Private John William Asnip
7164 2nd East Lancashire Regiment
Killed in Action 11th March 1915,
in France
Lived at 8 Lisbon St.
Commemorated on the Le-Touret Memorial, France
Commemorated on the Holy Trinity Memorial
Burnley Express 27th March 1915

John was a time expired soldier who had served in the Boer War
which he had escaped unscathed, earning the Kings and Queens South
Africa medals with 2 and three three clasps respectively.
After leaving the army he was employed as a pit top worker at Bank Hall
where he worked for 13 years before volunteering at the outbreak of war.
He arrived at the front in September 1914 and regularly sent letters home,
until a photograph of his wife which he had requested was returned with
the note that the soldier could not be found.Later a letter was sent from
one of his chums informing her of his death.

He was killed alongside James Howley of Brierfield during the battle of Neuve Chapelle when his battalion suffered heavy losses from German artillery fire after having made some headway against the German trenches. On the day he died the battalion had 7 officers and 70 other ranks killed, with 8 officers and 182 other ranks wounded (in addition to 23 men missing) . His name is incorrectly recorded as Aspin on the Holy Trinity Memorial.

AFTER 16 YEARS SERVICE
KILLED BY A SNIPER, NEWS OF A BURNLEY MAN (Burnley Express 24/3/1915)

A letter home, sent by a Burnley soldier named Clarke, contains news of the death of his regimental chum, Pte. J.W. Asnip of 8 Lisbon-street, Burnley and says that he was killed by a German sniper.
Pte. Asnip had completed 16 years service in the Army and volunteered, and was accepted for service when the war commenced. He had a proud Army record.
When the Boer War broke out he was serving in India, where he had been seven years and he had earned a badge for a skirmish near Paard and along with his regiment the 2nd East Lancashires was sent to the front early on. He took part in the big engagements and at the end of the war, through which he passed without injury was given the King’s and Queen’s medals with three and two clasps respectively.
Returning from Africa, Asnip became employed as a pit top worker at Bank Hall and he was still employed there after 13 years continuous service when he left for France in August. He got to the firing line with the East Lancashires early in September and letters were received from him more or less regularly up to some five weeks ago when a photograph of his wife, which at his own request had been sent out to him, was returned with the information that the soldier could not be found. Nothing further was heard until Pte. Clarke’s message arrived on Sunday. The dead soldier was very well known in the Sandygate district, and was a general favourite with the workmen at Bank Hall.
It is interesting to note that three other members of the Asnip family have served in the colours, two in the East Lancashires and one in the Scottish Borderers.