John Henry HOLDEN

20 November 1914

A RECRUITING SCOOP

A recruiting ‘scoop’ was made by the 6th Battalion West Riding Regiment when they persuaded a number of Barnoldswick men, who were connected with the St. John Ambulance Division, to join the ranks as a Bearer Company. Some of these men were viewed as prospective valuable additions to the complement of the Royal Naval Sick Berth Reserve, but the Army ‘got there’ first. The Bearer Company includes the following local men:– Sergt. P.H. Garnett, and Privates R.W.W. Collyer, J.W. Smith, George Harwood, George Harrison, F. Barker. J.E. Pickup, E. Schofield, W. Strickland, R. Harrison. E. Woodhead, S. Lee, F. Bracewell, J.H. Holden, J. Pickup. J.H. Whitley, and H. Thomas. Other men who have joined the Army this week are R. Metcalfe, W.J. Shuttleworth, and H. Blackburn.

04 August 1916

HOLDEN – Killed in action, Pte. John Hy. Holden, of the 6th West Ridings, of Barnoldswick.

04 August 1916

BARNOLDSWICK’S LENGTHENING DEATH ROLL – A Stretcher-bearer Killed

News of the death of two more Barnoldswick soldiers was received on Sunday. The first, Pte. John Hy. Holden, aged 23, was a stretcher-bearer with the 1st 6th Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, with whom he went out to France in April last year along with Sergeant Garratt. He was a nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Holden, 19, Lower North Avenue, with whom he had lived from childhood. Previous to joining the Army he was a weaver at Messrs. Nutter and Sons, Bankfield Shed. Pte. Holden was home on leave at Whitsuntide.

The following letter has been received from the Chaplain to the regiment (Rev. R. Shipman):– “It is a sad task for me to have to tell you that I buried your nephew this morning, along with eight other brave Yorkshire lads. It will be a very beautiful little cemetery, and is right up to the firing line. A cross is being put over his grave.”

Pte. Holden was a member of the choir at Calf Hall Road Wesleyan Church, and secretary of the Sunday School.

Captain J. Alison Glover, R.A.M.C. writes:– “I have only been with the Regiment a little over three weeks, since their previous doctor was wounded, but Holden was with me at Battalion headquarters for a fortnight, so I soon got to know him. He was a splendid fellow, strong and absolutely devoid of fear. He was always ready for any duty and was extremely popular with all the men and officers, and particularly with his fellow stretcher-bearers who were much upset by his death. I went up to see him in the front line as soon as I heard he was badly wounded, and saw at once that the wound was mortal – a shell wound in the right side of the chest. I did not think he would live to be moved down, but his fellow bearers were very anxious to bring him down, thinking that possibly there might be a chance. I do not think he was sufficiently conscious to feel any pain, and he had a small dose of morphia. He lived to reach our aid-post where he was made as comfortable as possible, and then as they were anxious to get him to the Field Hospital (and I was sure that it would not give him pain) I allowed him to be removed to the collecting post. He died just as he got there, in the presence of the Chaplain. If you could have seen the tenderness and devotion he received from his fellow bearers, you would have known he died surrounded by friends who really loved him.”

26 April 1918

CRAVEN AND THE WAR

Barnoldswick Soldiers Wounded

Pte. Thos. Holden, East Lancashire Regiment, has been wounded a second time, and is in hospital at Rouen. His injuries, which are described as serious, are to the left arm and thigh, and were caused by a bursting shell. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Holden, 19, Lower North Avenue, Barnoldswick, whose adopted son (Pte. J.H. Holden) was killed in France in 1916

26 April 1918

CRAVEN AND THE WAR

Death of Private Reuben Fryers

Confirmation has been received of the death (unofficially reported last week) of Reuben Fryers, of the Labour Battalion, who was killed in action on March 21st. He went to France last September. Before joining the army he lived with his brother at 47, Colin Street, and was connected with the Calf Hall Road Wesleyan Sunday School, as secretary of which he succeeded the late Pte. John H. Holden (also killed in France). Feeling references to his sterling character and usefulness were made at a memorial service held on Sunday evening by Mr. Bush and Mr. Whitehead. Mr. J. Parkinson (secretary of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Committee) read the Roll Call, and at the close the ‘Dead March’ was played by Miss Crossley (organist).