Fred's Story.
Fred was born in July 1891 the son of George and Martha Mowbray, of Fletchers Buildings, Spark Lane, Halton, Runcorn.Freds records have survived so we know abit about his service history.
He enlisted on 3rd September 1914 like so many others in Runcorn. He was 23years old and 2 months. His occupation that of a tanner.
He was posted to the 10th Bttn Cheshire Regiment, and was promted to L/Cpl in April 1915, then to Cpl a year later. and finally Sgt in Feb 1917.
He was posted to France on 26th Sept 1915 and then injured in the Somme offensive on 3rd July 1916, when the 10th first saw action in the Somme, the 10th lost many on that day, Fred received a gun shot wound to his left thigh. Due to his injury he was returned to the UK, and didn't go back till Feb 1917.
His medical records detail the extent of his injury.
Wound 3/4" x 3/4" middle of outside of thigh (entrance) another wound (bullet showing) middle of anterior region. Removed bullet and fomeutation. He spent 73 days in hospital and his injury was classed as severe.
His service records read that he was 5ft 6 1/2 inches in height, 137 lbs and healthy.
Fred was injured during the Battle of Messines and taken to Bailleul were he died of wounds.
Compiled by Graeme Ainsworth
A FIGHT FOR A CRATER Mr. and Mrs C H Smith, of Highfield House. Runcorn. has received an interesting letter from Lance-Corporal Fred Mowbry of Halton. " Vie." and "Wal.'• referred to in thel'etter are Private Wallworth Dunbebin and Private Victor Rowe, who, as stated last week, has been wounded, Lance Corporal Mowbray writes,
" I hope you all had a good time at Easter. I was thinking all Easter Monday about the good times I used to have when at home, and hoping and trusting that I shall be there for next Easter. I don't know whether you have beard about Vic. and Wal. they have both been wounded. From what I have heard I don't think either of them is badly wounded.We are out of the trenches now for six days. Then we go in again. It is very nice weather here at presnt and almost like summer. The, birds are singing so nicely that it seems a shame for a war to be going on. Tou can bear' the birds singing and the big guns firing, and the anti-aireraft gone having a do at a German aeroplane. "On Easter Monday night I had the greatest •7Pertonee of my lite, and I don't want a similar one. about n quarter to eight, as it was going daft:. the eucinv blow mine up on our front. I don't know whether you know •hat that is: 1 didn't before that one went up. The explosion leaves a big hole about twenty times as big Holton Itelph, and from sixty to eigkty feet deep. Jest fancy looking on a of ground about the game no the llighfield and works cover• and the next ninon. it goes into the air, leaving a huge knit. in the middle which their .all a crater. We knew nothing about it %Ming up, is, the enemy had the advantage. They came over for it a, soon as it went iip, but were met. I e : n 17E4 to ,ay, by our machine-min and rill, fig. It wu- gnsat. to ,re the lads do their work Ina if they had been usevl .to it every day. we got there eight minutes after the explodon, mon ga d the advantage over theni. Onto hold on any - thing it take,. a lot t.. make let go, so wa fought the enemy for the eater all night. and in the morning wo "'Tarn them off anal won it. We have got :cry rood name for doing this. it is "T. 'Oen they are taken in sueh a short time. Thongh we wen. go busy 1 often thought about " I I and the good time I would have been i' l, ing ~t Overton 11111 s or some other nlneo, 'f been for this war. Jack William_ ltvm along Halton-road, got wounded in ankle. and I wee told off to take him hack. I'm on my beck for nearly an hoar and "curing him through a treneli up to the , insh and water. It was very haul • I tell you, We are working nearly • hour of the day end night. We never during all the six days and nights • the trenches. There were no dug;" trenetses, and it was as well to be An the alert?'