Bowyer, GH

2nd Lieutenant George Henry Bowyer

Born on 16^th August 1890, Harry was the third of seven children of meat-merchant William Bowyer and his wife Elizabeth. The family was an absolute fixture at Dulwich for nearly two decades, as between 1903 and 1922 not only did he and his four brothers attend the College, but also nine of their first cousins! After leaving he took up a position in his father’s meat selling company, before, in March of 1909, enlisting in the Honourable Artillery Company. For the next several years he was still based in London, and was a keen member of the Old Alleynians, regularly appearing for the 1^st XV in the three seasons between 1911 and 1914.

Once war was declared his unit was mobilized and, in April of 1915, sent to Egypt, where he was engaged as a blacksmith in the shoeing of horses. In late 1915 he spent some time at the School of Instruction in Zeitoun, and shortly afterwards was given a commission in the South Wales Borderers; he sailed to France with his new regiment in February 1916. He was serving with a machine gun unit during that summer when he was reported missing on July 1^st, during the First Day of the Somme, and was later confirmed to have been killed on that day.