Lives of the First World War

3rd May 1916

On Sunday, Mr. Stephen Pickles of Raygill House, Barnoldswick, received an official intimation that his second son, Second Lieutenant Harry Thornton Pickles, of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, had been killed in action. Lieutenant Pickles, who was 26, had had a brilliant scholastic career. Educated at Silcoates School, where he carried off all the scholarships to be had, he at the age of 17 entered Victoria University and took his B.A. degree before he was 20, the M.A. being conferred upon him the year following. Having a bent for the law, he was articled in 1910 to Messrs. Goulty & Goodfellow, Manchester, and amongst his further honors were the L.L.B. degree and Clement’s Inn and Daniel Reardon Prizeman. Shortly after leaving the university he was selected from a large number of applicants for a vacant lectureship in English Law and Jurisprudence. Before the commencement of the winter term, however, war was declared, and in September 1914 he enlisted as a private in the 10th West Riding Regiment. The following spring he was promoted to the rank of second-lieutenant, and was transferred to the 3rd Reserve Battalion. In January last he went to France. Lieutenant Pickles was married the week before he left England, his bride being a London lady. Only on Saturday, his parents received a letter from him dated April 25 (the day previous to his death), stating that he was feeling very fit. At the Baptist Church, Barnoldswick, on Sunday evening, the Rev. E. Winnard, whose subject, curiously enough for that evening, was “Thinking of our lads; a word of comfort to their friends”, made reference to the brilliant scholastic career of Lieut. Pickles, and to its tragic end in the service of the country.

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