24540, 9th Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
who died on 21st October 1916
Remembered with honour
REGINA TRENCH CEMETERY, GRANDCOURT
Commemorated in perpetuity by
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Cemetery: REGINA TRENCH CEMETERY, GRANDCOURT
Country: France
Historical Information: On 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, Grandcourt village was reached by part of the 36th (Ulster) Division, but it was not until the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line, early in February 1917, that it was occupied by patrols of the Howe Battalion, Royal Naval Division. To the south-east of it is Courcelette, taken by the 2nd Canadian Division on 15 September 1916. Regina Trench was a German earthwork, captured for a time by the 5th Canadian Brigade on 1 October 1916, attacked again by the 1st and 3rd Canadian Divisions on 8 October, taken in part by the 18th and 4th Canadian Divisions on 21 October, and finally cleared by the 4th Canadian Division on 11 November 1916. The original part of the cemetery (now Plot II, Rows A to D) was made in the winter of 1916-1917. The cemetery was completed after the Armistice when graves were brough in from the battlefields of Courcelette, Grandcourt and Miraumont; most date from October 1916 to February 1917. Many of these graves contain more than one burial and where two names are shown on the one headstone, it is necessary to count the individual names in order to find the correct grave location. Regina Trench Cemetery now contains 2,279 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,077 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 14 casualties believed to be buried among them. One American airman is also buried in the cemetery. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.
No. of Identified Casualties: 1203
Preston Guardian Page 2 9th June, 1917 (Photo)
Pte. James Barker, L. N. L. Regt. formerly of Longton and Preston, who was posted as “missing” since Oct. 21st, has been officially reported killed in action. He joined up about Whitsuntide of last year, and went out to France early in September. He was formerly employed by Messrs. Dick, Kerr and Co. He leaves a widow and two children, whose home is 71 Dallas Street, Preston.
