W.B. Bowsher

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Private W.B. Bowsher
34th Battalion Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)

Local Information:

Private Bowsher was born at Welcombe in Berkshire and enlisted into the Army in Newbury. He was the husband of Mrs B.E. Bowsher, of Park Street, Hungerford. It is believed they lived next to the Salt family.

His date of enlistment and original unit are not at this stage known. He started his service in the 101st Battalion on the Machine Gun Corps and on the 26th February 1918 transferred to 'A' Company of the 34th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps.

He died on Tuesday, 5th November 1918 and is buried in the Kezelberg Military Cemetery, Wevelgem, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Photo Gallery:

mgc cap badge

- Cap Badge of the Machine Gun Corps.

Military Information:

The Battalion war diary date 3rd November 1918 reads…..

"Battalion on the Kijuithoek Route, Road Junction to Contrai Bridge and Bisseghem where they remained (out of combat operations) till the 14th November 1918."

[This was the period leading up to the completion of hostilities. We do not know when he received his wounds. He is shown on the CWGC website as serving in the 101st Battalion at the time of his death; this is incorrect as the War Diary confirms he was transferred.]

The Machine Gun Corps:

The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War one. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into the Tank Corps, later called the Royal Tanks Corps. The Machine Gun Corps was disbanded in 1922, and soldiers returned to their original unit.