Commemoration service at Blackburn Darwen Cemetery

This weekend a commemoration service was held for Private John Farnhill and Private Squire Haworth at Blackburn Darwen Cemetery.

The service was led by Reverend Terrance Young and was attended by local residents including the Friends of Darwen Cemetery, local Royal British Legion members and relatives of Private Farnhill.

Private John Farnhill joined the Army Service Corps in February 1915, serving on the Western Front until November 1915 when he was sent back to England after suffering from Lumbago and Tuberculosis. After being discharged from the Army in 1916, Farnhill re-joined the Army service corps in 1917, again serving in France in 1918. While in France, Farnhill was again diagnosed with tuberculosis and sent back to England in August 1918. After spending some time in hospital, Farnhill was again discharged, unfit, from the Army. He died at home in December 1918.

In April 1915, Private Squire Haworth joined the 3^rd East Lancashire Regiment at Plymouth. He was almost immediately posted to the 3^rd Battalion and arrived in France in May 1915, and was involved in the 2^nd Battle of Ypres. During this time, Haworth was diagnosed as suffering from diabetes. He returned to England in February 1916 and was discharged as medically unfit on 25 March 1916. He later died due to complications with diabetes on 16 June 1916.

Blackburn Darwen Cemetery was opened in 1861 and contains close to 100 casualties of the two world wars.