George Bowdery was one of twin boys born in Thame in 1891 to Benjamin Bowdery and Mary (née Chowns) and was baptised at St Mary’s Church on 22nd February 1891. Following the death of his mother in 1892 his father married Thurza Cross, a widow, in 1897.

George was then brought up in East Street* with his seven brother and sisters. By 1911 he had left the family home and was living in Harrow, Middlesex where he was employed as a fishmonger.

In June 1915 George enlisted into the Royal Fusiliers. Initially this was with the 6th Battalion, a reserve and training battalion. He was then posted to the 32nd (East Ham) Battalion, which had been raised in October 1915, joining the 124th Brigade, 41st Division at Aldershot, Hampshire, before embarking for France in May 1916.

During 1916 the Battalion was in action at the Battle of Flers- Courcelette and the Battle of the Transloy Ridges on the Somme. In 1917 they fought at the Battle of Messines and the Battle of Pilkem Ridge, the opening attacks in the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele).

On 19th September 1917 George, age 26 and by then a Lance Corporal, was killed when the Battalion was preparing to attack “Tower Hamlets Spur” the following day. This was part of the Battle of the Menin Road Bridge which in itself was a component of the Third Battle of Ypres. Although initially reported missing, it was not until December that his death was confirmed.

17807 Lance Corporal George Bowdery, Royal Fusiliers, has no known grave and is commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke. He is remembered in Thame on the War Memorial and on All Saints’ Church Memorial Board.

* Note on address:
At the time George was living here it was numbered 31 East Street. However, with the street re-numbering which took place post war to accommodate East Street extension, this became 70 East Street. Although the book “Thame Remembers – the fallen” (Page 53) also refers to George living at Park Street it has now been established that this was his parent’s home in 1911, by which time George had already moved to Harrow.