Silver War Badge number 181514 belonging to 68994 Gunner George Bower, Royal Garrison Artillery, discharged from. no.2 Depot RGA in 1917, with associated ring inscribed "Somme 6.7.16"

Silver War Badge number 181514 belonging to 68994 Gunner George Bower, Royal Garrison Artillery, discharged from. no.2 Depot RGA in 1917, with associated ring inscribed "Somme 6.7.16". 

George Bower, born about 1890, attested his willingness to serve aged 25 on 10 November 1915 at Perth, having got married on 11 June 1915 at Perth to Margaret Young Chruter. He lived at 21 Leith's Buildings, Dunkeld Road, Perth and was a policeman in civil life, apparently having joined some time in 1910. One of eight Perth City policemen shown in his local paper as having joined the RGA, he joined at No.4 Depot, Great Yarmouth and trained with 30 Company. Disembarking in France on 17 May 1916, he served with 111th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. The battery, which had been raised at Weymouth, is understood to have been equipped with 6" howitzers, although reports indicate that during the Battle of the Somme period, at least this battery, the 110th and the 106th were equipped with French 220mm howitzers (Mortier de 220 in French usage: apparently the obsolete 1880 model (Mle 1880)). Possibly, like 105th battery, which also served on the Somme with French guns (in this case Mle 1878 120mm long guns), it re-equipped with its designed complement of 6" howitzers in September. Medium howitzer batteries such as the 111th primarily engaged in counter-battery work, destruction of earthworks,  interdiction of crossroads and transport lines, etc. In late June the battery was near Arras (possibly training on its French equipment) and on 6 July was at Becourt Wood, on the Somme. The (alloy) ring, dated Somme 6.7.16, which is associated with his Silver War Badge is very possibly a memento of the injury which cut short his military career; perhaps made from the artefact which caused it. Certainly he was evacuated home very shortly afterwards, on 10/11 July 1916. 

Having incurred a gun shot wound (any penetrating wound, including shrapnel) to his left leg, resulting in a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula, he was admitted to 26 General Hospital, Etaples on 8 July and then to 4th Northern General Hospital, Lincoln on 11 July. His next of kin having been notified of this on 20 July, he was listed as "Wounded" on the Casualty List issued by the War Office dated 28 July 1916. His wounding was also noted in the Perthshire Advertiser of Saturday 15 July 1916, observing "Gunner George Bower, Royal Garrison Artillery, has been wounded, and is in hospital [in] Lincoln. Prior to enlistment was a member of the Perth City Police Force, and he [is] the third enlisted man from the force [to] be wounded. His wife resides at [Leith's] Buildings".

He was discharged from the army  on 22 May 1917 under paragraph 392 (xvi) of King's  Regulations owing to wounds. His character was given as 'Good' and for his injury he was awarded a pension (conditional) of 27/6 a week for 26 weeks.

For his service, as well as the Silver War Badge, he was also entitled to the British War and Victory Medals, together with the King's Certificate, which he acknowledged receipt of on 17 June 1918.

Clearly returning at some point to the police force, he was promoted to Sergeant in 1927. In 1941 he was promoted to Inspector (as noted in the Perthshire Adveriser of 26 April 1941); this temporary promotion was made substantive in 1946 (Perthshire Advertiser, Wednesday 30 October 1946). At this point he was stated to have had 36 years' service to his credit. He appears to have been a keen gardener in his spare time and had numerous mentions in the local paper for his flowers and vegetables. George Bower retired in 1949, aged 59, and died on 12 July 1962.