Year of birth: 1893

Place of birth: Nelson, New Zealand, New Zealand

Last known residence: Coburg, Victoria, Australia

Profession: Blacksmith

Religion: Presbyterian

Country: Australia

Force: Australian Imperial Force

Rank: Company Quartermaster Serjeant

Service number: 3244

Enlistment date: 20/07/1915

Enlistment place: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Units:  —  Australian Infantry, 5th Bn.  (Last known unit)

Date of death: 04/10/1917

Place of death: Retaliation Farm, Zonnebeke, Belgium

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

Age: 24

British War Medal Medal

Victory Medal Medal

Albert Henry Claude Bowman, a former blacksmith, was born in October 1893 in Nelson, New Zealand. He was the son of James and Marion Bowman; and was married to Clara Bowman. On July 20, 1915 he enlisted in Melbourne and embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A71 Nestor on October 11, 1915, with the 11th reinforcement of the 5th Battalion, part of the 2nd Australian Brigade of the 1st Australian Division. He was promoted to Company Quartermaster Sergeant on July 20, 1917.

On the 4th of October, the Battle of Broodseinde was fought. The 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade carried out a mission, with the goal to capture the positions of the enemy as far as the Line Celtic (D.29.d.40.45. to D.29.b.10.60.). The objectives were the red and blue line. The 8th Bn. A.I.F. had to get to the red line, the 6th and 7th Bn. A.I.F. had to reach the blue line. The 5th Bn. A.I.F. was in reserve. At midnight on the night of October 3 and 4, the locations of the various units were as followed: the Brigade headquarters were located at Westhoek Ridge (J1.d.75.10), the 5th Bn. A.I.F. was positioned at the Front Line, with headquarters at J.7.b.6.5., the 6th Bn. A.I.F. was located at Westhoek Ridge, with headquarters at J.7.b.6.8., the 7th Bn. A.I.F. found itself at Westhoek Ridge, with headquarters at J.7.b.5.5. and the 8th Bn. A.I.F. was positioned at Anzac Ridge with headquarters at J.9.a.6.5. The 8th Bn. A.I.F. reached the red line at 6.30 a.m. and advanced 100 yards beyond, to a position of better command and out of the enemy’s barrage, just behind and parallel to the Becelaere-Broodseinde Road, with points of the line touching the road. A hostile Battery was in position on this road just in front of the Line, but they were captured. The red line was consolidated by 7.30 a.m. The blue line was also captured and consolidated. Throughout the day and during the following night, the enemy’s shelling continued to be very severe over the whole captured area, on the old front line and in the valley rear thereof.

Albert Henry Claude, aged 23, was killed in action on October 4, 1917. Company Quartermaster Sergeant Bowman was initially buried near Retaliation Farm, Zonnebeke (28.D.28.c.80.40). His remains were exhumed and interred at Passchendaele New British Cemetery, Plot 13, Row C, Grave 3.

2nd Brigade Australian Infantry (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/2/30). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

5th Battalion Australian Infantry (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/22/32). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

Discovering Anzacs https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/ Sources used

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455). https://www.naa.gov.au/ Sources used

Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461155

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7366229

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=394e8b08-5b4d-47e2-a859-4777430acf8c

The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=28818