TOPIC:

In Preston Cemetery, Lancashire.

Private James Bowie, 1st Manchester Regiment. Died at Ladysmith, South Africa, on 13th January 1900, aged 30. Son of William and Janet Bowie.

His name is on the Manchester Regiment's memorial in Manchester city centre.

Berenice
Palmer roll has "4612 Pte. Bowie J, Missing, Farquhar's Farm, 30101899 and Released 1st Manchesters". Then same person Died of Disease (Dysentery) at Ladysmith on the shown date of 13011900.
Regards
IL.

"Released" - so presumably he was taken prisoner at Farquhar's Farm?

Berenice
I just now had a look in the NFF Casualty list and it confirms the Palmer info. The 1st Manchesters had seven casualties at Farquhar's Farm according to the NFF roll; six wounded (one of these "since dead") and our chap Bowie. I suppose he must have been reported as "missing" by his colleagues and later turned up. All I can think is that he and his colleagues must have been on attachment to a unit present at Farquhar's Farm. As a matter of interest, Bowie is not on djb's Elandslaagte roll for 1st Bn, Manchesters.
Regards
IL.

Bowie would certainly not have been seconded or attached in any way, the 1st Manchester's left their camp on the 30th of October to march to Limit Hill, only Lieutenant Eddowes was left and he was on outpost duty with his men, the battalion spit up into two wings, on the right Major Watson and the left Major Simpson, as the day went on, they could see the fighting in the distance and they were ordered forward.
Fortunately, the order was cancelled and Watson set off to occupy a series of ridges below Lombard's Kop to cover General French and his cavalry.
He remained there until about 13.00 when he received to order to fall back, which he then successfully did under fire.
Simpson, had been acting as a close escort to the RFA and because his force was far more exposed I would think Bowie would have been present with him, by 15.00 both composite forces of the battalion were returning to their camp.
Regarding the earlier affair at Elandslaagte, whilst it is important to remember that only four companies of Arthur Curran's men were actually engaged there, W0100/198 does show Bowie as being entitled to the clasp, his medal being issued on the 13th of November 1902, Curran himself had been wounded there on the 21st, so was not in command on the 30th.

LinneyI wrote: Berenice
I just now had a look in the NFF Casualty list and it confirms the Palmer info. The 1st Manchesters had seven casualties at Farquhar's Farm according to the NFF roll; six wounded (one of these "since dead") and our chap Bowie. I suppose he must have been reported as "missing" by his colleagues and later turned up. All I can think is that he and his colleagues must have been on attachment to a unit present at Farquhar's Farm. As a matter of interest, Bowie is not on djb's Elandslaagte roll for 1st Bn, Manchesters.
Regards
IL.

Hello all

I am always on the look out for corrections to the Official Casualty Rolls and new memorials - thanks Berenice!

I checked The Times and seven men of the Manchester's as indicated by Ian are included in the list of casualties for Farquhar's Farm 30-10-1899. Then I looked for service papers and found two sets both with the "Wounds" section filled in, one says Farquhar's Farm the other Lombard's Kop (alternate name for the battle) and both dated 30-10-1899.

So it would appear a section of 1 sergeant and 6 men went on attachment - muleteers perhaps?

Regards
Meurig