Escaped in Crete 10.6.41 and was hiding in the hills till 15.6.41. He and another escaper then rowed across to Greece where they managed to avoid capture by Varabinieri until 26.7.42. Sergeant Barker refused to make a statement and was subjected to torture for 5 days during which time he had no food or water. They were tried at Tripoli and kept in chains for a month, then moved to Patras and afterwards to Bari where conditions were appalling. During journeys prisoners were chained together in groups of of 12. After escaping Sulmona gaol, Sergeant Barker stayed 20 days in the mountains, then came through with a guide and two others. On the way he stayed 3 days in Pietro in Valle where Germans forced him to dig gunpits with some Italians. He escaped once more and made contact with Allied near Castropignano on 23 October 1943.

Released from capture by an officer from Camp 78

A rosary was given to Allan by a nun in a monastry and also one was given to a mate Allan was with. Allan saie the mate scorned his rosary and threw it away. He was later killed. Allan kept his and treasured it throughout his experiences.

Not listed on the List of 2NZEF Prisoners of War.

'As the Allied forces advanced up the eastern Italian seaboard it became an obvious method of escape to secure a boat from a more northerly point on the coast and sail down the Adriatic to land on liberated territory. A NZ officer, who escaped by this means, got away from the camp at Modena after it had been taken over by German troops by remaining hidden for three days in a shallow trench under some tomato plants, and then dodging through the wire unobserved. With help from Italians in the neighbourhood he acquired civilian clothes and a map and travelled by various trains to Senigallia, whence he got a lift in a German truck as far as Ancona. He then travelled by bicycle and walked to Porto Civitanova, where he arranged with a fisherman to take him with a party of others to Termoli, announced over the radio as in British hands. They arrived safely on 14 November. Since the beginning of October an MI9 section based on Termoli had been landing agents on the Adriatic coast, and at the same time taking off escapers and evaders from the coast as far north as Ancona; fishing boats loaded with such parties had been regularly heaving to in the small harbour at Termoli. Sergeant A. C. Barker (4 Res MT Coy), awarded MM for his efforts to escape.' (Source: Mason, W.W. Prisoners of War. pp. 312-13.) AWMM