Name
Frank Fowler
1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/05/1915
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
13305
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BEDFORD HOUSE CEMETERY
Enclosure No.4 XI. D. 9.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley, Not on the Great Gaddesden memorial
Pre War
Francis Fowler (known as Frank) was born in 1887 in Great Gaddesden, Herts, the son of Henry and Adelaide Fowler and one of five boys. He was baptised at St John the Baptist Church, Great Gaddesden on 31 July 1887.
On the 1891 Census, the family were living at Bird's Cottages, Potten End, Great Gaddesden, Herts, where his father was working as a Bricklayer's labourer. By 1901 they had moved to Chapel Street, Hemel Hempstead and Frank was working as an Errand Boy. His father had changed occupation and was working as a Gardener.
By the 1911 Census the family had moved to 36 Alma Road, Hemel Hempstead at which time Frank was working as a Book Binder at John Dickinson & Co., Apsley Mills.
Wartime Service
Frank enlisted in Hertford and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment and after completing basic training he was posted to the 1st Battalion and sent to France, arriving on 27 April 1915. He joined the Battalion on 30 April at Ouderdom, near Ypres, being sent to the trenches the same night.
On 5 May, the Germans attacked with poison gas, although only a few men died directly because of the gas, all of them were badly affected. Some troops were driven out of the trenches and the Germans captured Hill 60. There was intense fighting in the trenches with bombs, rifles and machine guns, with both sides using hand grenades. Some British casualties were caused by their own artillery firing into their own trenches. The war diary on 7 May recorded that during the previous two days, casualties were 3 officers and 290 men.
Frank was one of six Hemel Hempstead men killed in action, during the Battle for Hill 60 at Ypres on 5 May 1915, age 27. He is buried at Bedford House Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £2 12s 10d. Brother to William Fowler who served with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and died on 6 May 1919. N.B. There are pension cards linking the two brothers but no record of any payment made to their mother. Brothers Albert, Arthur and Sydney all served and survived the war. N.B. Frank appears twice on the Hemel Hempstead memorial, once as Frank and once as Francis.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com.. www.bedfordregiment.org.uk
