Private William Duckworth
32069 10th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Lived at 16 Irene Street
Missing in Action 28th April 1917
Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France
St Peters Memorial, Burnley
Burnley Express 2nd July 1917 - 7th July 1917 - 7th July 1917

The Burnley Express of June 2nd 1917 reported him missing.

Triple War Tragedy. (Burnley Express 7th July 1917)

A war tragedy of more than ordinary poignancy is constituted through the death of Pte. (32069) Wm. Duckworth, of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment Mrs Place of 35 Croft Street, has now lost three soldier sons. Pte Ben Place who was killed in June of last year and Sergt. Jack Place on April 10th this year. Pte Duckworth was a son by the first marriage. His wife who lives at !6, Irene Street, received official intimation on Tuesday that he was killed in action on April 28th. Previously he was reported missing on that date. Aged 32 years, Pte. Duckworth enlisted last November and went to the front in February. In civil life he worked for Messrs. Whittaker, waste dealers. He attended St Peter’s Church.”

William Duckworth was born in Burnley the son of Harriet. He was married and lived at 16 Irene Street. He enlisted at Preston as Private 32069 in the 10th Battalion, of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and was killed in action aged 32 on Saturday 28th April 1917. He is remembered on the Arras Memorial bay 7.

Notes
1901 Census – 35 Croft Street – Charles Place (40) gas works labourer born Manchester, Harriet J. (40),
William Duckworth (15) furniture buyers assistant, Benjamin (9), John (8).
28th April 1917- 80 men and 1 officer of the 10th Battalion were killed in action.

William Duckworth was also commemorated on the Pickup Croft Sunday School Memorial which was dedicated on 16th September 1922. Pickup Croft was a mission church of St Peter’s Parish and was also used as an Infant School.

"I'm from Colne but wanted to go to Burnley to place a cross for William Duckworth and his 2 brothers John and Ben Place. Along with my family, before marriage, I was next door neighbour to Mr Duckworth's widow Annie. Mrs Duckworth outlived her husband by 73 years, did not remarry and to the best of my memory recited 'At the going down of the sun' daily. Mrs. Duckworth told me Mr Duckworth realised he was being sent to his death and wanted to marry quickly so at least she would have a widow's pension. The story she told was that they married, had a custard slice at the railway station and off he went to war. As she repeated to the end of her days, ' she never saw him again'.

Mr Duckworth and John Place's memorial plaques were always mounted on her chimney breast and have now been on my wall since her death in 1990. I often wonder if Ben Place's plaque still exists somewhere in Burnley.

My husband and I went to Burnley to find a place to mark Mr Duckworth's life and sacrifice, we were extremely moved to see the display in the peace garden and the names of all Burnley soldiers lost in ww1.

Mrs. Duckworth always finished her conversations about her husband with 'We will remember them'. On behalf of Mrs Duckworth and myself, thank-you for doing just that so very beautifully."

(Courtesy of Sharon Smith )