WE turn the clock back a century to see the war news South Cumbrians were reading about in the Barrow News on December 9 in 1916.

Among soldiers home on leave was recent Military Medal winner from Coniston Sgt Hubert Percival of the 1/4th King’s Own.

He had been given 10-day break from the fighting in France.

In Dalton there was a Belgian concert provided at the Co-operative Hall to raise money for the relief of wounded Belgian soldiers.

Belgian refugee performers included ‘cellist Madame Boin-Kufferath and Madame Mary Rizzini, principal soprano with the Royal Opera at the Hague.

There was a meeting of Dalton Bone Club – a group which provided financial help to members at time of illness or injury.

It was noted that 117 members were serving in the armed forces.

Pte Tom Armstrong, number 10264, with the 1st Battalion of the King’s Own was officially posted as wounded and missing after a military action on October 23.

His parents lived at Lord Street, Askam.

The article noted: “He has been wounded three times in France. Another brother is on board a hospital ship on the way to England.”

His body was later identified and he is buried at the Guards’ Cemetery, Lesboeufs.

There was a report of the death of Regimental Sgt-Maj Herbert Goulding of the Lancashire Fusiliers.

He lived at Goldsmith Street and had worked in Barrow for 14 months before the war.

RSM Goulding had been a boy soldier and already had 21 years of military service, including being with Lord Kitchener’s forces in the Egyptian Campaign and the South African War against the Boers.

The article noted: On the outbreak of war, he immediately rejoined the Lancashire Fusiliers and was soon at the front.

“After several month, he was given leave to recover from an attack of enteric and then he went back and had not since been home to visit his wife and three children.”

A colleague wrote to his widow saying: “No man in the regiment was more respected and honoured than he.”

RSM Goulding, number 5055, died on November 4 in 1916 and was named on the Thiepval memorial.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes that he had been awarded the Military Cross for gallantry.

News reached home that Pte Fred Hegarty, of 15 Risedale Road, Barrow, had been killed in action on November 9, aged 22 – three days after the death of his mother.

He had joined the 9th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in August 1915 and was sent to France the following January.

Before the war he had been an apprentice moulder at Bank’s Foundry.

Pte Hegarty has no known grave and is named on the Thiepval memorial.

Pte James Rowell, aged 21, of 17 Dundas Street, Barrow, had died in a French hospital on November 25.

He had served with the 1/4th King’s Own for 18 months and had been in France for a year.

A hospital Sister Margaret Hare wrote to tell his relatives: “He was apparently quite comfortable but was never able to speak while with us, being practically all the time in an unconscious condition.”

Before the war he had been a labourer at Barrow Corn Mills.

Pte Rowell, number 3437, was buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.

News reached home of the death of Pte John William Cloudsdale, of Devonshire Street, Dalton.

He had enlisted on August 27 in 1914 with the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and had served in the Gallipoli Campaign against Turkish forces.

Before the war he had been a plater’s helper at Barrow shipyard.

He was reported as missing presumed killed and left a widow and one child.

Pte Cloudsdale’s date of death was eventually given as August 9 in 1915 and he is named on the Helles Memorial.

A memorial service was led at the Dalton Baptist Church by the Reverend J. G. Anderson for Pte Thomas Cornthwaite Varcoe who had died of wounds.

An article noted: “There was a large attendance and the service throughout was very impressive.”

Pte Varcoe, number 3625, served with the 1/4th King’s Own and died on September 28 in 1916.

He was buried at Heilly Station Cemetery at Mericout-L’Abbe, near Albert, France and was the son of John Varcoe, of Prince Street, Dalton.

John Lewis and Isabella Holmes, of 3 Oubas Hill, Ulverston, received news that their son Pte Myles Bateman Holmes was missing and presumed dead.

The 20-year-old had served with the Royal Fusiliers and was last reported as being wounded in action on July 27.

Pte Holmes was a former pupil of Dale Street Council School and had joined the army on October 30 in 1915.

Before the war he had been an apprentice fitter with Mr C. W, Hunter, of Barrow.

His elder brother, Sgt Joseph Bateman Holmes, of the 6 th King’s Own had died from wounds at Mesopotamia on May 17, 1916.

Another brother, John Lewis Holmes was a machine gunner with the 3rd King’s Own and was in training at Grantham.

Pte Holmes is named on the Thiepval Memorial.

Among the wounded was Cpt Harry Butler Rowley, who was the eldest brother of Mrs Myles Kennedy, of Stone Cross Mansion, Ulverston.

Cpt Rowley served with the South Lancashire Regiment and had been wounded in action on November 14 during the final few days of the Battle of the Somme.

He was recovering at the Cambridge Hospital from a severe compound fracture of the lower jaw and other facial injuries.

In 1902 he had married Henriette Maria, daughter of the late Walter Strickland, of Sizergh Castle