Wilfred Blackburn

Wilfred lived on Normanton Street in Horbury Junction, the son of a Horbury widow. According to the Wakefield Express of 5^th August 1916, his mother received ‘belated notification’ that he had died on 31^st October 1914 – his body was never found and his name is recorded on the Memorial in Le Touret Military Cemetery at Richebourg-l'Avoue, on the south side of the Bethune-Armentieres main road. Over 13,000 names are listed on the memorial of men who fell in this area before 25 September 1915 and who have no known grave – this period covers the arrival of the II Corps in Flanders in 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos. Wilfred was a Private in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (Service number 11084).