BOWRING, Charles Alfred
(Service number 55720)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank | Private |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 12 July 1882 | Place of Birth | Kaiapoi |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Otipua Road, Kensington | ||
| Occupation | Labourer (NZ Refrigerating Company) | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Married | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs Nellie BOWRING (wife), care of W. Warner, 47 Wallace Street, Wellington | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Expeditionary Force | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 28th Reinforcements, Otago Infantry Regiment, D Company | ||
| Date | 26 July 1917 | ||
| Transport | Ulimaroa | ||
| Embarked From | Destination | Plymouth, Devon, England | |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Otago Regiment | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 2 September 1957 | Age | 75 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Greytown | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Greytown Cemetery | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Charles Alfred Bowring was born on 12 July 1882 at Rangiora, the third son James and Cassandra (née Jury) Bowring.Charles married Nellie Warner on 29 April 1915 at Timaru. The enlistment of C. A. Bowring, a labourer, Timaru, was received at the Defence Office, Timaru, on 8 March 1917. A ploughman at Maungati, when he enlisted, single and Presbyterian, he named his mother as next- of-kin – Mrs Amy Armstrong, Moore Street, Ashburton.
The South Canterbury quota of the 30th Reinforcement consisting of 58 men, left Timaru on 28 May 1917, but not before they had been given a very hearty send-off at the Drill Shed, and at the Strathallan Street crossing. “The men appeared in the best of spirits,” as they were put through some elementary drill movements. They were addressed by the Mayor and by the Rev. J. H. Rogers. No country in the world possessed such a free Constitution as New Zealand, and in a spirit of determination to uphold it and all that made life worth living, they were going forth to gain the mastery over the enemy, said the Mayor. On this noble mission he wished them luck and a safe return. In going away they would take with them the love, the care and affection of many who would watch anxiously for news of them, and who would ever be solicitous of their welfare, said the Rev. Rogers. Then, headed by the 2nd (S.C.) Regimental Band, they moved off to the station. The train steamed out followed by the cheers of the crowd, and the answering shouts of the departing soldiers. Among the recruits was C. A. Bowring.
He named his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs Nellie Bowring, care of W. Warner, 47 Wallace Street, Wellington. Private C. A. Bowring embarked with the Otago Infantry Regiment of the 28th Reinforcements, leaving for Plymouth, England by the “Uimaroa” on 26 July 1917. Returning Draft No. 175, which was expected to arrive in September 1918, brought home C. A. Bowring, 55720. After the war Charles and Nellie lived at Masterton, where they divorced in 1929.
Charles Alfred Bowring died on 2 September 1957 at Greytown, aged 75. He was buried in the Greytown Cemetery, a serices plaque marking his grave. A younger brother, Frederick John Bowring, also served in the war with the New Zealand Forces.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [05 October 2021]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [12 October 2021]; Timaru Herald, 9 March 1917, 29 May 1917, NZ Times, 9 September 1918 (Papers Past) [04, 08 & 12 October 2021]; Greytown Cemetery headstone transcription [12 October 2021]
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Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG
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Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.
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