Date of birth: 06/05/1888

Place of birth: Kearsley, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Profession: Journeyman / House Painter

Country: England, United Kingdom

Force: British Expeditionary Force

Rank: Private

Service number: 30184

Units:  —  Lancashire Fusiliers, 1/5th Bn.  (Last known unit)

Date of death: 03/09/1917

Place of death: Low Farm, Belgium

Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Age: 29

British War Medal Medal

Victory Medal Medal

Private John Francis Lowery was part of the 1st/ 5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, 125th Brigade, 42nd Division. Around 3 September 1917 the 1st/ 5th Battalion was located between Railway Wood and Low Farm, with trenches between Low Farm and Borry Farm. Borry Farm, Beck House and Iberian were positions under enemy control and would be attacked by the brigade on the 6th of September. In the days leading up to this event no attacks were made but the intelligence reports state that British positions were under fire from artillery, machineguns and snipers. The war diary’s from around 3 September 1917 don’t mention any of the lower ranking soldiers that were killed. Its most likely that Private John Francis Lowery was killed while holding the line. After the war his widow and two sons emigrated to Australia.

1/5 Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2654/2). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Sources used

McCarthy Chris, Passchendaele : The Day-by-Day account, (London, Uniform, 2018), p 72-73. Sources used

Wylly Harold Carmichael, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, (London, The Royal United Service Institution, 1933, 208-209. Sources used

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/833276

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=da04b764-aff9-4ac7-ba07-3dd52e50ab0e

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2715792