Pte 36802 James Lowens

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 18 Tapley Place, Liverpool. James is shown as 6 years of age. His father William was born in Ireland in 1855 and works as a Joiner, whilst his mother Margaret was born in Manchester in 1858. James has seven siblings listed; Margaret b. 1879 at Salford and is a Trouser Maker, Sarah b.1881 also at Salford and also employed as a Trouser Maker. Margoriann b. 1883 at Salford and also a Trouser Maker.  Isabella b. South America in 1889, William b. Salford 1892, Susannah b. Blackpool 1896 and Robert b. Liverpool 1898.    

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 10 Mill Lane, Old Swan, Liverpool. James is 16 years of age and working as a wood carving apprentice.The vagaries of the Census records are shown when his father William  advises that he is aged 57, born in Belfast in 1854. He still works as Joiner.  Whilst his mother Margaret is aged 54, born 1857 in Manchester. They have been married for 33 years and have had nine children of which two had died. Those listed on the record are; Sarah aged 30, born 1881, Mary Ann aged 28, born 1883, both born in Salford and Isabella aged 22, born 1889 in Argentina are all employed as tailoresses, William aged 19, born 1892 is an art student, Susannah aged 15, born 1896 an apprentice tailoress born in Blackpool and Robert aged 13, born 1898 in Liverpool is at school.

The three sons enlisted: James and William joined up together in Seaforth in February 1916, with consecutive regimental numbers, and shipped to France in July 1916.  His youngest brother Robert enlisted (when he was just turned 18) in June 1916 in the S. Lancs Regiment and also served overseas.

James enlisted in Seaforth, Liverpool and was serving in the 20th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 36802 when he was killed in action on the 3rd August, 1917 aged 23 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

Details of the actions of the 19th KLR in late July and early August 1917 are shown below:

James has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

James was initially declared Missing, and his father, at 10 Mill Lane, Old Swan, Liverpool, contacted the International Red Cross.  Enquiries were made to Berlin, who could provide no information.  This was conveyed to the family in January 1918.  His father did not give up.  Enquiries were reopened in November 1918.  The ICRC card refers to an enquiry at Frankfurt with the date 14/3/1919.  Another notation reads “23/6/1919 enquiry not terminated”.  

 

His mother Margaret received James’ Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £5-10s, and a pension of 11/- a week.

 

His mother died in 1924 aged 65.

 

Although his brothers survived the war, they also paid a price:  

 

His older brother William transferred to the E. Lancs Regiment, was blown off a fire step in April 1917 near Loos, and treated in the War Hospital in Sunderland.  He was discharged with a Silver War Badge in August 1918 as no longer physically fit for war duty.

 

His younger brother Robert was later transferred to the K.S.L.I.  He was captured, wounded in the leg, on 01/6/1917, held at Langensalza, and was repatriated (ill) in May 1918. He was discharged in May 1919 with a Silver War Badge and a disability pension. Sadly, Robert was admitted to an asylum in April 1922.

 

In 1939 his father is living at 24 Crown Way, Huyton with Roby with three of his children. His father is 84, a retired joiner, Mary Ann, 57, and Sarah, 44, are both tailoresses/machinists. Robert, 41, is a lorry driver. 

 

His father died in 1943, at the age of 88.

 

James is commemorated in Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 24 Right

And on the family gravestone in West Derby Cemetery: