John was a reservist, and was called up at the outbreak of the war and was sent to the front almost immediately,he was married and had a son who was just one week old when he left. He wrote home regularly up to a few days before his death and in one of his ;letters he wrote " it would be a bit more comfortable if they fought with bladders and sticks instead of flinging lumps of iron at one another. The Germans started shelling just below our camp one night and struck the spire of a church which caught fire. It looks a pity to see such fine buildings in ruins. If they go on much longer like they are doing there will be nothing left of Belgium only bricks and mortar." Prior to the war he was employed at Messrs. Parkinson & Luptons Calder Vale Mill as a weaver.

BURNLEY DRIVER KILLED
SERVICE CORPS MAN (Burnley Express 14/7/1915)

Called up as a reservist in August last, and having been at the front from the commencement of the war, the death has taken place somewhere in Belgium on the 17th June of Driver John Catlow, of the Army Service Corps, whose home was at 6 Roebuck-street, Burnley. Driver Catlow was an only son, his parents residing at 40, Shale-street, and when he left to join his headquarters his only child was just one week old.
The soldier wrote regularly up to about June 14th – three days before his death, and in one letter he wrote :- “it would be a bit more comfortable if they fought with bladders and sticks instead of flinging lumps of iron at one another. The Germans started shelling just below our camp one night and struck the spire of a church which caught fire. It looks a pity to see such fine buildings in ruins. If they go on much longer like they are doing there will be nothing left of Belgium only bricks and mortar.”
Driver Catlow was a weaver at Messrs. Parkinson & Lupton’s Calder Vale Mill and was 27 years of age.