L/Cpl
William Lowther
Army information
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Country: Verenigd Koninkrijk |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Lance Corporal |
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Service number: 201940 |
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Enlistment place: Bury, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Lancashire Fusiliers, 1/5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 06/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Pommern Castle & Redoubt, Saint-Julien, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: IX Row: E Grave: 19 |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Enlistment place | ||
| #2 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
William Lowther enlisted in the British Army and served in the 1/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (125th Brigade, 42th (East Lancashire) Division).
William was killed on 6 September 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele. At the time, the battalion was in the reserve lines near Borry Farm, west of Zonnebeke. Two companies arrived around midnight in the assembly trench awaiting the start of the attack. At 7:15 a.m., heavy shelling began on Borry Farm, after which the two companies attacked the site. Simultaneously, Beck House, Iberian and Hill 35 were attacked by neighbouring troops. Skirmishes occurred throughout the day, and there was machine gun fire from, among other places, Vampir. The attack stalled after 150 yards, followed by heavy counterattacks at 10:45 a.m., 7:30 p.m., and 11:10 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., the left flank of the 1/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers had to withdraw to its original line. The right flank managed to hold its ground and consolidated their positions, which lay between Frost House and Vampir.
After the war, William’s body was found near Pommern Castle. He was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
William was killed on 6 September 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele. At the time, the battalion was in the reserve lines near Borry Farm, west of Zonnebeke. Two companies arrived around midnight in the assembly trench awaiting the start of the attack. At 7:15 a.m., heavy shelling began on Borry Farm, after which the two companies attacked the site. Simultaneously, Beck House, Iberian and Hill 35 were attacked by neighbouring troops. Skirmishes occurred throughout the day, and there was machine gun fire from, among other places, Vampir. The attack stalled after 150 yards, followed by heavy counterattacks at 10:45 a.m., 7:30 p.m., and 11:10 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., the left flank of the 1/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers had to withdraw to its original line. The right flank managed to hold its ground and consolidated their positions, which lay between Frost House and Vampir.
After the war, William’s body was found near Pommern Castle. He was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 2
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1/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers war dairy (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95 95/2654/2). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), p.72-73. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/463662 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=f5c9591c-ceca-4c66-acc8-e3a61665dc5a |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2717989 |