CANDLES will be lit tomorrow to mark two Furness lives lost 100 years ago as an attack in Belgium turned into a chaotic scramble from one muddy shell hole to the next.

Moses Stables and Mark Pickthall were both killed on September 20 in 1917 as the 1/5th Battalion of the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment advanced across no-man’s land from 7am.

Their sacrifice will be marked by a short ceremony at Askam and Ireleth war memorial from 6pm.

It is part of an on-going project by members of the Askam and Ireleth History Group to research and remember each of the men named on the village war memorial on the 100th anniversary of their death.

Pte Pickthall is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery while Pte Stables has no klnown grave and is named on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Flags at the Council schools in Askam were placed at half-mast in 1917 out of respect for two old scholars.

Pte Moses Stables was aged just 19 and was the son of Elizabeth and Thomas Stables, of 17 Lord Street, Askam.

His father was an iron ore miner at Park Mines and was originally from Torver. His mother was from Askam.

It is thought that the son also work at Park Mines, Askam.

His father died in 1913, aged 67 and his mother in 1932, aged 74. Both are buried in Ireleth Churchyard.

News of his death reached his widowed mother by letter.

Mark Pickthall was aged 20 and was the son of Thomas and Hannah Pickthall of 4 Duddon View, Ireleth.

His father was a miner from Lindal and his mother from Baycliffe.

On the 1911 census their son was aged 14 and working as a farm servant, possibly at Roanhead.

His father was a miner, so were his brothers Henry, Isaac and William.There was also a sister called Margaret.

Pte Pickthall’s father died, aged 65, in 1912 and his mother died in 1933, aged 80 years, both being buried in Ireleth Churchyard.

The Askam and Ireleth History Group was able to make use of photographs and information on the soldier which was kindly provided by Mrs Hazel Edwards and her son Daniel.

Pte Pickthall joined the army at Fleetwood in September 1914 as part of the 8th (Service) Battalion of the King’s Own, before moving to the 1/5th battalion.

The Barrow News of October 6 in 1917 said he was a fine steady young fellow, full of fun, a cheerful companion and a good ‘sport’.

Askam’s two King’s Own soldiers died as part of the Battle of the Menin Road, itself part of the much bigger Third Battle of Ypres – known simply today as Paschendele.

They would have known little of this bigger picture and were concerned only at trying to stay alive while pushing forward towards a place called Schuler Farm.

The 1921 published history of the battalion, compiled by Cpt Albert Hodgkinson, noted that the troops had been in trenches between Potijze and Wieltje in the days before the attack.

They lined up along a stream called Steenbeek and crossed it at 7am on the way towards Pond Farm.

The troops were fired on by German snipers and artillery across muddy ground pitted with shell holes.

Cpt Hidgkinson said: “The journey across this space consisted of dodging from shell hole to shell hole.”

Soldiers from many different groups got mixed up in the confusion and the few surviving officers did their best to sort it out.

He said: “By dint of strong language and frequent visits, some semblance of order was obtained.”

By the time the remaining men of the 1/5th King’s Own were withdrawn on September 22 there had been 17 killed, 71 wounded and six missing.