Name
Thomas Henry Gower
1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/04/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
13238
Royal Warwickshire Regiment
9th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BASRA MEMORIAL
Panel 9.
Iraq
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Tring memorials
Pre War
Thomas Henry Gower was born in Tring in 1884 to Henry Gower, boot repairer, and Ann (nee Frogley).
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, Thomas, Ada S (born 1887), and Emma E (born 1890) were living at 23. Western Road, Tring.
On the 1901 Census Thomas, bootmaker, was living with his widowed aunt Mary Ann and her family at 10, Peter’s Finger, Bromsgrove, Worcs.
On the 1911 Census Thomas, a carter, was living with his aunt, Mary Hasker, her son Albert (boot repairer born 1877), Laura Matthews (granddaughter, born 1895) and James Matthews (grandson, born 1898) at 6 house, 12 Court, Ashley Street, Birmingham.
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for Thomas, who enlisted as Private 13238 in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. After his training he was posted to 9 (Service) Battalion, a part of 39 Brigade, 13 (Western) Division.
This Division had been evacuated from Helles, Gallipoli and Thomas went to Egypt to join them on 17 Dec 1915. In Feb 1916 the division deployed to Mesopotamia to join in efforts to relieve the Siege of Kut al Amara which initiallly failed, but later operations of the Battle of Kut al Amara were successful as were the Capture of the Hai Salient, 25 Jan-5 Feb, Dahra Bend (9-16 Feb), Dijala and the pursuit to Baghdad (7-10 Mar). The Division became part of Marshall’s Column and took fought at Delli Abbas (27-28 Mar), Duqma (29 Mar), and Nahr Kalis (9-15 Apr). In this last action Thomas was killed on 9 Apr 1916, his remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Basra Memorial, Iraq.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £3 and arrears of £5 0s 10d was paid to his sister Ada.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
