Prescot Roll of Honour

John Fowler in a picture dated 1917 andkindly provided by his family

Service Details

John Fowler was called up for Military service in March of 1915, initially serving as Private 40584 in the 3rd Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment. This was a reserve battalion, tasked with initial enlistment and training before assigning men to the units which were most in need of reinforcements. It was for this reason that John was transferred to the 1/7 th Bn of the Worcestershire regiment as Private 41435.

Incidentally, Pte Walter Donohue of Ackers Street (see here) was also transferred to the 1/7th Worcesters from the 3rd South Lancs. He was to be killed about 5 weeks after John Fowler.

On July 31st 1917, the Third Battles of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele, began. The 1/7th and 1/8th battalions of the Worcestershire regiment had moved from Poperinghe to a camp, two miles to the eastward. Then followed several shifts from camp to camp ending on August 15th with both Battalions in Reigersburg Camp on the Ypres-Brielen Road.

On August 15th training ended and the 61st Division moved forward. The two "Worcestershire' battalions entrained at Esquelbecq and were carried forward to Poperinghe. There they detrained and marched to camps east of that town.

While they were taking up their positions, throughout the night of August 16th and until nightfall of the following day the 4th Worcestershire held the ground they had already won, steadily digging in and improving the position under an intermittent fire. No counter-attack was attempted by the enemy across the marshy Broembeek, but all around the thunder of battle continued. Beyond the railway embankment the 20th Division had captured Langemarck, but on their right the 11th Division had found progress more difficult. Still further to the right the 48th (South Midland) Division had also made an attack.

The 1/7th and 1/8th Worcesters passed the night at Reigersburg Camp. In the darkness before the dawn, the 1/7th Worcesters assembled and moved forward across the Yser Canal. The Battalion tramped onwards to Kultur Farm. That movement was still in progress when dawn broke and the battle began. The destined role of the Battalion was to support the attack of the 145th Brigade in front, but definite news as to the progress of that attack was difficult to obtain.

At 11 a.m. came orders for the l/7th Worcestershire to assist the 145th Brigade on the further side of the Steenbeek. The Battalion advanced in "artillery formation" up the slope. As the platoons crested the ridge they came under a very heavy fire of shells, both high-explosive and shrapnel. But the mud smothered many of the heavy shells, the open formation reduced the target and casualties were astonishingly light. "D" Company moved across the river, while the other companies occupied the Western bank. Bursts of machine-gun fire as the platoons filed across the stream showed that the enemy's front-line posts had not yet been captured. In plain fact the attack of the 145th Brigade had failed.

In the 145th Brigade most of the leaders had fallen. The remainder, scattered and disorganised, were crowded in the narrow stretch of low ground between the stream and the German posts.

All day the fight swayed across the open, and by nightfall Border House and Jew Hill had been captured. Then came orders that a fresh attack on the strongest fort, the Maison du Hibou, was to be made by a company of the l/7th Worcestershire. "C" Company was selected, and advanced across the Steenbeek from Regina Cross. The attack was to be made without artillery support.

Relying on the cover of the darkness " C " Company would rush the buildings, covered by fire from the Lewis-guns of " D " Company. The bold plan failed. Gallantly led by Captain A. B. Montgomery, " C" Company charged the fort, but they were met with a hail of fire from front and flank. Captain Montgomery and Lieut. G. H. Haslewood fell at the head of their men, nearly all the leading wave were shot down, and the attack was stopped dead, while the fire of "D" Company was smothered by the German machine-guns at Hillock Farm.

The survivors of " C " Company dug in about 100 yards from the fort and there held on. Clearly the Maison du Hibou could not be taken without artillery support. Presently came orders that a fresh attack would be made after midnight, this time behind a barrage. For the new attack "B" Company, commanded by Captain W. N. S. Brown, was ordered up to replace "C" Company. In the darkness and under heavy fire the two companies exchanged positions. Final arrangements were completed and "B" Company made ready to attack.

At 2.30 a.m. August 17th the British guns opened fire, and "B" Company attacked. Aided by the shell-fire, they actually reached the buildings and fought their way in but at once the enemy brought up fresh men. A fierce fight with bombs in the darkness went on round the fort, but eventually after Captain Brown and many of his men had been hit, the survivors were compelled to fall back. By that time it was clear that the Maison du Hibou was a formidable defensive work and that the enemy were determined to hold it ; but it was equally clear that the fort must be taken. Until it was captured the position of our foremost troops, cramped into some three hundred yards of low ground with the stream at their back, would be very dangerous. Preparations were made for a renewed attack.

No action was taken during daylight of August 17th: both sides remained motionless throughout the day amid continuous gun-fire. After dark the 1/8th Worcesters were brought up from reserve to relieve the sister Battalion. The relief was practically complete by midnight, "an extraordinarily good relief," recorded the 1/7th Worcesters, "taking into consideration the amount of hostile shelling."

Total casualties 1/7th Worcesters 16th/17th August. Killed 2 officers and 21 men. Wounded 6 officers and 118 men. Missing 12.

Amongst those killed was Pte John Fowler.

The fortunes of war denied him a known grave and he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the missing.

The Parish Magazine of 30th August 1917 reported the death of Private Fowler as follows ''Private John Fowler of the 3rd South Lancs., who was killed in action on August 16th, and leaves a widow and three children at No 5. St Helens Road . He had been transferred to the Worcesters.

The town is full of sympathy for Mrs. John Fowler, whose husband was so recently called up. In his younger days he was our organ blower at church, and was well known and respected by all men who knew him. It is just one year since Mrs. Fowler lost her brother, John Birchall, killed in action in France'.

John was the brother of Thomas Fowler who died of wounds on 2nd October 1918

John's Fowler's medal entitlement, shown on his Medal Index Card, was to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He is remembered on the Civic Memorial and the Parish Church Rood Screens.

The letter shown above, which has been provided by John Fowler's family, was written to his wife a few days after his death by his Commanding Officer

John Fowler's Medal Index Card

John Fowler's inscription on the Tyne Cot memorial