BOWE J E
BOWE, James Edward
Regiment: 7th Bn. South Lancashire Regiment
Rank: Private
Number: 40307
Died: 22 September 1917
Aged: 24
Buried/ Memorial: Bedford House Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium
Address: 77 New Faulkner Street, Hoole
Chester Chronicle 13 October 1917
PRIVATE J.E. BOWE, KILLED IN ACTION
“The sad news came to hand on Friday of the death of Private J.E. (Eddie) Bowe, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Bowe, of 77 New Faulkner Street, Hoole, Chester. The following letters have been received from his Captain and the sergeant of his platoon, - “1st Oct., 1917. Dear Mr. Bowe, - The sad news of the death of your son will have reached you by now. I hope and trust that it will ease your sorrow a little when I tell you that he died nobly and uncomplaining doing his duty, and that it is due to his sacrifice and to the sacrifice of many of his comrades that our line is still advancing and peace thereby brought nearer. He was of real assistance to me in the company, and would have earned early promotion. He was buried by his comrades close to where he fell, and as soon as time permit I will see that a more permanent cross is erected to mark the place than the temporary one we were only able to put up at the time. - Sincerely yours S.B. Schwabe (Capt.)”
“Dear Mr. and Mrs. Bowe, - Being platoon sergeant of your son’s platoon, I feel it is my duty to write these few lines to inform you of his death, which occurred on the night of 21st September. We were holding a certain part of the line when a German shell dropped in the trench killing your son instantly. We are more than sorry to lose such a good soldier and comrade, for he was liked by everybody that came in to contact with him. We did all that was possible for him and buried him as decently as was possible under the circumstances. Hoping that this will be of some slight consolation to you in your sad loss. – I remain, yours very sincerely, Sergt. B. Jarram”.
“He joined the S. Lancashire Regiment on March 1st, and after three months’ training at Barrow-in-Furness went to France on June 20th. A month after he was attached to the Royal Engineers. Previous to joining the army he was in the service of the L. and N.W. Railway Co. as Checker at Queen’s Ferry, and had been in the service of the Railway Co. from boyhood. His death is a sad loss to the Primitive Methodist Church, Hamilton Street, Hoole, with which he was very closely associated, especially with the Young Men’s Bible Class, which he served as organist. He took deep interest in the activates of the church, and particularly in temperance work. His life was full of promise, and he was held in high esteem by a wide circle of friends who deeply mourn his loss. Much sympathy is felt for his father and mother, his brother and other relatives, in their great sorrow.”