A BARROW First World War hero who won the Military Cross was given a spectacular send-off at his funeral in 1938.

Captain Richard Williams was accompanied to St Paul’s Church, Barrow, by 200 ex-soldiers all wearing their war medals.

He had won his medal for bravery at Guillemont in 1916 and for 36 years had worked for Barrow Corporation for 36 years, the last 10 a foreman in the electricity department.

Despite pouring rain, the procession was packed with veterans of the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment and members of the British Legion.

His coffin was draped in a Union Jack with his service cap, belt and sword on top.

The Barrow News of September 17 in 1938 carried a tribute from one of his old comrades.

It noted: “August 1914 found streams of men leaving their civilian occupations and pouring in to the military camps and depots to train for the tasks confronting the soldier on active service.

“One to be enlisted in the 1/4th Battalion of the King’s was Richard Almond Williams.

“It did not take either the instructors or his brother recruits very long to discover his aptitude for soldiering.

“His tall, erect figure and smart appearance made him conspicuous on all occasions and promotion through the junior non-commissioned ranks occupied only the first few months of his service.

“When the battalion reached France in the early days of May, 1915, the recruit of 1914 had become Sgt Williams of “D” Company.

“In the attack on the German position at Guillemont on August 8 in 1916 Dick, now a company sergeant-major, was wounded.

“It afforded his comrades the greatest satisfaction when, for his gallantry and devotion on that occasion, he was awarded the MC.

“His wounds and the effect of poison gas began about this time to cause him serious trouble and early in 1917 he was awarded a commission and left for home service where he was subsequently promoted to the rank of captain, which he retained to the end of the war.”