BOWLER, Patrick Aloysius
| Service Number: | 26899 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 6th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Georgetown, South Australia, 13 October 1893 |
| Home Town: | Norwood (SA), South Australia |
| Schooling: | Galdstone Public School, Gladstone High school |
| Occupation: | Railway Clerk |
| Died: | Train accident, Woodville, South Australia, 25 November 1959, aged 66 years |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia Location: Catholic A, Path AG, Grave 312 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, Gladstone High School WW1 Roll of Honor, Gladstone Public School WW1 Roll of Honor, Gladstone Town and District WW1 Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Sep 1916: | Involvement Gunner, 26899, 6th Field Artillery Brigade , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Sydney embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep 1916: | Embarked Gunner, 26899, 6th Field Artillery Brigade , HMAT Port Sydney, Melbourne | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 26899, 4th Divisional Ammunition Column |
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Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
Daily Herald (Adelaide, SA: 1910 - 1924) Saturday 11 May 1912
PERSONAL
Mr. Patrick Aloysius Bowler has been accepted by the Railway Examining Board as eligible for appointment to the clerical staff of the S. A. railways.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105232161
Biography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Patrick Aloysius Bowler was born on the 13th of October 1893 in Georgetown, South Australia, to his parents William Edmund Bowler, who was a tailor, and Honora (Nora) Bowler (O’Sullivan). His parents migrated from Ireland to South Australia onboard the Hesperus in 1884, settling into a house in Georgetown before moving to Gladstone and then Norwood. Patrick grew up in a Roman Catholic household and went to Gladstone Public School and Gladstone High School. After he completed his schooling, he worked as a Railway Clerk. At enlistment, he was 22 years old, with a height of 5 feet and 7 inches, weighed 61kg, and had a dark complexion, brown eyes, dark hair, and a tattoo of the Irish coat of arms on his forearm symbolising his culture.
On the 20th of January 1916, Patrick enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Adelaide. he embarked from Melbourne onboard the HMAT A15 Port Sydney. He disembarked in Plymouth 29th October 1916 and after more training proceeded to France 19th April 1917. He served on the Western Front in France. On 4th June 1917, Patrick was wounded severely, suffering gunshot injuries to both his leg and hands. He was taken to hospital in France, and once he recoverd, he rejoined his unit 7th August 1917 and a few days later was appointed as a Driver 11th August 1917. He served on the Western Front for the remainder of the war with a short period of leave taken in February 1918 when he travelled to the UK. Afte rthe war ended he took more leave in February 1919. He embarked for Australia 12th May 1919 and disembarked in Adelaide 29th June 1919. He was discharged 6th August 1919.
He returned to work for the South Australian Railways and settled down in Woodville, South Australia, and married Bridget Mary Griffin. They had two children Brendon and Kathleen.
In a tragic accident on the 25th of November 1959, he was killed in a railway accident near Woodville, in the same place in which he had worked at for decades. He was later buried at the Centennial Park Cemetery in Adelaide (Catholic A, Path AG, Grave 312).
His memory remembered through multiple rolls of honour at multiple places, including at Gladstone High school, Gladstone Public School, the Gladstone Town, the District Honour roll, and the South Australian Railways World War I and World War II Honour boards.
Reference List
https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/1465/people
https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/1855/people
https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/patrick-aloysius-bowler-24-8wkyvm
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/167059991?searchTerm=honora%20bowler
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3103702&S=1
https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=28728