Barton, Bilsborrow and Myerscough
War Memorial, Garstang Road, Bilsborrow. PR3 0QR
Bilsborrow War Memorial was unveiled and dedicated on the 18th August 1921. It was unveiled by by General Sir Archibald Hunter GCB, GCVO, DSO, who was the local MP, and the Venerable Archdeacon Hornby gave a dedication and led prayers followed by a hymn.
A detachment from the Kings Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) fired a three volley salut, and two buglers sounded the Last Post and Reveille.
There are 14 names of fallen from WW1 on the memorial, each have their own individual plaque.
Joseph Barker
Private 202188. 2nd/4th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Joseph was born in Myerscough in 1894, the son of William Robert and Mary Barker.
He was killed in action on 2nd July 1917. He was 23.
Joseph is buried at Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix, France.
William Bateson
Private 3/19928. 6th (Service) Battalion East Lancashire Regiment
William was born in 1896 at Bilsborrow, the son of Roger Kenyon Bateson and Dorothy Bateson.
He died of wounds received in action on 21st April 1916. He was 21.
William is buried at Basra War Cemetery, Mesopotamia, now Iraq.
Robert Berry
Private 26750. 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers
Robert was born in 1893 at Blackburn, the son of John and Sarah Berry.
He was killed in action on 1st October 1918. He was 25.
Robert is one of many men with no known grave, he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.
Edgar Joseph Austin Carr
Lieutenant. 1st/5th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Edgar was born in Preston in 1873, the son of Richard and Mary Carr.
He married his wife Winifred Alice Mary in 1911.
Edgar died of wounds received in action on 18th May 1915. He was 41.
He is buried at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, London.
Charles Hamlet Catterall
Private 24259. 1st Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Charles was born in Preston in 1892, the son of Robert and Elizabeth Catterall.
He was killed in action on 26th September 1916. He was 26.
Charles is buried at Warlencourt British Cemetery, Bapaume, France.
Walter Helmn
Private 23579. 10th (Service) Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Walter was born in Morecambe in 1893, the son of Thomas and Emma Helmn.
He died of wounds received in action on 6th May 1917. He was 24.
Walter is buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, France.
Harold Robert Hesketh
Gunner 161072. B Battery 223rd Brigade Royal Field Artillery
Harold was born in St. Michael’s on Wyre in 1895, the son of William and Rose Hesketh.
He was killed in action on 23rd March 1918. He was 23.
Harold is one of many men with no known grave, and is remembered on the Arras Memorial, France.
Ernest Howard Moulden
Private S/11810. 1st Battalion The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) Regiment
Ernest was born in Blackburn in 1890, the son of Thomas Alfred and Emily Kate Moulden.
He was killed in action on 3rd September 1916. He was 25.
Ernest is one of the many men with no known grave, he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
John Nugent
Private 23690. 7th/8th Battalion Kings Own (Scottish Borderers) Regiment
John was born in Lancaster in 1899, the son of John and Margaret Ellen Nugent.
He died of wounds received in action on 31st October 1917. He was 19.
John is buried in the churchyard of St. Thomas Roman Catholic church, Claughton.
George Leonard Parker
Captain. 2nd Battalion Essex Regiment, formerly 7th (Service) Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
George was born in Preston in 1895, the son of Thomas and Mary Parker.
He was killed in action on 1st September 1918. He was 23. George is buried at Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, France.
Charles Vernon Martin Simpson
Captain. 1st/5th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Charles was born in Preston in 1891, the son of Isaac and Emily Eddleston Simpson.
He was killed in action on 31st July 1917. He was 25.
Charles is buried at Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium.
Harold Wareing
Pioneer 259803. 5th (Mortar) Battalion Royal Engineers
Harold was born in Woodplumpton in 1894, the son of Thomas and Isabella Wareing.
He died from illness while serving on 16th December 1918. He was 24.
Harold is buried at Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, France.
Thomas Wilkinson
Private S/10336. 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders
Thomas was born in Myerscough in 1892, the son of James and Caroline Wilkinson.
He died of wounds received in action on 24th July 1916. He was 24.
Thomas is buried at Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L’Abbe, France.
Thomas Winstanley
Rifleman R/8420. 2nd Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps
Thomas was born in Altrincham in 1895, the son of John and Maria Winstanley.
He died of wounds received in action on 23rd July 1916. He was 21.
Thomas is one of the many men with no known grave, and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
One local man who died during World War 1 is not currently mentioned on the War Memorial:
Sylvester Horn
Chief Engineer, Mercantile Marine. Serving on SS Aylevarroo.
Sylvester was born in Myerscough in 1874, the son of William Henry and Jennette Horn.
He married Mary Angela McGoldrick in West Derby, Lancashire in 1899.
Sylvester was killed on 7th October 1917, along with all the crew of the SS Aylevarroo when it was torpedoed offBallycottin Island, Ireland by German U Boat U57. He was 43.
Sylvester has no known grave but the sea. He is remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.
He is also remembered at St. Wilfred’s Church in Preston.
World War Two
There are 11 World War Two fallen named on the war memorial:
Percy Brown
Private 3865783. 2nd Infantry Brigade 1st Infantry Division, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)
Percy was born in Preston in 1917 in the son of Thomas and Beatrice Brown. The family lived in Eaves, Woodplumpton where Percy was employed as a decorator.
He was killed in action in Italy on 8th February 1944. He was 27.
Percy is buried at Anzio War Cemetery, near Anzio, Italy.
An inscription on his grave reads:
“ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIER” FEARLESS IN THE FIGHT HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR OTHERS FOR FREEDOM AND FOR RIGHT
Ernest Sidney Bailey
2nd Lieutenant 134133. 2nd Battalion Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment
Ernest was born in Fulwood, Preston in 1917, the son of Edgar Samuel and Dorothy Bailey.
He was killed in action near Damascus on 10th July 1941. He was 24.
Ernest is buried at Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery, near Damascus in Syria.
An inscription on his grave reads:
ONE OF THE BEST. WORTHY OF REMEMBRANCE.
Robert Cookson
Gunner 1140823. 23rd Field Regiment Royal Artillery
Robert was born in 1922, the son of Robert and Alice Cookson of Further Light Ash Farm, Myerscough.
He was wounded in action near Ravenna in Italy on 13th December 1944, and died on 14th December 1944. He was 22.
Robert is buried at Coriano Ridge War Cemetery near Riccione in Italy.
An inscription on his grave reads:
HIS LIFE HE NOBLY GAVE THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE. MAY HE REST IN PEACE.
Frank Eccles
Private 4460247. Durham Light Infantry.
Frank was born in 1920, the son of Thomas and Annie Eccles of Barton.
He was on home leave on 11th May 1940, and was injured in a road accident on the A6 near to White Horse Bridge at Barton.
He died of his injuries on 12th May 1940. He was 20.
Frank is buried in the churchyard of St. Lawrence at Barton.
William Percival Marshall
Sergeant 1230365. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
William was born in Barton in 1921, the son of Robert and Emma Elizabeth Marshall.
He was stationed in Rhodesia in 1942, when he was killed in a flying accident. He was 21.
William is buried at Harare (Pioneer) Cemetery, in what is now Zimbabwe.
An inscription on his grave reads:
TO LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF FRIENDS IS NOT TO DIE.
Halliwell Sutcliffe Moss
Lieutenant 90351. 137th Field Regiment Royal Regiment of Artillery
Halliwell was born in Settle, Yorkshire in 1918, the younger son of John and Alice Moss. His father John Moss was to become the Vicar of St. Hilda’s Church, Bilsborrow.
Halliwell served in Malaya, and on 7th January 1942 he was reported missing after the battle of Slim River.
He had been taken prisoner by the Japanese, and died in captivity on 16th July 1942. He was 23.
He was the younger brother of John Roger Stuart Moss (below)
Halliwell is buried at Kuala Lumpur (Cheras Road) Civil Cemetery in Malaysia.
An inscription on his grave reads:
VIVAT IN PACE
John Roger Stuart Moss
Gunner 891727. 88th Field Regiment Royal Regiment of Artillery
John was born in Settle, Yorkshire in 1918, the elder son of John and Alice Moss. His father John Moss was to become the Vicar of St. Hilda’s Church, Bilsborrow.
He married Peggy Sawday in Chichester in 1941.
John served in Malaya, and was captured by the Japanese during the fall of Singapore on 15th February 1942.
He remained in captivity until his death from dysentery on 20th June 1943. He was 27.
John was the elder brother of Halliwell Sutcliffe Moss (above)
He is buried at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery in Thailand.
An inscription on his grave reads:
THERE’S SOME CORNER OF A FOREIGN FIELD THAT IS FOR EVER ENGLAND.
Samuel Alexander North
Ordinary Seaman 162654. Royal Navy. (HMS Repulse)
Samuel was born on 14th November 1923 in Preston, the son of Robert William and Mary Ethel North.
He served on HMS Repulse. On 10th December 1941, Repulse was hit by Japanese torpedoes in the South China Sea and sunk.
Samuel was one of 513 men killed in the attack. He was just 18 years old.
He has no known grave but the sea, and is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
John Rawsthorn Rainford. DFC and Bar
Squadron Leader 42436. Royal Air Force
John was born in Bartle near Preston on 2nd December 1913, the son of Thomas Clarkson and Ann Rainford.
He was commissioned into the RAF in 1939, and graded as Pilot Officer in February 1940.
John married Beryl Thirza Mowbray at Bilsborrow on 26th December 1940.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1941, and a Bar to the DFC in 1942.
On 21st February 1942 John and his crew took off from Scampton en route to bomb an airfield in Stavanger, Norway, but the plane was shot down by a German Messerschmitt and crashed into the sea. All the crew were killed. He was 28.
Four of the crew were not recovered, but three, including John are buried in Sola Churchyard, in Stavanger.
An inscription on his grave reads:
THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES. ISAIAH XL.31
Jack Southward
Private 3588618. 2nd Battalion The Loyal Regiment (North Lancs)
Jack was born in Barton in 1919, the son of George Cowell and Mary Aileen Southward.
He was taken prisoner by the Japanese during the fall of Singapore, sometime in early February 1942.
Jack died in captivity on 15th September 1943. He was 24.
He is buried at Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Myanmar.
An inscription on his grave reads:
GRANT UNTO HIM ETERNAL REST, O LORD; AND LET LIGHT PERPETUAL SHINE UPON HIM.
William Wallbank
Private 3603757. 1st (Airborne) Battalion Border Regiment
William was born in 1920 at Woodplumpton, the son of William and Ellen Wallbank.
On 9th July 1943, 72 gliders carrying men from the Border Regiment took off from Sousse in Tunisia bound for an operation in Sicily.
Unfortunately they ran into bad weather and most of the gliders went down in the sea, and more than 200 men drowned – one of them was William. He was 23.
He has no known grave but the sea, and is remembered on the Cassino Memorial at Cassino in Italy.
St. Hilda’s Church, Church Lane, Bilsborrow. PR3 0RL
In the tower of St. Hilda’s church is a complete peal of eight bells, placed there in memory of six men who died in World War 2.
The bells were dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Lancaster on 3rd December 1949, and are inscribed with the names of:
Robert Cookson
John Rawsthorn Rainford
John Roger Stuart Moss
Halliwell Sutcliffe Moss
Information about the four men named above is recorded against their entry above from the Bilsborrow War Memorial.
The two other men whose names are inscribed on the bells, but who are not named on the War Memorial are:
Ernest Sidney Bailey
2nd Lieutenant 134133. 2nd Battalion Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment
Ernest was born in Fulwood, Preston in 1917, the son of Edgar Samuel and Dorothy Bailey.
He was killed in action near Damascus on 10th July 1941. He was 24.
Ernest is buried at Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery, near Damascus in Syria.
An inscription on his grave reads:
ONE OF THE BEST. WORTHY OF REMEMBRANCE.
Samuel Alexander North
Ordinary Seaman 162654. Royal Navy. (HMS Repulse)
Samuel was born on 14th November 1923 in Preston, the son of Robert William and Mary Ethel North.
He served on HMS Repulse. On 10th December 1941, Repulse was hit by Japanese torpedoes in the South China Sea and sunk.
Samuel was one of 513 men killed in the attack. He was just 18 years old.
He has no known grave but the sea, and is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
St. Lawrence’s Church, Garstang Road, Barton. PR3 5DR
The church of St. Lawrence, designed by R. Knill Freeman was built in 1895–96, replacing an earlier church of 1850.
It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.
Within the graveyard is the unique Regimental Graveyard and Columbarium of the King’s Royal Hussars.
Inside the church is a Memorial to those men from Barton who were killed in WW1.
Those named, whose information is recorded against their entry above from the War Memorial are:
Joseph Barker
William Bateson
Robert Berry
Edgar Joseph Austin Carr
Charles Hamlet Catterall
Walter Helmn
Harold Robert Hesketh
Ernest Howard Moulden
John Nugent
George Leonard Parker
Charles Vernon Martin Simpson
Harold Wareing
Thomas Wilkinson
Thomas Winstanley
Within the churchyard are 3 war graves
From WW1:
Thomas Bryce
Lance Sergeant 7657820. Royal Army Pay Corps
Thomas was born in January 1894 in Catterall, the son of Thomas and Isabella Bryce.
He married Winifred Bird on 3rd October 1916 in Atcham near Shrewsbury, where he was stationed with the Army Pay Corps.
He died in hospital in Shrewsbury on 10th January 1921, and his cause of death was given as “suicide by inhaling gas during a fit of temporary insanity”. He was 27.
Alan Rounds
Private 35943. 16th Battalion Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
Alan was born in Fulwood in 1897, the son of Edward and Anna Rounds.
He died from illness in hospital in Whitchurch on 20th March 1916. He was 19.
From WW2:
Frank Eccles
Private 4460247. Durham Light Infantry
Frank was born in 1920, the son of Thomas and Annie Eccles of Barton.
He was on home leave on 11th May 1940, and was injured in a road accident on the A6 near to White Horse Bridge at Barton.
He died of his injuries on 12th May 1940. He was 20.
