His large circle of friends in Waterfoot and Newchurch district will regret to hear of the death in action of Private John Thomas Harker, who formerly resided at Unitarian Buildings, Bridleway, Newchurch.
The intimation has been received by Mrs Harker (deceased soldier’s wife) in a letter received from a 2nd Lieut. of the Regiment.
In his letter the Lieut. says:-
It is my painful duty to inform you that your husband Private John Thomas Harker was killed in the front line trench by an enemy shell on the 6th of July. It may be some consolation to you to know that he suffered pain, death was absolutely instantaneous. He was buried the same morning somewhere behind the trenches, and a cross has been erected bearing his name. His comrades join me in tendering our deepest sympathy.
A. Brown, 2nd Lieut.
Private Harker, who was 33 years of age, enlisted on the 12th February of the present year, and was attached to the East Lancs Regiment. On the 22nd May he was drafted to France, and met his death on the 6th July.
He was formerly employed by Messers J. H. Hirst, Whitewell Slipper Works, in the finishing department, and was connected with St Anne’s Church, Edgeside. He leaves a wife and three children, and was the son of ex-Police Constable Harry Harker.

The above is a photograph of Private Abraham Birtwistle Harrison, who prior to enlisting resided with Mr. and Mrs. J Hartley of 324 Burnley-road, Newchurch. He was attached to the East Lancashire Regiment.

We reported last week that Mr. and Mrs. Hartley, confectioners, of Bridleway Bottom, Burnley-road, Newchurch had received intimation of the death in action of Pte. Abraham Birtwistle Harrison, who prior to enlisting resided with them. since last Mr. and Mrs. Hartley have received another notice from the Records Office stating that Pte Harrison is "missing"

Private J. Harrison was the husband of Mrs Harrison, Edgeside. He was 30 years of age and prior to enlisting had a greengrocery business in Booth Road, Mill End, Waterfoot.

The death has taken place in action of Pte. J. W. Haworth of 6 Ormerod Street, Rawtenstall, a man well-known and esteemed in the district. The deceased soldier would have been 42 years of age next October, and had been in the Army since September of last year. He was drafted out to France in January last, and during the six months he had been in the trenches had seen much heavy fighting. He had been ‘over the top’ on two occasions, had been blown out of a shell hole as a result of which he was deaf for six hours, and another time was buried by debris thrown up by an exploding shell. Pte Haworth was also present during the gigantic explosions which marked the beginning of the big forward move at Messines in the Spring of the present year. Describing in a letter his experience on that occasion he said:- “I was laid flat on the ground, and the whole place shook like a cradle".
For some time Pte. Haworth had been the servant of Lieut. White, who, being interested in the number of Lancashire lads under his command, recently, during a short leave, paid a flying visit to Rawtenstall. He was taken through some of the largest mills and slipper works, and was deeply interested in observing the conditions surrounding the civil life of the lads whom he found to be such good and fine soldiers. During his visit here Lieut. White paid a warm tribute to the boys from Lancashire, both for the splendid manner in which they did their work, and also for the cheerful spirit which they always manifested. It was during the furlough of Lieut. White that Private Haworth was killed.
In a letter to the family Lieut. White says:-
“It is all the more sad to me because it occurred whilst I was away from the battalion, and I had assured you that your father was always quite safe with me. The circumstances of his death are as follows: The battalion had been relieved from the front line of trenches and the men were on their way back to billets. The Germans started shelling the road and one of the shells hit your father and he was killed instantly. He is buried in a cemetery at Vierstraat. I can say no more than I have said of Haworth. To me he was a father. To his comrades he was a brother. It is not too much to say that in life he was loved and respected by all, and in death is honoured in remembrance. I shall feel his loss almost as much as yourself, for to me he was something more than a servant. May his daughters never forget that their father was a man, a soldier, and one of nature’s gentlemen. He died for his country and his family cause."
Pte. Haworth, previous to joining up, was in the employ of Mr J. G. Parkinson, hardware merchant, Ormerod Street, Rawtenstall, for whom he had worked for ten or eleven years.

No information available