Furness men killed in battles far from home a century ago

Among those whose deaths in the First World War were reported this week 100 years ago was Pte William Edwards, aged 23, whose parents lived at 30 Beach Street, Barrow.

Pte Edwards was number 22232 with the 6th Battalion of the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment in Mesopotamia.

He died on February 9 in 1917 and is named on the Basra Memorial in Iraq.

Before the war he worked for Case’s brewery in Barrow.

Another to die in the fighting in Mesopotamia was Pte John Elliott, number 11339, whose parents lived at 29 Hope Street, Barrow.

Pte Elliott, aged 20, served with the King’s Own and was killed in action on February 13.

The Barrow News noted: “He joined up on August 10 in 1914 and was last at home about 20 months ago.

“Prior to the war he was a caulker apprentice in the shipyard.”

He is buried at the Amara War Cemetery, neat the River Tigris in Iraq.

Gunner Harry Riley died with the Balkan forces serving at Salonika.

The Barrow News noted: “He wrote home to his parents on January 27 and soon after writing the letter he was taken ill and removed to hospital, where he died on January 31.

“Gunner Riley, who was 24 years of age, was well known in Millom and highly respected.”

He was a former boy chorister at St George’s Church, Millom, and a memorial service was held for him.

Gunner Riley was number 35085 with the 153rd Heavy Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery.

He is buried at Lahana Military Cemetery, Greece, at a village which was home to the 27th Casualty Clearing Station treating men brought in from fighting on the Struma front.

Another Millom casualty was Pte Wilfrid James who died from wounds on February 10 in 1917.

His parents, Thomas and Frances, lived at 171 Albert Street.

The Barrow News noted: “For many years he was a cornet player in the local Salvation Army Band.

“Pte James was 20 years of age, and in civil life was employed by the Hodbarrow Mining Company.”

Pte James was number 25337 with the 6th Battalion of the King’s Own and is named on the Basra Memorial.

The second lieutenant John Bernard Poultney was killed in action on February 19.

He was the younger son of the late Mr E. W. Poultney, solicitor, of Hill Top, Ulverston.

The Barrow News noted: “In the early stages of the war he gave up a lucrative position in Canada to fight for the Motherland.”

The officer served with the South Lancashire Regiment and was Mentioned in Despatches for brave conduct.

He had been wounded during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

The second lieutenant is named on the Ploegsteert Memorial, near Ypres, Belgium.