Thomas Bowles (1883-1916)

Post date: Dec 11, 2015 5:31:20 PM

Thomas Richard Bowles came from a large family living on Old Road, Wateringbury close to Cook's cottages. His mother, Eliza, born in Mereworth in 1850 had 11 children born alive of whom 2 were dead by the time of the 1911 census. So it is no surprise that we read in the school log of 1890:

Mr Bowles called upon me to say that his son, having no work, would be sent to school if nothing turned up for him. His family being large he was glad of every shilling they could earn.

Thomas' father, also a Thomas, was a painter originally from Burwash in Sussex and the son referred to was probably Francis, one of his elder brothers, who became a domestic servant before joining the navy in about 1895.

Their cottage had 5 rooms (including the kitchen). At the time of the 1891 Census when Thomas was at school, two brothers still living at home were in domestic service and one was a painter like their father.

Although Thomas had been born in 1883 and his birth was registered in the third quarter of that year, his naval service record gives his birth date as 8 August 1881, either a clerical error or a deliberate distortion although there would seem to have been no good reason for doing so as by 1900 when he enlisted he was old enough to join up. At the time of enlistment in February 1900 his occupation was described as a grocer. He service record records his height as initially 5 ft. 2 inches but by 1910 as 5 ft. 6 inches. Both hair and eyes were brown and his complexion was "fresh". His service number was 358079.

Thomas served initially at a couple of shore establishments of the navy, H.M.S. Excellent (Portsmouth) and H.M.S. Vernon, gradually rising from 3rd class to 1st class Domestic.

He joined H.M.S. Neptune in January 1911 as she was commissioned into service, serving just over 3 years, to March 1914, on this dreadnought 20,000 tonne battleship with a complement of 750 men, which was the flagship of the home fleet for a year from May 1911 to May 1912.

However, at the time of the 1911 census he was staying in Monmouth Road, Portsmouth, as a visitor and later the same year he married the daughter of the family he was visiting, Dorothy Holston.

In March 1914 he transferred to H.M.S. Iron Duke (on which Henry Hook of Wateringbury was also serving) as she was commissioned, serving just over a year, to August 1915, on this 25,000 tonne dreadnought battleship with a complement of 1,000 men, which was the flagship of the Grand Fleet throughout WWI.

By 1917 his younger brother, John, had joined the army.

In August 1915 Thomas transferred to H.M.S. Lion, a 26,000 tonne battlecruiser with a complement of 1,100 men which was the flagship of the Grand Fleet's battlecruisers, commanded by Admiral Beatty, throughout WWI. Thomas did not join until after Lion's involvement in the Battle of Dogger Bank in which she was severely damaged, hit 16 times, but with only one man killed. At the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 she was hit 16 times with 99 men killed, of which Thomas was one.

On 13th August 1916 the vicar held a memorial service in the church for 3 Wateringbury men killed on the Somme and Thomas.