READERS have been responding to Mr John Harris' appeal for information about Arnold Baker, the Bolton conscientious objector who died a hero under enemy fire when he joined the merchant navy.
Mr Harris came across Arnold's story in a 1995 re-issue of a 1942 book - Went The Day Well.
He tells me that since an item appeared in Looking Back last week he has heard from Arnold's sister Myra Firth and Mrs Claire Coleman of Bromley Cross, who was a member of the Peace Pledge Union, based at the Victoria Hall, when Arnold also attended.
Mrs Firth lives in Droylsden with the only other surviving brother, Sam. She told Mr Harris that after publication of the book, Howard Spring, the author of the essay on Arnold Baker, gave a copy to the Baker family with a signed dedication. Mrs Firth still has it in her possession. Mrs Coleman describes Arnold Baker as "a lovely man and a true Christian."
Mr Harris has written to me to say: "Thank you for publishing this, several people I have spoken to were interested to hear about this obviously gentle man, who nevertheless must have had a steely determination to adhere to his principles and died upholding them to the last."
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