Lives of the First World War

A cropped photo taken from a portrait of Lieutenant Sydney Eustace Bowyer RNVR and Julia Mary Bowyer (nee Lawlor) around May 1917.

A portrait of Lieutenant Sydney Eustace Bowyer RNVR and Julia Mary Bowyer (nee Lawlor) taken around May 1917.

Lieutenant Sydney & Julia Bowyer (Right & Centre) in front of an Airship Hangar - believed to be at the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Airship Station near Pulham St Mary Norfolk. The other people in the photograph are unknown - most likely fellow officers and family.

Lieutenant Bowyer (Back Row 4th Left) with fellow members of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Air Construction Corps (ACC). In civilian life, Lieutenant Bowyer was a Chartered Estate Agent and Surveyor. The ACC was a specialist unit building airfields. Its HQ was based at the RNAS Airship Station near Pulham St Mary Norfolk where this picture was possibly taken.

Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Sports Day at Helston located close to the current RNAS Culdrose Airfield and the WW1 Airship Station at Mullion. Lieutenant Bowyer is 3rd from the Right. The cart behind the officers identifies the location as Helston Cornwall.

Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Cricket Team at Helston located close to the current RNAS Culdrose Airfield and the WW1 Airship Station at Mullion. Lieutenant Bowyer is seated 4th from the Left.

Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Tug Of War Team at Helston located close to the current RNAS Culdrose Airfield and the WW1 Airship Station at Mullion. Lieutenant Bowyer is 2nd from the Left on the rope.

Portrait photo of Lieutenant Bowyer in his naval uniform seated next to an unknown Warrant Officer and Fellow Officers. Believed to have been taken around 1 April 1918 when the Royal Air Force (RAF) was formed by merging the Royal Naval Air Service with the Royal Flying Corps. This was probably Lieutenant Bowyer's last opportunity to wear his naval uniform before changing to the new RAF uniform. Note the background wall is the same in the next picture with him wearing RAF uniform.

Portrait photo of Captain Bowyer next to an unknown Warrant Officer in his new Royal Air Force (RAF) uniform. Dressed in the Initial Uniform Design worn from April 1918 to August 1919 where RAF officers adopted the Army Commissioned Ranks - these were later changed to those used today. The badges of rank were naval fashion with the addition of an Eagle and Crown on the sleeve and Bars of Rank on the cap band. Note the background wall is the same as the previous picture with him wearing his naval uniform.

Captain Bowyer (Right) and Fellow Officers in front of a portable hangar. Believed to have been taken at the Airship Station located at Marquise Rinxent near Boulogne. Marquise was a Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) sub-station to Capel near Folkestone operating C Class Non-Rigid Airships.

Captain Sydney Eustace Bowyer RAF and his mother Elizabeth Mary Bowyer (nee Ladd later Elizabeth Mary Rowe - Second Marriage) taken outside 'Viwa' 9 McKinley Road Westbourne Bournemouth Dorset BH4 8AG.

William and Margaret Hughes sitting next to Captain Bowyer in RAF uniform. Margaret Hughes (nee Orford) was the aunt of Sydney Eustace Bowyer's wife (Julia Mary nee Lawlor) and known within the family as Aunt Peg. The location and date of the photograph is unknown - probably summer 1918.

Officers and men of the RNAS Pulham Air Construction Corps (ACC) HQ on their Parade Ground surrounded by Huts. During WW1, airfield construction was co-ordinated by the Station Construction and Equipment Committee. At the start of the war, air power was a relatively new capability and the ACC was specifically established to build RNAS airfields. By January 1917 its complement was approximately 48 officers and 1,500 men, the biggest number being based at the Pulham ACC HQ comprising 17 officers and 593 ratings. Lt Bowyer was a Chartered Estate Agent and Surveyor posted to the ACC. His records show he was commissioned into the RNAS RNVR on 20 Mar 1917 and was based at the RN Air Station of Pulham St Mary Norfolk from Mar to Sep 1917 and then again in Dec 1917.

Sydney & Garrick Bowyer (Son) walking in Eastbourne East Sussex during June 1940. 2nd Lt Garrick Bowyer was on leave after escaping from France where he was one of the few members of the 7th Battalion Royal Sussex Infantry Regiment to survive the action at Amiens on 20 May 1940 - he was Mentioned in Despatch for Distinguished Service on 20 December 1940.

2nd Lt Garrick Bowyer & Terence Bowyer (sons of Sydney Bowyer) walking along the seafront in Brighton shortly before Garrick's departure to France with the 7th Battalion Royal Sussex Infantry Regiment. Terence was on the staff of the Metropole Hotel Brighton when this photograph was taken.

Garrick Bowyer (son of Sydney Bowyer) transferred from the 7th Battalion Royal Sussex Infantry Regiment to the Royal Artillery (RA) after returning from France in May 1940. He served as the Battery Captain (Second in Command) of 358 Battery 109 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment RA in May 1944 and returned once again to France as part of Operation Overlord - the Battle of Normandy. Later promoted to Major in the RA.

Terence Bowyer (son of Sydney Bowyer) was called up and joined the RAF in 1943. During 1944, he served in a Signals Unit that operated Direction Finding (DF) Stations. One of his postings was to 'The Chalet' Northumberland and another to the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

This certified copy of an entry of birth shows Sydney Eustace Bowyer was born on 31 October 1878 at 56 Loughborough Road Brixton London. Note: Errors have been made on the certified copy incorrectly showing the sub-district as 'Brixham' in the 'County of Surrey'.

Sydney Eustace Bowyer married Julia Mary (nee Lawlor) at St Giles Registry Office London on 4 February 1914.

This form details Sydney Eustace Bowyer's service record during WW1.

This form details Sydney Eustace Bowyer's service record during WW1.

This form details Sydney Eustace Bowyer's service record during WW1.

Transcription - Royal Navy Officers Medal Roll 1914-1920.

Commemorated in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Eastbourne (Langney) Cemetery Index No UK 4408.

Graves Registration Report Form.

Schedule 'A' Grave Contract Form.

Grave headstone of Lieutenant S E Bowyer RNVR. Since this photograph was taken, the family believe the headstone has been renewed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

A portrait of Sydney Eustace Bowyer's parents Joseph Bowyer born 22 November 1841 Merton Surrey & Elizabeth Mary Bowyer (nee Ladd) born 1846 Plymouth Devon taken around the 1870s. The portrait was in a mount by the photographer F Wiedhofft of 106 Holland Park Avenue W that may be of a later date. They married on 4 March 1871 at All Souls Church Marylebone. His mother was also known as ‘Bessie Kate’.

Family group portrait as a child. Sydney Bowyer left, sister Edith Kate, brother Harry Ladd Hawker (known as Harry Garrick) & sister Ida Florence. The photographer was E C Porter 2 The Mall Ealing W. The family had moved to Ealing by the time Sydney was aged 2. The photograph was probably taken around the early to mid 1880s.

Sydney Eustace Bowyer’s mother Elizabeth Rowe (previously Bowyer nee Ladd) 4th from Right with fox fur around neck. Possibly Rosslyn Bowyer daughter of Sydney Bowyer 4th from Left plus unidentified Rowe family members. Postcard photo taken by photographer J Easton of Clifton Baths Margate. The photograph location was Cliftonville Margate dated June 1927. Margate was a popular seaside & health resort in the late 19th & early 20th century. Sydney and his sister Ida were both sent to small boarding schools in Margate in the 1890s not far from where this family photograph was later taken. Following the death of Sydney’s father Joseph Bowyer in 1908 his mother Elizabeth re-married a widower Richard Vidal Rowe who had six children. By 1927 Elizabeth had been widowed for the second time.

Sydney Bowyer with wife Julia. Sons Garrick Dermod in the deckchair & Terence Sydney sitting on the sand. Probably taken mid to late 1920s on the south coast - exact location not known.

Photograph of Sydney Eustace Bowyer’s children. Left Garrick Dermod, Rosslyn Eileen & Terence Sydney c1931. Postcard photograph by Potters Photo Stores Hastings & Bexhill. Rosslyn Eileen was Garrick & Terence’s half sister from Sydney’s first marriage.

Sydney Bowyer back row with daughter Rosslyn holding first grandson Kenneth. Front middle Sydney Bowyer’s mother Elizabeth Rowe (previous widow of Joseph Bowyer). Two other women seated are likely Rowe family members. Place unknown.

Ruth Helena Huggett was Sydney Bowyer’s stepsister. The youngest of seven Rowe children, she was born on 28 December 1883 - her mother died of complications following her birth. In 1922 she married James Henry Huggett in Chatswood New South Wales Australia. By the outbreak of WW2 she had returned to London - the 1939 Register shows her living at 55b Nevern Square Kensington. Ruth died on 23 July 1944 age 59 while serving as a civilian fireguard. At 16.23 on Sunday 23 July 1944 a flying bomb fired from the French coast landed where the North Gate of Nevern Square stands today. One person (presumably Ruth) was killed, 16 serious cases were sent to hospital and 85 people suffered minor injuries. Besides destroying the North Gate of the garden, the bomb caused severe damage to the houses at the north end of the square including No 55 which had to be totally rebuilt in 1958/9.

Ruth Helena Huggett was Sydney Bowyer’s stepsister. The youngest of seven Rowe children, she was born on 28 December 1883 - her mother died of complications following her birth. In 1922 she married James Henry Huggett in Chatswood New South Wales Australia. By the outbreak of WW2 she had returned to London - the 1939 Register shows her living at 55b Nevern Square Kensington. Ruth died on 23 July 1944 age 59 while serving as a civilian fireguard. At 16.23 on Sunday 23 July 1944 a flying bomb fired from the French coast landed where the North Gate of Nevern Square stands today. One person (presumably Ruth) was killed, 16 serious cases were sent to hospital and 85 people suffered minor injuries. Besides destroying the North Gate of the garden, the bomb caused severe damage to the houses at the north end of the square including No 55 which had to be totally rebuilt in 1958/9.