surviving the war, he returned to Canada, where he lived a quieter life, a humble recipient of his nation's most prestigious military honor.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Colin was born in 1893, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Colin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1893
Colin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1893Born
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1898Started school
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1906Became a teenager
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Could drive
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1911Could vote
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1914Turned 21
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 30
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1933Turned 40
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1943Turned 50
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 60
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Died at 65
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
Key Achievements
- Awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I.
- His solo attack captured a German machine gun position that was holding up the Canadian advance.
- Served with the 3rd Battalion (Toronto Regiment), Canadian Expeditionary Force.
Did You Know?
He was born in Boyndie, Banffshire, Scotland, and emigrated to Canada in 1910.
Before enlisting, he worked as a streetcar operator in Toronto.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
“I saw the machine gun and knew it had to be taken, so I went for it.”
