Horace Bower

AFI Project – Horace Bower - Born Mattersey, Nottinghamshire, England - arrived Australia age 19 - address Westonia, Yilgarn Goldfields, Western Australia – enlisted 14 Jan 1915 Perth W. Australia - Unit embarked from, Free-mantle W. Australia, on board HMAT A20 Hororata on 26 April 1915 age 21 – Embarked from Alexandra to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force Gallipoli - Died Walkers Ridge, Gallipoli, Turkey – Medals 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal. Pte Horace Bower Retford Times 8 October 1915 The first intimation that Mr Geo Bower of Mattersey Woodhouse Farm, received of the death of his son, Trooper Horace Bower, No. 934 10th Regt Australian Light Horse, was through noticing his name in the list of casualties in a local paper. He was advised to communicate with the Military Records Branch of the Commonwealth of Australia at their offices in London and by doing so discovered that the sad news was, unfortunately only too true, and that his son was killed in action at the Dardanelles on Aug 7th. Consequently, any hope that an error had been made was totally dispelled. Mr Bower was quite aware that his son had answered the country’s call, though far away in West Australia, as in a letter to his father stated that he had enlisted as he though he would “like to have a slap at those Germans.” This was last January and later Mr Bower learned that the young patriot was on his way to the seat of war. The father imagined he might be coming over to England first, and that he might get a glimpse of his loyal son, but the next news stated that he was in Egypt and in time came also the information that he was bound for the Dardanelles. Having been reared in the quiet solitude of Mattersey, Woodhouse Farm, the young fellow whose life has been nobly sacrificed for the land of his birth, his natural inclinations were for farming, and about four years ago he decided to try his luck in Australia, and in company with two other young men bound on the same errand he took up land, and after the necessary preliminary work of clearing and felling, began to make progress. Still, as an Englishman, his heart beat true to the call of patriotism and letting his share of the farm. He rallied with others around the “Old Flag,” determined to hold up the cause of the Empire, even if as he unfortunately proved to be the case ,his young life had to be sacrificed. Mr George Bower who is now well on in years has received many expressions of sympathy in his sore trial. Apart from the hero who has died at the age of 23 for the honour of his native country, Mr Bower has also two other sons doing duty in the Army. The one is Leonard Bower, a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery. He has been out “somewhere in France” almost from the commencement of the war, being called up amongst the first reserves. The only misfortune that seems to have befallen him is that he got cut off from his comrades but fortunately he fell in with the Indians amongst whom he was no stranger, and for some time he continued his duties with them. He is now a dispatch rider and no doubt doing splendid work. Having seen so much fighting and been in so many dangers without any furlough, it is hoped he will pull safely through and be one of the brave heroes to return and be the means of comforting his sorrowing father. The other son, Albert Edward, aged 21 years is a driver in the Royal Field Artillery. He is at present in training in the South of England.

Research by Colin Dannatt