Ernest George Dowe

A Bombardier with E Battery, Ernest died on 12th of September 1917 at the age of 25. 

Ernest was born at Lowestoft in 1892, a son of Robert Charles and Emma Dowe. He was baptised at Saint John’s Church on 2 February 1896 and his family lived at 29 Raglan Street and this was still their family home in 1911.

Ernest was working as a baker, for S.W. Turner, when he joined the 4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment (Territorial Force), at Lowestoft, on 15 February 1909. He continued to serve with the territorials until April 1911. 

Ernest was working as a labourer when he joined the regular army, at Lowestoft, on 26 April 1911. He enlisted to serve six years with the Colours and six with the Reserve. He joined the Royal Horse Artillery, service number 65310. On 23 August 1911 Ernest was posted to E Battery and he arrived in France with the Battery on 14 August 1914.

At 9.30 a.m. on 22 August 1914, at Bray, near Peronnes, men of E Battery fired the fire British artillery rounds of the First World War.  

Ernest was appointed Acting Bombardier on 29 April 1916 and paid Bombardier on 7 June 1917. On 7 September 1917 E Battery moved to positions in the vicinity of Vaudricourt with a waggon line south of Mazingarbe. About 4 p.m. on 11 September the enemy shelled the waggon lines with 4.2 inch guns which caused several casualties in the right section stalls. Two men were killed and nine, including Ernest, wounded. Twenty-two horses were also killed.

Ernest had wounds to his back and abdomen and was taken to No 1 Casualty Clearing Station, where he died the next day.