SERGEANT 9609, JAMES HENRY VOWLES, 7TH BATTALION RIFLE BRIGADE.


SERGEANT 9609, JAMES HENRY VOWLES, 7TH BATTALION RIFLE BRIGADE. KILLED IN ACTION 18TH AUGUST 1916.




James Henry Vowles enlisted in the Rifle Brigade in January 1903. He had lied about his age, claiming to be 18 when in fact he was only 16 years old. For the next 9 years he served across the British Empire in both Egypt and India, although, he does not seem to have had an exemplary record.
Born in Halifax he did not return to the home of his family but came to Ilkley to work for the General Post Office. He may have had some training in telegraphy and possibly spent some time with the Post Office in Finsbury Park in London. 

On the 11th April 1914 James was back in Ilkley when he married Nellie Pease of 1 Victory Road, at Ilkley Parish Church and together they set up home at 3 Sunset Terrace off Leeds Road.
Although, James had left the army he was still a member of the reserve and at the beginning of the war was recalled by his regiment and posted to the 5th Reserve Battalion. This was a training unit based on the Thames Estury from where reinforcements would be dispatched to front line battalions. 
Because of his previous service he remained with this unit for over 18 months and rose to the rank of sergeant in the signalling section.

In April 1916 James was posted to France and joined the 7th Battalion Rifle Brigade in the Somme sector of the front. On the 18th August the battalion was in the front line near to Delville Wood when at 2.45pm two companies were ordered to attack the German front line. As signalling sergeant, James, would have been responsible for ensuring the communications with the attacking units were maintained. During the fighting it was reported that he was hit by a shell and killed, his body was never recovered and James has no known grave.
 
Back in Ilkley, Nellie Vowles, 6 months pregnant, returned to live with her parents on Victory Road. Eventually she would receive a pension of 16 shillings/week for her and her son James and in 1922 would re-marry.

Sergeant james Henry Vowles is commemorated on the memorial at Thiepval and is remembered on the war memorials in Halifax and in Ilkley.

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