Haddon Lancelot BOWEN

Badge Number: S20345, Sub Branch: Walkerville
S20345

BOWEN, Haddon Lancelot

Service Number: 1866
Enlisted: 4 December 1915, Adelaide, South Australia
Last Rank: Sergeant
Last Unit: 50th Infantry Battalion
Born: Adelaide, South Australia, date not yet discovered
Home Town: Adelaide, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Clerk
Memorials: Adelaide Rowing Club WW1 Pictorial Honour Board, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial
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Biography

Haddon Lancelot Bowen was a 30 year old clerk from Adelaide, South Australia when he enlisted on 4 December 1915. He stated that he was single and was Baptist by religion with no prior military experience.  

He embarked for overseas as an Acting Sergeant with the 3rd Reinforcements of the 50th Battalion from Adelaide on 13 July 1916 aboard HMAT Seang Bee (A48). He was introduced to the concept of Trench Warfare at Codford on the Salisbury Plains in England with the 13th Training Battalion and after finishing was taken on strength by the 50th Battalion in France on 14 December 1916. By this time he had been reverted back to the rank of Private and was allocated to 'A' Company.   

The first action he saw on the Western Front was at the outpost village of Noreuil on 2 April 1917. Along with other members of 'A' Company, whose flank on both sides was 'in the air' during the attack was captured by German Forces. He was held as a Prisoner of War (POW) in camps at Limburg and Friedrichsfeld in Germany until the end of the war.  Haddon was repatriated to England on 28 November 1918 and arrived back in Australia on 21 March 1919.

British War Medal: 15087

Victory Medal: 14819

 

Information: Adelaide Rowing Club, Personal Service Papers. 

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