John Howarth was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, England, on June 25, 1889. He would marry Emma Howarth, and the couple would reside at 296 Queen Street, Sarnia, (later Rochdale, Lancashire, England). John enlisted September 14, 1915 and again on December 9, 1915 in Sarnia with the 149th Battalion, in which he recorded his occupation as a labourer. John became a member of the Army, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, 3rd Battalion, with the rank of Private. On November 6, 1918, he would lose his life while fighting in France during Canada’s final Hundred Days Camapign. Only five days later, the Armistice agreement was signed ending the Great War. In late November 1918, his wife Emma would receive a telegram informing her that her husband, 844551, Pvt. John Lewis Howarth, Machine Gun Corps, has been officially reported killed in action on November 6th. John Howarth would later be officially listed as, Killed in action. He was killed by enemy shell fire on the morning of November 6th 1918, while taking part with his Battalion in operations in the vicinity of Onnaing.
In January 1919, Emma would receive a letter from Private Allen Kirk, L Battery, Third Canadian M.G.C., France, a companion of her husband. In the letter, Private Kirk expressed his sympathy on the death of Private Howarth, who had been instantly killed. Private Kirk stated that they had received parcels since the death of the young soldier. Private Kirk was a Hamilton, Ontario man, with a wife and two children. He extended an invitation to Emma Howarth to visit their home in Hamilton when he returned, when he would give her the particulars of her husband’s death. In closing his letter, Private Kirk said of the dead hero, “He was a straight-forward young man, obliging, and a good soldier, and often spoke of his wife to me.” Twenty-nine year old John Howarth is buried in Valenciennes (St. Roch) Communal Cemetery, Nord, France, Grave II.E.19.
SOURCES: A, B, C, D, E, F, L, N, 2C, 2D, 2G