L/Cpl 57902 Norman George Mowlam

Norman George Mowlam was born in Putney on 14^th July 1893, the youngest child of Henry William Mowlam and Mary Ann (nee Bide), who were married in Chelsea in 1878. His father was from Dorset and his mother from Peckham.  They had six children:  William, Charlotte (Lottie), Mabel, James, Frederick, and Norman.  Norman was baptised in St. John, Kingston Vale, Surrey, on 12^th November 1893.  His parents were living at 15 Florence Terrace, and his father was a police constable.

In 1901 the family is living at 4 New Road, Kingston Hill, Surrey. His father Henry, 55, is now a retired police constable.  His older sisters are dressmakers.  Norman is 7.   Norman was educated at St. Paul’s school, Kingston.

In 1911 Norman is with his parents and brother James, still at 4 New Road.  His father is a police pensioner, James, 25, is a hotel porter.  Norman is 17, a tobacconist’s shop assistant. 

His father died, aged 69, in March 1915; the family was then living at 95 Richmond Park Road, Kingston.  

Information supplied by his family to the Kingston Roll of Honour shows that before he enlisted, Norman ran a business in Kingston (ICRC records list him as a merchant).  He enlisted in London on 08^th November 1915, as Private 55, Army Cyclist Corps, and was later transferred to ‘A’ Company, 17^th Bn, King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, as Lance Corporal 57992.

Norman was captured on 29^th April 1918 at Voormezeele, wounded, with a fractured thigh from a gunshot. According to the Kingston Roll of Honour, Norman’s leg was amputated and he suffered from dysentery.  The International Red Cross, based on German records, shows Norman officially listed as a prisoner in Limburg POW camp, but as this was far to the east from where he was wounded and eventually died, it is doubtful he was ever physically held there.  

Norman died of his wounds, aged 25, over three months later, on 08^th August 1918, in a reserve field hospital at Rocken, (which would explain his mother’s inscription on his gravestone), and was buried in grave 553 in the cemetery at Lauwe, Belgium (close to French border, east of Ypres.)  After the war, when graves were concentrated, Norman’s body was reburied in Harlebeke New British Cemetery, Belgium where his headstone bears the poignant epitaph:

"TO MY DEAR BOY HOW SWEET THE REST AFTER MUCH SUFFERING. MOTHER".

After the war, when graves were concentrated, Edward’s body was removed and reinterred in Harlebeke where he now rests at Plot 2, Row E, Grave 2, New Harlebeke Military Cemetery, Belgium.

Harlebeke village was taken on the night of 19-20 October 1918 by the 9th (Scottish) Division.

Harlebeke New British Cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the surrounding battlefields of 1918 and, in 1924-25, from German cemeteries or plots in Belgium. The earlier concentrations are in Plots I and X, and the later in Plots I, II and XI to XIX. In the latter group are many graves of October 1914.

In May 1940, The British Expeditionary Force was involved in the later stages of the defence of Belgium following the German invasion, and suffered many casualties in covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk. Commonwealth forces did not return until September 1944.

The cemetery now contains 1,116 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 181 of the burials are unidentified and a special memorial is erected to one casualty who is believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 19 casualties buried by the Germans in other burial grounds whose graves could not be found on concentration. There are also ten burials of the Second World War in the cemetery.

The cemetery was designed by W H Cowlishaw.

His family made enquiries to the Red Cross on 12^th December 1918, and ICRC enquired of Frankfurt regarding Norman’s death;  the record appears to show the outcome as ‘non-criminal’, on 25^th May 1919.  His family were eventually notified of Norman’s death on 01^st July 1919, eleven months after he died. 

His mother, Mrs Mary Ann Mowlam, of 82 Shortlands Road, Kingston on Thames, received a pension of 10/- a week.  His effects, including a War Gratuity of £15-10s, went to his mother and five siblings. 

His mother died in 1937, at the age of 81.

Norman is also commemorated on the following Memorials;

St. Paul’s Church, Kingston Hill.

Kingston upon Thames.

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