Conrad was born in 1923 in Paddington, the only child of Alfred and Margery née Krohn of Willesden, London.

He was educated at Kilburn Grammar School and after leaving school he worked in munitions and was a volunteer messenger in the Willesden Civil Defence Service. He became a member of the Home Guard and ATC and joined the RAF aged 17.

His parents were heavily involved in the Willesden Civil Defence Service with Alfred being a post warden and Margery an ambulance driver. Alfred served in WW1 as a Lieutenant in the Suffolk Regiment.

Conrad was the navigator of Lancaster ED432 which departed from RAF Fiskerton on a night operation to Oberhausen. The aircraft was hit by flak and crashed near Arnhem killing six of the crew and two becoming prisoners of war.

Nav, Harry Biggin, 1430145
Pilot, George Stanley Cole, 1388306
A/B, John William Deacon, 1535807
F/E, John Perryer Harper, 572648
A/G, Harry Robert Rhodes, 1038105
Nav, Conrad Alfred Stanley Barnett, 1319045

James Francis Arnold, 1331734, POW, Stalag Luft L1
John Henry David Bryan, 1387914, POW, Stalag 357