THOSE REMEMBERED ON THE FALFIELD WAR MEMORIAL WHO DIED DURING THE 1914-18 WAR

THOSE REMEMBERED ON THE FALFIELD WAR MEMORIAL WHO DIED DURING THE 1914-18 WAR

ARTHUR EDWARD MOWER

ARTHUR EDWARD MOWER

WW1-centenary

Date Born

Circa 1881

Birth place:

Pontypridd

Date of Death:

2nd March 1919

Fate:

Unknown

Duty Location:

Far East

Buried:

Buried in the Haifa War cemetery, Haifa, Israel. Plot No: A.58.

Location Information

Haifa War Cemetery lies 3 kilometres from the central railway station on the Tel-Aviv road.

From the south on Highway 4, the cemetery is on the left hand side, just before shops and Haifa docks. 300 metres after the cemetery turn left into Dugit Street. Turn left at the traffic lights and the cemetery will now be on the right hand side, 300 metres after the lights.

Historical Information

Haifa was captured by the Mysore and Jodhpur Lancers on 23 September 1918 and the 33rd Combined Clearing Hospital was moved to the town on the 15 October. Haifa War Cemetery, which was originally part of the German cemetery, was used mainly for hospital burials, but some graves were brought in from the battlefields

Haifa was of great strategic importance during the Second World War because of its deep water harbour and airfield. It was also the terminus of the railway line from Egypt and of the Kirkuk-Haifa oil pipeline. Haifa became one of the main supply bases and arms depots serving the Middle East forces and a large naval depot was established at Haifa Bay. The cemetery was again used during the early part of the war until the new war cemetery at Khayat Beach was opened.

Haifa War Cemetery now contains 305 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 86 of them unidentified. Second World War burials number 36.

Haifia War Cemetary
A.E.Mower Headstone

Regiment:

272nd Railway Construction Company Royal Engineers

Rank:

Sapper

Service No:

57966 WR/286019

Military Information:

As the various campaigns and battles unfolded, RE Railway Companies were engaged all over the British sector, joined by Dominion RE Railway Companies. Close examination of the period maps bear testimony to miles of what was to be temporary track that criss-crossed the area. Howitzer Spurs, Ambulance Train Sidings, Tank Enablements and bridges were all constructed, in addition to the constant maintenance and line doubling. Work in progress was always a potential target for enemy artillery and also there were the attentions of the German Air Force to contend with. Zeneghem Yard, for instance, was a natural target and sappers from RE Railway Companies are recorded as having to help extinguish serious fires resulting from air raids.

A primary objective was always to take standard gauge railways as close to the front as possible, to lessen the demands on light railway systems, horsed transport and manpower. For the sappers, work could mean toiling around the clock, especially where lines had been cut by shellfire. Inevitably there were casualties; analysis of the records shows that 173 men from Railway Companies lost their lives. From just the two Regular Companies in 1914, there would be a total of forty-five Companies engaged in Standard Gauge Railway Construction, including other theatres such as Egypt and Salonica, by the end of hostilities. Most of the men in the RE Railway Companies had enlisted for the duration of the war and were naturally keen to return home as soon as possible. However, there was still much line repair work to be done in order to restore the lines of communication now extending deeper into the areas formerly held by the Germans. The Railway Companies gradually began to be demobilised and by August 1919 the last Company had laid its last sleeper.

Medals Awarded

1914/15 Star

The 1914/15 star campaign medal of the British Empire for his service in World War One.

This Star is identical to the 1914 Star in every respect except that the centre scroll bears the dates “1914- 15” and the two small scrolls bearing “Aug” and “Nov” are omitted.

Victory Medal

Eligibility for the Victory Medal consisted of having been mobilised, fighting, having served in any of the theatres of operations, or at sea, between midnight 4th/5th August, 1914, and midnight, 11th/12th November, 1918. Women who served in any of the various military organisations in a theatre of operations were also eligible.

British War Medal

The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the 1st World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were struck in silver and 110,000 in bronze, the latter awarded to, among others, the Chinese, Maltese and Indian Labour Corps

The 1914/15 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal were sometimes irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred. With Pip representing either the 1914/15 Star or the 1914 Star, only one of which could be awarded to a soldier, Squeak represented the British War Medal and Wilfred represented the Victory Medal.

MEMORIAL PLAQUE

The Next of Kin Memorial Plaque is a bronze plaque approximately 11 cms or 4½ inches diameter with the name of someone who died serving with the British and Empire forces in the First World War. This was issued to the Next of Kin of the casualty along with a scroll. They were posted out separately, typically in 1919 and 1920, and a ‘King’s message’ was enclosed with both, containing a facsimile signature of the King.
The immediate next of kin of all who died serving with the British and Empire forces in the First World War were eligible to receive the plaque and scroll. With nearly a million dead for the British Army alone, the plaques are today still commonly found; the fragile scrolls survive less often. Some of those recorded by plaques and scrolls were not eligible for service medals, for instance, those who did not serve overseas but who died in service through accident or illness.

This is the Memorial Plaque for Charles William Cole. We are grateful to his family to allow this to be shown here

Family:

Married Sarah Hill from Stinchcombe in 1909. They had three children Edwin Arthur born 09/02/1910 and Mary Eileen born 19/08/1913 and Ronald William James born 08/12/1915. There are records of Eileen and Ronald being baptised in St George’s Church, Falfield.

Other Information:

The 1911 census records Arthur, Sarah and Edwin living with Sarah’s uncle, William Hill age 83 at Newport, Nr Berkeley. The 1911 census and the baptism record for Mary Eileen records Arthur’s profession as a Plate layer for the Severn & Wye Midland and GWR Midland. At the time Mary Eileen was baptised the family were living in Moorslade Lane, Falfield. Arthur and Sarah also had a son Ronald William James who was baptised in Falfield on 29th September 1916. In the left hand column of the register the date born has been enter at 8th December 1916 and in fact should be 8th December 1915.

Credits: St George’s Church Baptism and Burial Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Ancestry website, forces-war-records.co.uk , scribes-alcove

If anyone believes that any of the information above is incorrect or has information to add to Arthur Edward Mower then please email [email protected]

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This page was last updated on: Jan 28, 2022 @ 7:49 PM

The production and updating of information on this page is compiled on a voluntary basis. If you should find any errors or omissions please contact us by using the contact page
This page was last updated on: Jan 28, 2022 @ 7:49 PM