Michael Barrett was a pioneer of the Moral Re-Armament movement as secretary to Frank Buchman, its American founder. He was with Buchman in the Black Forest near Freudenstadt in 1938 when Buchman, ruminating about impending war, first dictated his thought that ‘the next great movement in the world will be for moral and spiritual re-armament for all nations’.
Barrett accompanied Buchman to America in 1939 to launch MRA there. The aim was to engage in a morale-building programme in American factories. During the Second World War, Barrett served as a captain in the 8th US Air Force which flew the spearhead planes during the D-Day landings. With 250,000 USAF personnel based in Britain, Barrett did much to build co-operation between the USAF and RAF commands, proposing an exchange of bombing skills and techniques. He was appointed head of Information and Education for the 8th Air Force, responsible for setting up 60 job-training schools for its personnel.
The son of an Edinburgh businessman, Barrett had encountered Buchman’s Oxford Group, the forerunner of MRA, at Oxford University, where he gained his MA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics in 1933.
He married Margaret Carey-Evans, a granddaughter of David Lloyd George, and together they took part in MRA’s work for reconciliation in India, South-East Asia, South Africa and Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. Tall and dignified, Michael Barrett retained a strong faith and dry sense of humour. He was at home with kings and presidents but never lost the common touch.
Adapted from an obituary by Michael Smith
