Pte 12733 James Alfred Fowler

• Age: 25
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Friday 22nd March 1918
• Commemorated at: Ham British Cem
  Panel Ref: Sp. Mem b.6

James Alfred Fowler was born in December 1893 and was the son of James and Elizabeth Jane Fowler (nee Ward), of 30, Moorgate St, Edge Hill, Liverpool who had married at Holy Trinity Church, Toxteth in 1888.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 26, Tunnel Road, Liverpool. His father, James, is aged 36, born in Liverpool in 1865 is a lock-work machinist, his mother, Elizabeth, is aged 35, was also born 1866 in Liverpool and has no occupation listed. They have nine children at the time of the Census, all born in Liverpool; George aged 13 born 1888, Laura aged 11, born 1890, Francis aged 10, born 1891, Jessie aged 9, born 1892, James aged 7, born 1894, Florence aged 6, born 1895, Isabella and Elizabeth aged 4, born 1897 and Alexander aged 3, born 1898. Also living with the family are James widowed mother Mary Fowler aged 62, born 1839 and his two sisters Elizabeth aged 25, born 1876 with no occupation listed and Mary Jane aged 20, born 1881 who is employed as a domestic laundry maid.

The 1911 Census shows the family now living at 19 Moorgate Street Edge Hill Liverpool. His father, James, is aged 46, and is a machine hand in a safe works, his mother, Elizabeth, is aged 45 and has no occupation listed. They have been married for twenty six years and have had fourteen children of which one had died. They have all their children living with them at the time of the Census; George aged 23 is a machine hand working in a Safe works, Laura aged 21, is a coffee brewer in a Sweet works, Francis aged 20, is a card board bender in a bow works, Jessie aged 19, is a fancy bottler in a Sweet works, James aged 17, is an errand boy for a grocer, Florence aged 16, is at home, Isabella is a domestic servant, Elizabeth is aged 14, Alexander aged 13, Eveline aged 9, born 1902, Albert aged 7, born 1904, Arthur aged 6, born 1905 and Gladys aged 3, born 1908. 

He enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 12733 when he died of wounds on the 22^nd March 1918, aged 25 during the German Spring Offensive.

He now lies in Ham British Cemetery, France. The Inscription on his headstone reads:

“THEIR GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT”

In January, February and March 1918, the 61st (South Midland) Casualty Clearing Station was posted at Ham, but on the 23rd March the Germans, in their advance towards Amiens, crossed the Somme at Ham, and the town remained in German hands until the French First Army re-entered it on the following 6th September.

Ham British Cemetery was begun in January 1918 by the 61st Casualty Clearing Station as an extension of Muille-Villette German Cemetery.

In 1919 the graves in the British Cemetery were regrouped and others were added from the following sites:-

HAM COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (the "Neuer Friedhof Chaunystrasse"); CROIX-MOLIGNAUX GERMAN CEMETERY (March and April 1918); ESMERY HALLON CHURCHYARD; VILLERS ST. CHRISTOPHE CHURCHYARD (March 1918); EPPEVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (March 1918); and ST. SULPICE COMMUNAL CEMETERY.

Ham British Cemetery contains 485 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 218 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 14 soldiers, believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 39 casualties known to have been buried in other cemeteries whose graves were not found.

Other German Cemeteries in the area were HAM CHURCHYARD GERMAN EXTENSION; MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY and MUILLE-VILLETTE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION. The British Graves from these three were moved to either HAM BRITISH CEMETERY or ROYE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY.

MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY adjoins the West side of the British Cemetery. It now contains the graves of 1,113 identified and 420 unidentified German soldiers.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to his mother Elizabeth Jane.

The 1932 electoral register at 30 Moorgate Street, Edge Hill has father is now James Barton Fowler, he died 1936, aged 71. His mother Elizabeth died in December 1945, aged 80. 

We currently have no further information on James Alfred Fowler, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.