Arthur Barraclough - b. 1913 (Cleckheaton, Yorkshire)

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Arthur Barraclough, who was a good father to all three of us, was born in Cleckheaton, Kirklees, Yorkshire, in 1913, the son of Fred Barraclough and Mary Elizabeth Dowson. Fred, a heavy battery gunner was killed on 2nd August 1918 in Salonika (now Thessaloniki), Greece and he is buried in the military cemetery there. Mary (Arthur's mother) was born in Worksop, Nottingham and she had one brother George and a number of sisters. Her father, also called George, was born in Grosmont, near Whitby, North Yorkshire and her mother, Eliza Louisa Cooper, the daughter of Luke and Elizabeth Cooper, was born in Drighlington, West Yorkshire. The Cooper graves can still be found there. George Dowson was well known for his ability with horses. He was a 'horse whisperer' and worked solely in an equine environment until his death from typhoid in 1902.

Arthur loved his time as a young boy in Cleckheaton and spoke fondly of his uncles Victor and Vernon Barraclough. He had numerous aunts and uncles including an aunt Lily Barraclough. Arthur's grandfather was Breaks Barraclough and his grandmother was called Sarah. Some of his relatives had emigrated to Australia in the 19th century. Because of this, Arthur Barraclough spent much of his time during the Second World War attached to an Australian airforce regiment.  He even had a 'bush hat' which still hung in our garage very many years later.

Arthur Barraclough spent most of the war in the middle and far east, stationed in India, Egypt, Beirut - the Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Singapore to name but a few places, amongst others. He was trained as both a wireless operator, sending and receiving Morse code and an aircraft mechanic. Arthur would service the aircraft after their flights and check that the aircraft fleet were in working order and electrically sound.

In peacetime, Arthur was an electrical sales representative/area manager and worked for both Swan Electric and Falks Stadelmann. His 'patch' was Leeds, West Yorkshire and he originally called door to door (company to company) carrying a case before being given a company car in the 1930s.

In later years Arthur worked for Newey and Ayre as an electrical sales representative and for his friends, the 'Miller Brothers', electrical retailers, as well as being a part time security guard for Jeromes Manufacturing at Victoria Works, Dock Lane Shipley, West Yorkshire, where Arthur worked right up to up to the day before his death in April 1984.

The above photographs, many taken by Arthur himself (although some photos are actually of him), display a poignant slice of modern history. His mother, Mary, and father, Fred, along with other relatives are also shown.

Arthur Barraclough and his bride Sheila Walker were married in April 1940. Both voluntarily joined the RAF - Arthur was later seconded to the Royal Australian Air Force, No. 454 Squadron.  We salute past and present, all the brave men and women who carry on vital work in the armed forces, right up to this day.