No.16825, Lance Corporal, Edward Archibald BOWERS
Aged 21


1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
(formerly No.23950, 11th Reserve Cavalry Regiment)
Killed in Action on Saturday 1st July 1916


Born in Newmarket in Q4-1895 [Newmarket 3b:494] to Edward Archibald and Eliza BOWERS (née ANDREWS) of Stanley Road, Newmarket.

1901 census...Edward Archibald (Junior) 'Archie' [5] was at Stanley Road, Newmarket with his father Edward [32] a stableman born Horringer; his mother Eliza [30] and brothers Sidney [2] and Montague [1] and sister Ethel [2 months]. All the children were born in Newmarket
His mother died in 1905.

1911 census...'Archie' was now a stablelad, living at 6 Montpelier Terrace, Lisburn Road, Newmarket with his widowed father; brothers Sidney and Montague and a new brother, Bruce [9]. His brothers Henry Charles, Roland Norton and Reginald Dudley, and sister Ethel had all died. Living with them were housekeeper Louise Sherman and her children, William Arthur Sherman [9], Queenie Louise Sherman [7], Ada Bowers Sherman [3] and Henry Joseph Sherman [1]

Archie's younger brother Sidney was killed a year later see here


and his nephew Robert was killed serving in the RAF in WW2 see here


The opening day of the Somme offensive, the worst day in British military history: In the opening phases of the Somme the great attack of July 1st 1916 on a 25 mile front began. The 4th Brigade were facing stronger defences than anywhere else. They were to attack north of Beaumont Hamel where two redoubts and a quadrilateral trench were particularly strong. It was hoped that the Brigade would reach Munich trench 1000 yards behind the front line where supporting the 10th and 11th would go through it. At 7.20am 10 minutes before zero hour a large mine was blown up under the German redoubt at Hawthorn Ridge. This gave away the exact time of the attack. After the heavy guns stopped firing the Germans had ample time to man their positions after being in deep undamaged dugouts. The Hampshires (leaving their trenches at 7.40) followed the East Lancashires who had already been almost wiped out. Very few Hampshires made it to the wire, a few bombers were reported to have got into the German line, but the majority were brought down at or short of the wire. The survivors could only seek the poor shelter of the shell holes which pitted No Mans Land. Here they had to lie for hours until darkness fell. This was the 1st Hampshire's worst experience of the war, it had cost them 11 officers and 310 men killed and missing, 15 officers and 250 men wounded.





No known grave - Archie is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France Ref pier and face 7C and 7B
and also on the plaque in the New Astley Club, Fred Archer Way, Newmarket
and on the Roll of Honour of All Saints School, Newmarket

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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