Francis J Bowder 1891 – 1917

BOWDER_FRANCIS_JOHNhttp://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1438383/BOWDER,%20FRANCIS%20JOHN

Royal Engineers Regimental Badge
Royal Engineers Regimental Badge
Francis with his brother William c 1914
Francis with his brother William c 1914

1891: Birth registered Chapel-en-le-Frith Vol 7b Page 760 O/N/D.
1892: Baptised 20th April 1892 at Fairfield.
1901 Census: Living @ 87 London Road, Buxton aged 9yrs.
1911 Census: Living @ 15 Alma Street, Buxton aged 19yrs.
Occupation: Railway Carriage Cleaner.

1911 Census
1911 Census
15 Alma Street (2014) the home Francis left to go to War
15 Alma Street (Stenson 2014) the home Francis left to go to War

Service: Building Railways in Egypt for Ammunition Transport.

Francis enlisted in the Royal Engineers in Buxton. Francis embarked for Egypt on the 17th December 1917 aboard HMS Aragon.
The sinking of the ss Aragon after Francis had dis-embarked 30th December 1917
The sinking of the ss Aragon after Francis had dis-embarked 30th December 1917
(The Aragon was built in 1905 for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co by Harland and Wolff.
 
After arriving at Alexandria on the 30th December 1917 with 2,700 on board she was ordered
back out of the harbour as no berth was available. Immediately having cleared the harbour she
was torpedoed and the German submarine UC 34 and sank with a loss of 610 lives, HMS
SS Attack a destroyer who came to her aid was also sank.

1927: In 1927 Francis’s sister Edith applied for his Medals, this is recorded on his medal card dated 20th February 1927, she was still living at 15 Alma Street.

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