BOWMAN, J Edwin (#198)
#198
Sgt J Edwin "Ted" BOWMAN
British Army
Alan Pollock’s Rough Notes:
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Sgt J Edwin “Ted” BOWMAN from Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancs for the DRILLED DISCIPLINE and long tough exploits “UBIQUE” (as “everywhere” – rather than “all over the place” as the Royal Engineers would say!) of the FIELD GUN BATTERIES of the ROYAL REGIMENT of ARTILLERRY; our infantry knew to stay clear of their own ARTILLERY to avoid enemy-returned “stonks”. Finally Ted in Northern Italy was lucky to survive horrendous shell stomach wounds from a 15Ornm & 17Omm barrage in reply to his GUN’s 25 Pounder hits; he had been (after 4th DIV CDR inspection by Maj Gen Dudley JOHNSON VC CB DSO* MC on 13 Sep 1939) to FRANCE with BEF (blown up twice, once straight into a draper’s shop window just before leaving late on 1Jun40 from DUNKIRK’s mole) with 22nd FIELD REGT and with their two 32nd/33rd Batteries, later 32nd, of 3 Gun Troops with 12 guns, 10 officers & c.150men – when war broke out there were only 78 25pdr field guns but over 12,000 were to be produced in WW2. Torpedoed when at his Oerlikon in the “Empire Rowan” 23Mar43 off Philippeville, Ted was blown down a deck but recovered in 100th Gen Hosp & rejoined 32 FIELD at SOUK el KHEMIS when in support of 11th HUSSARS, on to Blida & Algiers. On 24Feb44 they relieved 71st FIELD at the River GARIGLIANO seeing plenty of action, before his last near lethal stonk on 9Apr44 meant returning by HOSPITAL SHIP to arrive in Liverpool on D-Day, beginning a slow recovery & being fitted with an excellent artificial eye, becoming a music teacher in Leeds.