John Bowker died from the effects of gas on this day in 1917
John Bowker was born in 1879 in Langcliffe near Settle in Yorkshire.
His parents were Thomas Bowker, a worker in a cotton mill, and his wife from Belfast, Jessie née McDowell. He was the second eldest of 7 children, his siblings being - Annie (1876), Margaret (1883), Alexander (1885), Christine (1890), Grace (1892) and Edward (1901).
John was an old soldier who had originally enlisted into the 1/East Lancs in 1897 and saw service in the Boer War 1900-1902.
The 1st Battalion sailed on the Bavarian in January 1900, and arrived at the Cape in early February. They were immediately involved in a battle at Karee Siding on 29th March 1900.
In 1901, the battalion furnished the infantry of columns which operated in the Southern Transvaal and in the Orange River Colony, and did a lot of very hard marching and were involved in many small fights. In 1902 the battalion assisted in holding a line of blockhouses near Vrede during the driving operations.
After serving for seven years, he joined the West Riding Constabulary in 1904 and remained with them until the outbreak of war in 1914.
He married a girl called Mary Crossley and they had two children - Annie (b.1908) and Harold (b.1910). In 1911, the family was living at 290 Kitchenroyd, Denby Dale near Huddersfield.
In 1914, he re-enlisted into the army (21st Bn, West Yorkshire Regiment). The Wool Textile Pioneers, which had been raised 24 September 1915 in Halifax, after basic training was moved in February 1916 to Skipton. In June 1916 they joined the 4th Division Pioneer Battalion in France. They went on to see action during the Battle of Somme in 1916, then Arras, and the First and Third Battles of the Scarpe and Third Ypres in 1917.
After being badly gassed on the Somme, John was returned to the UK and, later, transferred to the Training Reserve at Rugeley Camp.
Constantly suffering from the effects of the gas, John fell ill and died in hospital at Rugeley on 10 July 1917.
He is now buried in Elland Cemetery, Yorkshire.
TR5/22512 Cpl John Bowker, 6 Battalion, 2nd Reserve Brigade, Training Reserve