Gunner John Aspden 5742 Royal Field Artillery, B Btty. 75th Brigade.

Killed in Action 19th July 1916, aged 21.

John was the son of John and Mary Ann Aspden, and in the 1901 census the family were living at 7 Brunshaw Rd. John had 3 sisters living with him in 1901, Mary E (1880), Katie (1885) and Annie (1890). His father’s occupation was that of a coal miner.
In the 1911 census the family had moved to 52 Brunshaw Rd., Burnley John’s occupation was a Coal Drawer (underground). Besides his parents two of his sisters were living there, Katie and Annie.

From The Express and Advertiser dated 29th July 1916:

THE DEATH ROLL. HIS COMRADES’ PRIDE.

The word "deceased" written on a returned letter received last Saturday, gave Mr and Mrs Aspden of 232 Brunshaw Road Burnley, the first intimation that anything untoward had happened to the youngest son Gunner John Aspden, of the R .F.A.  Since then their fears have been confirmed by a comrade, Gunner J Jackson, who has informed them of the circumstances of his death. Gunner Aspden was Twenty-One Years of age last February, and was formerly a Collier at Towneley Pit. A big fine lad, he enlisted on September 3rd 1914.  He was connected with St Mary's Catholic Church.

Jackson wrote: "Being a chum of your son Jack and also being with him when he met his death, I feel it my duty to write and give you a few particulars. I was on duty with him at the trenches observing, and we had been heavily shelled all morning, when a Shell burst right on us. For the time we were all dazed, and when we came round we saw that Jack had been badly hit. We did everything we possibly could, but he was beyond human aid, and death must have been instantaneous, and he could not have felt any pain.  We carried him behind the lines, and he was given a nice funeral in a little Cemetery, as many men attending as could be spared, the priest of our division officiating. A cross has been made bearing his name and regimental number and the simple but noble inscription, "killed in action" and we are going to erect it today.  I have been asked by all the members of our signal staff to extend to you our heartfelt sympathy, and we earnestly trust and hope that you will be given strength and courage, and that you will find some consolation in the fact that he has died a true Heroes death. We all feel the loss of our comrades very much, and feel proud to have known him." 

Lived at 232 Brunshaw Road.

John left his effects to his father John.

John is buried in Ferme Olivier Cemetery, Belgium. Grave Ref: Plot 1, Row B, Grave 10.