We have been unable to trace much about John’s early life, mainly because he will have been travelling with the army. However, we do know that on 8 August 1910, he married Ida Wilkinson at Christchurch, Windhill. The marriage certificate tells us that John was 27 years old, a platelayer living at Crag Wood Cottage, and that his father, John, was a brushmaker, deceased. Ida was the daughter of Frederick, also deceased, and was living at Cowling Road. On 19 March 1915, the Shipley Times & Express reported: The family of Pte John Barnes were informed that he had been missing since 15 November. He was a regular soldier having served with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry for seven years in South Africa His wife received a letter from him at their home at 44 Crag Road, Windhill, dated four days earlier in which

he said: ‘We have had a very rough time of it since being out here. ‘At one place we were twelve days and nights in the trenches, with shells bursting and bullets whizzing around us.’ It was a year later that the newspaper carried the sad follow-up story: Killed in Action ‘Mrs J Barnes of 8 Water Lane, Windhill, last week received official intimation that her husband, Pte John Barnes, of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, has been killed in action. ‘Pte Barnes was a reservist and was called up on the outbreak of war. After taking part in several engagements he was reported missing on the 15th November, 1914 and was never heard of after that date. ‘He served 13 years in the army and was for some time employed on the Bradford City Tramways.