OLD COMRADES

A group of Old Comrades gathered at the British Legion Club in Stowmarket pre-1995. Identified so far are:

Bottom row right to left Cecil CLAXTON, Wally ROWE, Major COBBOLD, Bertie EDWARDS, unknown.
Second row standing, Billy BARNARD, unknown, John "Dinger" KING, Hayden EDWARDS, Freddy JAMES, unknown, Ivan KNIGHTS. Phillip GOODING stands at Billy BARNARD's right shoulder.

"Billy" Spencer William BARNARD was a hero from WW2 - he was held as a prisoner of war in Singapore by the Japenese. His brother Leonard Benjamin BARNARD died during WW2 on 7th November 1943 aged 25 and is buried at Chittagong War Cemetery Bangladesh. He is remembered on the memorial at Needham. Billy's parents were Benjamin BARNARD and Violet Ellen GOODING. They are descendants of Onesiphorous BARNARD and Elizabeth HAWES who lived on Ipswich Street in 1901.

There is a picture of Billy's Dad on the inside cover of Needham Market and Barking, Days Gone By Remembered by Fred Nunn. Billy was an amateur boxer 1930-37 and a pro 1937-47 - he is pictured on page 52 of the same book.
Billy died 14th January 2007 at Stowmarket and was cremated at Bury St Edmunds 26th January, he is survived by his wife.

Photo supplied by Ashley BARNARD. Names supplied by Pam BLOOM & the late Billy BARNARD

STOWMARKET HISTORY AND HERITAGE
2006
e mail - neil@stowman.plus.com