Frederick Charles Bowkett  was baptised in Huntley, Gloucestershire in 1893 to Charles Henry Bowkett of Blaisdon and Mary Anne Bullock Ballinger of Longhope.  He had at least 8 siblings. Fred joined the 10th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment which arrived in France in August 1915. He survived the Battle of Loos in September, but the offensive was renewed on 13th October. Gas was released but had no effect on the German machine gun fire. When reaching the wire defences they found it uncut and every man standing was fired upon. Fred was killed that day; his name appears on the Loos memorial and on memorials in Huntley and Longhope. Descendants of his family still live in the villages in the area.

©Jo Phelps 2015

Jo Phelps