Dawlish World War One Project

In 1911 Sidney Charles Bowden was 15 and an agricultural labourer, but he enlisted with the Coldstream Guards on 23 January 1912, aged 15.

A partial service record shows that he served at Home from 22-1-1912 to 11-8-1914, then was posted with “Expeditionary Forces Overseas” from 12-8-14 to 6-11-14 and returned to Home posting from 7-11-14 to his discharge on 5-2-16.

Sidney Bowden was wounded in action on 1st October 1914 at Ypres and the medical record shows that “bullet entered just below spine of scapula (L) and came out close to the right of spine, about 8th dorsal vertebra. Has lost power of legs & also micturition and defaecation.” He was 18 years old.

The conclusion was that it “totally prevents for life” and led to his discharge. The examination was carried out at No 2 Hospital, Pennsylvania, Exeter and is overstamped “TOTAL DISABLEMENT”.

He was discharged on 5 February 1916 and died on 19 January 1919 and is buried in Dawlish cemetery.

Sidney Charles Bowden was the youngest of five children of James (1846- ) and Elizabeth (1856- ) Bowden.

In 1891 James and Elizabeth were living at 27 High Street, Kenton with three children, Mary J (1879- ), Frederick (1885- ) and Henry J (1887- ).

By 1901 they had moved to 42 High Street, Dawlish and had one more child, Sidney Charles (1897-1919).

His older brother, Ernest John Bowden (q.v.) was killed on 1 July 1916 on the opening day of the battles of the Somme.