When James Garnett went proudly off to war in 1914 he took with him the hopes of his family and his hometown of Bolton.
He marched into history a willing soldier, determined to do his bit for King and Country.
But he died in poverty and is buried today in an unmarked communal pauper’s grave in Tonge Cemetery.
Now, an organisation founded in his name plans to honour him with an engraved headstone and its work will finally shine a spotlight on other local soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
James joined the Militia – the forerunner of the Territorial Army – in his mid-teens and at 18 in 1899 he joined the Regular Army .
He served in China and India until he was time-discharged after eight years, remaining for a further four on the reserve.
From 1907 to 1914, when World War One broke out, James was well-known on Bolton Market and as a door-to-door salesman.
He fought bravely in the Western Front’s bloody battles, sustained a head wound but remained in the army to mentor young conscripts, earning their admiration and respect.
Sadly, during his service he also developed deadly pulmonary tuberculosis and eventually died from it.
The newly-formed James Garnett Foundation, with the backing of Bolton Council, is determined to mark his grave properly.
It also wants to hold a special annual memorial event in Queens Park on October 26, where the names of 100 other soldiers who sacrificed their lives in WW1 are immortalised on a monument.
As retired Major Martin Smith, the Foundation’s chairman stated: “We want to make sure that none of those brave soldiers is forgotten.”
To aid this, the Foundation wants to create a film to take into schools and colleges nationwide and has already met with officials at the University of Bolton about supporting the project.
Added Major Smith: “We want to keep their stories and their bravery alive for future generations. We want everyone to really understand who they were and what they did.”
A member of the Foundation found James Garnett’s wartime service medal on ebay and paid £20 to bring it home. Much of the Foundation’s work is in repatriating wartime medals and paperwork to the families and descendants of these forgotten brave men from around the country.
For more information go to jamesgarnettfoundation.com
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