WHEN Britain called its men to war in 1914, whole families, whole streets joined up to fight.

We’ve told the stories of how distressed parents waved goodbye to four or even five sons and how rows of terraced homes were left bereft of men.

Today, Jean and David Lowes of Blackburn reveal how six of their ancestors who took up arms, all lost their lives in the First World War.

Thomas Lowes, a police constable, of St Thomas Terrace, Blackburn, joined the 5/6th Lancashire Fusiliers in 1899, before transferring to its 2nd battalion.

David’s great uncle, he was killed in action in Flanders on July 7, 1915 and his name is commemorated on the Menin Gate.

Thomas’ brother Arthur, another son of Thomas and Sarah Jane, of Peel Street, Accrington, served as a corporal with the 15th Field Company, Royal Engineers, but was killed in action in May, 1918.

He is remembered on the Soissons Memorial in France, one of the almost 4,000 officers and men who died during the Battles of the Aisne and the Marne and have no known grave.

Robert Gibson was married to Jean’s great grandmother Margaret and they lived in Moor Street Blackburn.

He was serving in the 11th battalion Royal Artillery and in 1917 was drafted to Sierra Leone, as a gunner, where he died as a result of a sickness epidemic in September 1918.

Aged 38, he was buried with full military honours at King Tom cemetery in Freetown.

Later, his wife received a letter from his captain, who described Robert as ‘a splendid fellow, always very keen on his work and the most popular man here among us by his quick wit, cheery outlook and remarks on everything’.

Three of Jean’s great uncles also sacrificed their lives in the conflict, one was William Carr, born in Poplar Street, Blackburn, in 1891 who worked at Messrs Hodgson and Taylors dyers, in Bastwell.

He was a private in the Cheshire Regiment and had been in France for 12 months when he was wounded and later died of his injuries, in 1916, aged 24. His grave stands in Dive Copse cemetery at Sailly-le-Sac.

William’s two brothers James, serving with the West Kents and George, serving with the 21st East Lancashire brigade (TF), both returned safely.

Then there was Private William Best, born in 1891 in Oswaldtwistle and one of the original Accrington Pals.

He fought in the Battle of the Somme, but was killed in October 1917, at the age of 26 and is remembered at the Tyne Cot memorial in Zonnebeke.

Lance Corporal William Slater, of Arthur Street, Blackburn, was employed in the dispatch department of the Blackburn Times before joining the Border Regiment in 1914.

He served in France in 1915 and then in Salonika, later that same year – he was on his way home on leave when he was taken ill and died of pneumonia at a military hospital in Italy, just five days before The Armistice, aged 24.

He is remembered on the Faenza Communal Cemetery, near Florence.