Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Private H W Bower passed through Peterborough East Station on 24 August 1916.  He was serving with the 2/5^th Battalion Essex Regiment and stationed at Killinghall Moor Camp, Harrogate.

Private Bower wrote in the visitors’ book: “All things work together for good to those that love God” and describes himself as a “Norwich boy”.  A search of the 1911 Census led us to Herbert Bower, living at 7 Valentine Street, Dereham Road, Norwich.  His father Frederick was a house painter who employed both of his sons, Frederick and Herbert, their mother was Sarah.  Their house was large, with seven rooms and they employed a servant, suggesting that the family were quite well off.  If this is the correct man, he moved from the Essex Regiment to the 1/9 London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) sometime after his visit to Peterborough.  The War Diary for the 1/9 London Regiment records that on 14 April 1917, an attack was launched on Cherisy at 0530hrs, which ultimately failed with a return to original positions by 2300hrs. Casualties for the one day were 11 Officers and 350 other ranks.  Sadly, Herbert Bower was one of these and was buried at Cuckoo Passage Cemetery, Heninel, France.  The inscription on his cross reads “He shouldered his cross but now enjoys his crown”.

Are you able to confirm the identity of this soldier? Could this Norwich soldier be a relative of yours? Please get in touch if you can tell us more.

The 2/5th Battalion of the Essex Regiment formed at Chelmsford in October 1914 as a second line unit.  The regiment moved to Peterborough in December 1914, then to Thetford in summer 1915, to Harrogate in July 1916, to Welbeck in April 1917 and to Middlesbrough in winter 1917 before being disbanded in March 1918. www.longlongtrail.co.uk