THE First World War was just five weeks old when Joseph Batty sent a postcard from the troop ship carrying him to France, to his wife Eliza and daughter, left behind in Burnley.

The card, dated September 12, 1914, sent from HMT Rohilla, said simply ‘Dear wife, just try and make the best of it now. We got on ship at Southampton. We don’t know were going. Tell Annie not to forget her daddy.’ His granddaughter Christine Waring of Burnley cannot make out the rest of the sentences on the 100-year-old missive, apart from the words ‘ if chance to write’ and ‘get it as soon as possible’.

It was delivered to the family home at 8, Penny Street.

Joseph, who worked as a collier at Bank Hall Pit, was at camp with the Special Reserves, in which he had served for five years, when war broke out and he arrived at the front towards the end of September, 1914.

He served with the Second Battalion the East Lancashire Regiment and was killed in action at Arras in 1918, aged 28.

In 1915 he had returned home, along with another Burnley private, S Malone, on ‘furlough’, to recover from wounds they had sustained at the Battle of Mons, in an area known privately to the soldiers as ‘Plug Street’.

In August, 1916, Joseph, now promoted to sergeant, was awarded the Military Medal and Eliza received another letter from him, telling her the news: “Just a few lines, hoping to find you in the best of health, as it leaves me at present.

“I have great pleasure in telling you that I have been awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field, but I don’t know what I got it for – I was only doing my duty.

“I am sure they have made a great fuss of me. My colonel and all the officers have been to congratulate me and said I was most deserving.”

At the beginning of 1917, records show Sgt Batty was awarded a bar to his Military Medal for bravery.

But then, only weeks later, Eliza, learned her husband had been killed, receiving an official notification from the records office in Preston, as well as a letter from an officer, second Lieutenant H K Roberts of Accrington, who commended the soldier.

He told her: “I deeply regret to inform you of the death of your husband, Sergeant J. Batty, who was killed in action on February 16th. I will try to describe what happened, as I was not far away when he was killed.

“On Saturday morning February 16th, the Germans were bombarding our trenches, and at about 11:30 a.m., one of the shells burst in the trench, killing your husband and wounding several others.

“ I immediately rushed up to him, but arrived too late, as he must have been killed instantaneously.

“Your husband had been my platoon sergeant for over five months, and was the best N.C.O., I ever had.”

Joseph had fought for three and a half years, been wounded three times and his acts of valour included digging out an officer and a soldier from the mud after a bombardment.

Joseph has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial and his name is also on the roll of honour at St. Mary’s RC Church, Burnley.

n Sgt Batty’s home, off Finsley Gate, was one of 13 houses in the street, but from them 20 soldiers answered the call to arms.

A roll of honour, naming them, plus another two men from nearby Cricket Court was placed in the street in their honour.

It was festooned with flags after news of Joseph’s Military Medal reached the residents.

By then, it revealed that three of the men had already ‘died the death of heroes’ – and Joseph’s name would soon be added to the list.