John was born in Stockport in 1888, the elder son of William and Catherine Bowen. His father had moved from London and was working as a mill labourer. Catherine’s widowed mother, Margaret O’Toole lived with them in Heaton Norris.
By 1901, the family had moved to 63, Great Egerton Street and John was working in the mills as a cotton doffer. He had a younger brother, George, and three younger sisters.
John married Jessie O’Leary on 8th August 1908 at Our Lady & The Apostles R.C. Church on Shaw Heath and they moved to 8, Harrisons Place, off Newbridge Lane. They had two sons, John and George and three daughters, Alice, Jessie and Eileen. Alice died in 1916, aged 2 years.
John first enlisted with the Manchester Regiment at Ashton-under-Lyne on 28th August 1914 just after the beginning of the war. Unfortunately on 8th December 1914 he was discharged from 1st Battalion as “Not being likely to become an efficient soldier”.
John tried again and enlisted in the Cheshire Regiment at Stockport on 23rd February 1915. After training, he was sent to France and joined the 13th Battalion on 12th July 1916. However on 21st October 1916 he had been hit by a bullet to his left hand, was repatriated (a Blighty one) and spent the next 3 months in hospital. He would have spent some time at home in Stockport. After recuperation he re-joined the 1st Battalion in May 1917.
John was promoted to Lance Corporal on 17th October 1917 but in March 1918 was “Deprived Lcp Stripe for misconduct”. However in May he was again promoted to Lance Corporal (unpaid). John seems to have found his place in the army despite his shaky start.
John was killed at La Sart near Bailleul in NE France on 28th June 1918 during a successful attack on some German trenches. He was one of 16 casualties. His widow, Jessie, received a pension of 33 shillings and 9 pence a week.
On 26 June 1918, John and his mates were in front line trenches at Le Sart, a small hamlet south west of the French town of Bailleul. "D" Company was ordered to attack enemy trenches in front of them to the north west of Merville. There was a few minutes barrage of the enemy by rifle grenades and then 13 platoon, led by 2nd Lieutenant J Harper, and 14 platoon, led by 2nd Lieutenant A Robinson, left the protection of their trenches.
The report on the attack reads:
"At zero, 2nd Lt. Harper led his platoon along the hedge running along Roussel Farm - School Road and 2nd Lt. Robinson led his platoon along the canal bank. On reaching a position about 30 yards from the objective, both parties deployed into two lines and rushed the hedge. 2nd Lt. Robinson rushed at least 10 yards ahead of everybody else and got into the trench first, Unfortunately, he jumped right into a party of 2 or 3 Germans, who immediately seized him and hurried him back along the communication trench before the (illegible) could get in."
"2nd Lt. Hooper then led the whole party.... He got in (to the trench) through a gap where a German machine gunner was and wounded the gunner. Meanwhile the remainder of the party broke through the various gaps in the hedge and the Germans retired up the communication trench (leaving 2 machine guns) and throwing bombs as they went. Lance Corporal Moses immediately organised a bombing party and drove the enemy right across the road to the other side of the Shrine. He then went back and turned his Lewis gun on to them. Sergeant Harrison seeing that there was no officer or NCO on the left of the line (all having become casualties) immediately organised this platoon, got the captured machine guns into position for firing and eventually blazed away."
(From the Cheshire Regiment War Diary transcribed by John Hartley)
John died on 28th June 1918 and was buried at Tannay British Cemetery, Thiennes, Nord, France
He is commemorated on the War Memorial in St, Joseph's R.C. Church, Tatton Street, Stockport and on the Stockport War Memorial, Wellington Road South, Stockport
- Wells, Dominic "They shall grow not old - The Soldiers of St. Joseph's Parish, Stockport" 2018
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission - Find War Dead
- FreeBMD Births 1887
- Census Returns for England and Wales 1891 RG12, Piece 2794, Folio 108, Page 4
- Census Returns for England and Wales 1901 RG13 Piece 3287, Folio 102, Page 22
- War Office Soldiers Documents First World War WO363
- FreeBMD Deaths 1916
- War Office Soldiers Documents from Pension Claims First World War WO364
- Hartley, John "More than a Name" www.stockport1914-1918.co.uk
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