Alexander (Alex) BOWDEN

Alexander (Alex) BOWDEN Update Details

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BOWDEN, Alexander

Service Number:	247
Enlisted:	17 January 1916
Last Rank:	Lance Corporal
Last Unit:	44th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1882
Home Town:	Perth, Western Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Horse Driver
Died:	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 February 1947, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery:	Fawkner Memorial Park Cemetery, Victoria
Memorials:

World War 1 Service

17 Jan 1916:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 247, 44th Infantry Battalion
6 Jun 1916:	Involvement Private, 247, 44th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: ''
6 Jun 1916:	Embarked Private, 247, 44th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Fremantle
14 Mar 1917:	Wounded AIF WW1, Corporal, 247, 44th Infantry Battalion, Armentieres, France
8 Jun 1917:	Wounded AIF WW1, Corporal, 247, 44th Infantry Battalion

Vietnam War Service

1 Jun 1919:	Embarked AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 247, 44th Infantry Battalion, per HT Somali

World War 1 Service

22 Aug 1919:	Discharged AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 247, 44th Infantry Battalion

Help us honour Alexander Bowden's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Chris Buckley

The second of nine children, Alex was born in Melbourne Victoria in 1882 to James Alexander Bowden (b1856 in Melbourne, Victoria) and Martha Boyd (b1857 in Melbourne, Victoria). James and Martha married in 1872 in Dingley, Melbourne, Victoria where they raised their family before moving to Perth WA in the late 1890s. Their youngest daughter was born in Perth WA in 1900, where James worked as a Market Gardener and Engine Driver.

Alex worked as a Shop Assistant and Horse Driver in Perth WA and in January 1916 enlisted in the AIF (Private; Service No:247). Alex served with the 44th Infantry Battalion in France, and on 14 March 1917 was Reported Wounded (Red Cross Files). Pte J McKenna 4860 stated 'We went out on raid at Armentieres on the night of March 13th. We were given playing cards as discs with our names on, and on returning from the raid were told to hand these cards in to HQ. His card was never handed in and so he was reported missing). Private BC Johnston 879 said that Alex 'came from Fremantle,big chap, tall, promoted to be Cpl' (Red Cross Files). Alex had been slightly wounded and returned to his unit, to be WiA for the second time on 8 June 1916. He was Discharged in 1919. Brother William (Service No:7257) also served in WWI and Horace (Service No:W82349) served in WWII.

Alex was working as a Labourer in Perth WA in 1928 when he married Vera May Reynolds (nee McPherson; b1889 in Sandhurst Victoria). The couple lived in Perth where Alex was a Labourer before moving to Melbourne, Victoria in the early 1940s. Alex worked as a Labourer, and died in Melbourne Victoria in 1947. Vera returned to Perth WA where she died in 1952.

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