Lt Col
Edward Langley Bowring
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 11/09/1882 |
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Place of birth: Derby, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Lieutenant Colonel |
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Units: — Worcestershire Regiment, 2nd Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 21/06/1956 |
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Place of death: Chichester, Sussex, England, United Kingdom |
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Cause of death: Death post-war (unrelated) |
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Age: 73 |
Distinctions and medals 4
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1914 Star Medal |
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British War Medal Medal |
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Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Edward Langley Bowring was the son of Charles and Violet Bowring. He was born on 11 September 1882 in Derby, Derbyshire. Edward enlisted in the British Army and joined the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment (100th Brigade, 33rd Division). He commanded that battalion's C Company as a captain. He would later rise in rank to major and eventually lieutenant colonel.
Edward was part of the attack on Gheluvelt Château on 31 October 1914, during the First Battle of Ypres. Heavy German artillery shelling swept away the exposed trenches in front of Geluveld on 31 October. Bavarian reservists took the castle park. The battle had been short but fierce. Dead and wounded lay scattered among the rhododendron bushes and the well-kept rose beds of the castle garden. Only around the castle and stables, sheltered by the buildings and the still leafy avenues that lined the park there, did a small group of South Wales Borderers and Scots Guards manage to hold out.
A little further on in Polygon Wood in Zonnebeke were the remnants of the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment. The Worcesters enjoyed some rest there after ten days in the line. No longer the example of martial order and discipline, the battalion was virtually the only unit available. Reserves were scarce. It was a ragged gang of about 500 men: unshaven, unwashed, their uniforms stiff with mud and torn by the brambles of the Polygon forest. Many men had lost their kepi or leg wraps, but their weapons were clean and there was plenty of ammunition. During a short period in reserve in Polygon Wood, they had been able to rest and get hot food. Among them was also the C Company led by Captain Bowring.
With the church tower of Geluveld outlined against an immense plume of smoke as a target, they launched an almost hopeless counterattack. Once out of the woods, into the open field, exposed to heavy artillery fire, the Worcesters suffered nearly a hundred casualties. Despite this, they reached the castle park, which they stormed along with part of the South Wales Borderers, who had managed to regroup. Edward's C Company, together with the D Company, took up positions along a subsided road behind the castle.
The German troops, inexperienced and without clear leadership, and unaware of their opponent's strength, retreated at the sight of the British counterattack. An attempt to retake the village completely failed due to heavy shelling. The remnants of the Worcesters and the South Wales Borderers dug in at the edge of the castle park. Without flank support, they withdrew later that evening under cover of darkness. The 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment paid a high price for these actions: they suffered no less than 750 casualties, including 201 casualties from Edward's C Company.
The British defences were on the verge of collapse but the counterattack had gained precious time. On the night of 31 October, Saxon Jägers penetrated the abandoned castle park. They found a lone British doctor there, who had decided to stay behind among the many German and British wounded. Although the village was lost in advance, the counterattack had taken the Germans by surprise.
For his actions near Geluveld, Edward Langley Bowring received the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.), an award exclusively for officers for their achievements under fire. Edward survived World War I and was able to return to his family. He died on 21 June 1956 in Chichester, Sussex.
Edward was part of the attack on Gheluvelt Château on 31 October 1914, during the First Battle of Ypres. Heavy German artillery shelling swept away the exposed trenches in front of Geluveld on 31 October. Bavarian reservists took the castle park. The battle had been short but fierce. Dead and wounded lay scattered among the rhododendron bushes and the well-kept rose beds of the castle garden. Only around the castle and stables, sheltered by the buildings and the still leafy avenues that lined the park there, did a small group of South Wales Borderers and Scots Guards manage to hold out.
A little further on in Polygon Wood in Zonnebeke were the remnants of the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment. The Worcesters enjoyed some rest there after ten days in the line. No longer the example of martial order and discipline, the battalion was virtually the only unit available. Reserves were scarce. It was a ragged gang of about 500 men: unshaven, unwashed, their uniforms stiff with mud and torn by the brambles of the Polygon forest. Many men had lost their kepi or leg wraps, but their weapons were clean and there was plenty of ammunition. During a short period in reserve in Polygon Wood, they had been able to rest and get hot food. Among them was also the C Company led by Captain Bowring.
With the church tower of Geluveld outlined against an immense plume of smoke as a target, they launched an almost hopeless counterattack. Once out of the woods, into the open field, exposed to heavy artillery fire, the Worcesters suffered nearly a hundred casualties. Despite this, they reached the castle park, which they stormed along with part of the South Wales Borderers, who had managed to regroup. Edward's C Company, together with the D Company, took up positions along a subsided road behind the castle.
The German troops, inexperienced and without clear leadership, and unaware of their opponent's strength, retreated at the sight of the British counterattack. An attempt to retake the village completely failed due to heavy shelling. The remnants of the Worcesters and the South Wales Borderers dug in at the edge of the castle park. Without flank support, they withdrew later that evening under cover of darkness. The 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment paid a high price for these actions: they suffered no less than 750 casualties, including 201 casualties from Edward's C Company.
The British defences were on the verge of collapse but the counterattack had gained precious time. On the night of 31 October, Saxon Jägers penetrated the abandoned castle park. They found a lone British doctor there, who had decided to stay behind among the many German and British wounded. Although the village was lost in advance, the counterattack had taken the Germans by surprise.
For his actions near Geluveld, Edward Langley Bowring received the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.), an award exclusively for officers for their achievements under fire. Edward survived World War I and was able to return to his family. He died on 21 June 1956 in Chichester, Sussex.
Sources 7
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1 Battalion South Wales Borderers (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 95/1280/3) https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Atkinson, C.T. The history of the South Wales Borderers : 1914-1918 (Londen, The Medici Society, 1931), 44-47. Sources used |
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British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO372). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938,(Hackney, P74/TRI/021). https://www.thelondonarchives.org/ Sources used |
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Stacke, H. The Worcestershire Regiment in the Great War: Volume One (Uckfield, The Naval & Military Press Ltd., s.d.), 32. Sources used |
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Vancoillie, Jan. Halfweg Menin Road en Ypernstrasse: Gheluvelt 1914-1918 (Voormezele: Association for Battlefield Archeology in Flanders Studies, 2002), 52-54. Sources used |
More information 1
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/443667 |