WILLOWS, James [of Farndon]

Private, 4th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders

By George Harper

 Private James Willows. Private Willows served in the 4th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. The Willows family lived at ‘The Ivies’ on Farndon Fields and it seems to have been a case of the parents coming in o Farndon from surrounding areas for work. George Willows was a maltster from Foston and the mother Emma came from Flintham. James had 2 brothers George and Jack and 2 sisters Sarah Ann and Florrie. He attended Christ Church School and then worked at Warwicks and Richardsons Brewery in Newark. He joined up in 1915 and was invalided home twice, once for appendicitis and again for trench feet. He returned to France in May 1917 and was killed in action according to the report from the War Office sometime between September 19th and 21st aged 20. This would be during the later stages of the Battle of Passchendale (properly known as the third Battle of Ypres). His body too was never identified and his name is carved on the panels at Tyne Cot cemetery.

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