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Amongst the many headstones in Burnley Cemetery, there鈥檚 a large, white, life-like statue of a soldier. It鈥檚 in memory of Private James Booth, a local man who served with the King鈥檚 Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.

Private Booth鈥檚 statue stands guard over the grave of his parents 鈥� Joshua and Margaret Annie. The plinth says James was their 鈥渂eloved son鈥� who was killed in action.

James鈥� final resting place is at the Perth Cemetery near Ypres. He was killed on 26 September 1917, just one of hundreds of thousands who lost their lives in the Third Battle of Ypres 鈥� better known as Passchendaele.

The first and second battles in Ypres were launched by the Germans, but the third was a major offensive launched by British war general, Sir Douglas Haig. It led to gains for the Allies at a huge cost of lives. The Battle of Passchendaele was the last great battle of attrition of the war.

An inscription on Private Booth鈥檚 headstone in Flanders 鈥� paid for by his family 鈥� reads: 鈥淔old him in Thy loving arms and let him henceforth be a message from a human heart, O God, to thee.鈥�

A local newspaper report on his death says he had joined up in Carlisle and had been in the army for 30 months. In a previous action, he had been wounded by a bayonet. The report describes him as man who was very quiet with 鈥渁 retiring disposition.鈥�

Location: Burnley cemetery, Rossendale Road, Burnley BB11 5DD
Image of Private Booth's headstone

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