War Memorial, St. John the Baptist Church, School Lane, Pilling. PR3 6HD
The War Memorial, which is situated at the front of St. John the Baptist Church was unveiled in 1920.
There are 12 names on the memorial – 11 from WW1, and 1 from WW2:
The WW1 names are:
William Armer
Private 90993. 8th Battalion Kings (Liverpool) Regiment
William was born on 4th December 1898 at Pilling, son of William and Mary Armer
He enlisted at Lancaster
William was killed in action on 13th September 1918. He was 19.
He is one of the many men with no known grave, and is remembered on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, near Arras, France.
Richard Bradley
Lieutenant. 4th Battalion Kings Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Richard was born in 1893 at Pilling, son of Richard and Emma Bradley
He enlisted in the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps in 1915 and was commissioned Lieutenant on 22nd January 1916.
Richard was killed in action 31st July 1917 during the 3rd Battle of Ypres. He was 24.
He is one of the many men with no known grave and is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, at Ypres.
Joseph Taylor Butler
Private 47620. 3rd Battalion Wellington Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
Joseph was born in 1884 in Pilling, the son of Jeremiah and Isabella Ann Butler
He was killed in action on 4th October 1917 during the Battle of Broodsiende, part of the 3rd Battle of Ypres.
He was 34.
Joseph is buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery, at Zonnebeke, Belgium.
William Carter
Private 21873. 8th Battalion Kings Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
William was born in 1878 in Pilling, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Carter.
He enlisted in 1915 at Blackpool.
William was killed in action on 19th May 1916 at Kemmel. He was 38.
He is buried at Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery at Heuvelland, Belgium.
James Cross
Gunner 126553. G Battery, 5th Brigade, Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery
James enlisted at Garstang in late 1915, and joined the Royal Horse Artillery, serving in France as a gunner from 1916 until he died following the Battle of Albert on 26th August 1918. He was 23.
He is buried at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France.
James is also remembered on the Nateby memorial.
Benjamin Curwen
Private 33076. 5th Battalion Kings Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Benjamin was born 1898 in Pilling, the son of Robert and Mary Curwen
He died in service from pneumonia on 24th May 1917 at the Wesham Military Hospital, Wesham Lancashire. He was 19.
Benjamin is buried at St. John the Baptist Old Churchyard, Pilling, behind St. Peter’s Church.
Thomas Fairclough Hall
Private 24230. 2nd/5th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Thomas was born 1894 in Pilling, the son of Richard and Margery Hall, and brother of Richard Hall, who was also killed in France.
He married Alice Winchester in June 1914. They had a son, also called Thomas. Alice died in July 1917.
Thomas was wounded on 24th October 1918 and died of his wounds on 26th October 1918. He was 24.
He is buried at Estaires Communal Cemetery Extension at Estaires, France.
Richard Hall
Private 7201 later 203432. 10th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.
Richard was born in Pilling on the 15th of November 1896, the son of Richard and Margery Hall. His father was a joiner and wheelwright. Richard’s brother Thomas Fairclough Hall was also killed in France.
Richard enlisted on October 31st 1916 at Garstang, when he was 19 years old.
The 10th Battalion was sent to the Western Front in March 1917.
Richard was killed in action at the Battle of Arleux, part of the Battles of Arras, on 28th April 1917. He was 21.
He is buried at the Canadian Cemetery No. 2 at Neuville St. Vaast.
Richard is also remembered on the Garstang War Memorial, and the memorial in St. Thomas’s church, Garstang.
Nicholas Hornby
Driver 43387. 133rd Army Troops Company Royal Engineers
Nicholas was born in Pilling in 1895, the son of William and Grace Hornby, and brother of William (below).
The family lived in Station Road, Pilling.
Nicholas was killed in action on 9th September 1916 during action on the Somme in France. He was 21.
He is buried at Fricourt Military Cemetery at Fricourt, Somme, France.
He is also remembered on the Nateby War Memorial.
William Hornby
Lance Corporal 260332. 7th (Westmoreland and Cumberland Yeomanry) Battalion Border Regiment
William was born 1894 in Pilling, the son of William and Grace Hornby, and brother of Nicholas (above)
He enlisted at Penrith in 1914.
William was killed in action on 23rd March 1918. He was 24
He is one of the many men with no known grave and is remembered on the Arras Memorial.
John Jenkinson
Private 38868. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment
John is second from the left on the back row
John was born in 1883 in Pilling, the son of Richard and Janet Jenkinson
He enlisted at Garstang in 1916.
John was killed in action at the Battle of Arras on 25th April 1917. He was 33.
He is one of the many men with no known grave and is remembered on the Arras Memorial.
The family still have this memorial bookmark which commemorates John.
Fred Ronson MM
Private 241137. 2nd/5th Battalion Kings Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Fred was born on 31st December 1894 in Pilling, the son of George and Agnes Ronson
He was killed in action on 28th September 1918 (Canal du Nord). He was 24
Fred is one of the many men with no known grave and is remembered on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, near Arras, France
Fred was awarded the Military Medal, and the notice of the Award appeared in the London Gazette dated 23rd February 1918.
To the rear of St. John the Baptist Church is St. John’s old church. In the graveyard are two Commonwealth War Graves of men who died in WW1.
The WW2 name:
John Jenkinson
Fusilier 3860604. 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers
John was born in 1915 in Pilling, the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Jenkinson.
He married Jenny Hodgkinson in Garstang in 1938, and the couple had 2 children.
John was killed in action in Sicily on 6th October 1943, aged 28.
He is buried at Sangro River War Cemetery in Italy.
Pilling Village Hall was opened in 2021 and the memorial plaque is displayed inside the building.