BARLICKS ROLL OF HONOUR, 1800 - 2013

[Thomo]

As many of you will already be aware, much work has been done by The War Memorial Group over the past two years. The project of finding additional names is ongoing, and the book that covers Barlicks contribution to conflict, 1800 to the present day is now at an advanced stage. The research of they who died in WW1 is complete, and I am now working on WW2. To this end I have built a new database to assist in speeding up this part of the project. There are now 76 names on the War Memorial for WW2 and only 14 are proving to be elusive, 2 of these died in the 1960s and will be even harder to track down, I will post the 14 names in due course, and if anyone can help, it will be of great value. Today I was looking for "A Smith" and that's all there is to go on, on the CWGC site there are 470 and very few that are worth further investigation. There is one man George O.Hara who is on a Memorial just about as far as you can get from here, Japan, and here is his entry on the Roll Of Honour 8 Kilometres West of Yokohama:-

[Wendyf]

On the 1911 census the 3 year old George O'Hara is living with his stepfather John Robinson 29, and mother Lucy Robinson 25. He has a brother Frederick Thomas Robinson aged 1month. They are boarding in the house of Mrs Ellen Hodge at 6 Castle View, Barnoldswick.

[Thomo]

Looking at some of the places where the Barlickers are buried or remembered turns up many familiar names: Anzio, Salerno, Alexandria, Athens, Benghazi, Tobruk, Singapore, Nicosia and Rangoon, and many more around Europe. There are 15 on the Naval Memorials at Portsmouth and Plymouth, no grave but the sea, and from ships such as Hood, Repulse, Prince of Wales, Gloucester and Charybdis, plus the submarines Turbulent and Usurper. The RAF Memorial at Runnymede has its fair share of local men as well. The number that I am struggling with is now down to 10, if anyone has any information whatsoever, even the correct Christian Names, it would be a great help. These 10 are:- A Barton, J R Dixon, R Edmondson, J Hargreaves, E Magson, J.O.Neill, J H Pilkington, A Smith, M Spencer and J Thompson, the 2 later ones are R W Antcliffe 1965 and N A Smith 1967. We don't appear to have any losses in 1939 and as yet only 3 in 1940, maybe this is where at least some of the difficult names belong. Update since this post I have found E Magson: Edmond Magson Flight Engineer No. 1591919 RAF VR. Killed 23-09-43 aged 28, born Barnoldswick Mothers Maiden, Parker. He is buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery. 1320 and another one found: Sgt Milton Spencer No. 954342 RAF VR Born B,wick 1913, killed 26-07-43 aged 30. Remembered on the Runnymede Memorial. 1335 and another one found: James Reynold Dixon, Sailor Merchant Navy, Born 1916 B,wick, died 05-12-39, SS Navasota, Remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial. This has been done by cross referencing names from CWGC and Lancashire BMD scanning for births within a suitable time frame, of the remainder, I already know that there possible matches for the Merchant Navy within 1939-1940.

[Thomo]

Two more found since the last update:- Gunner Ronald Edmondson No. 3387866, Royal Artillery killed 10-06-45 and buried in the Celle War Cemetery. Parents were Edgar and Maud Edmondson nee Kirkup, wife was Joyce Edmonson nee Bursell. And Bombadier Joseph Howarth Pilkington No. 968756 of the Royal Artillery Killed 27-03-44 and buried in the Imphal War Cemetery. Only 5 to go!

[Thomo]

Two more tracked down, Pte Arthur Smith and Lance Sergeant James O'Neill, both born in Barlick. That leaves just 3: J Hargreaves, J Thompson and N A Smith, plus the two from the sixties, Antcliffe and Roberts. 1330 today and that's it, details found for John Thompson born B,wick 1889, Royal Marines, died at sea 03-04-1941 aged 42. There is no viable information for any of the others. The first recorded death for WW2 was James Reynold Dixon, Merchant Navy 05-12-1939. The next task is to try and track down their families just as I did for WW1. if anyone out there is seeking information about the dead of WWs 1 & 2, then please ask here, or order a copy of the book!