Douglas John Bowler 1919 - 1944

[lizdb]

I would say therefore that getting his birth cert is the next move.

Would confirm if mum was married ie Bowler nee Bowler, or that in fact Douglas was illegitimate and the parents given on the CWGC are actually the people who brought him up (maybe uncle and aunt, grandparents, etc). 

[avm228]

There is a Henry John Bowler born 1883 Guildford.

This Henry may have died in Guildford Jun qtr 1884 aged 0.

There's another candidate: Henry John Bowler birth reg Jun qtr 1885 Wandsworth.

[avm228]

Then a marriage in St Andrew, Grafham (diocese of Guidlford) of a Henry John Bowler, a dental mechanic, to Harriet Minnie Moore on Sept 11th 1909. Henry's address at the time was Battersea and his father was George, a labourer.  Douglas's birth certificate could show if this was the same man if he had the same occupation.

Henry John Bowler who married Harriet Minnie died on active service in France on 30 October 1917.  She (as Minnie Harriett Bowler) obtained letters of administration over his estate the following year. 

Their address at the time of his death was Vernon Cottage, London Rd, Ewell, Surrey.  Their eldest daughter Winifred married from the same address in 1932, with H.M. Bowler (presumably her mother) as one of the witnesses.

NB Harriet's maiden name appears to have been Moon rather than (as the minister wrote it in the parish register) Moore, according to:

1. The banns register.
2. The bride's signature in the marriage register.
3. The birth registrations of two daughters in 1915 (Wandsworth) and 1917 (Epsom).

[Skoyen89]

Here is the info about the 1939 register- taken on the 29th Sept 1939 just as war started.
It was updated with change of names due to marriage until 1991,it was used as a register for ration books.

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/1939register/what-is-the-1939-register

It is available on a pay per view or subscription basis and as such unlike the old censuses we are not allowed to type out the info for someone else that would be against the terms and conditions.
We manage to get round it by giving a few clues and hoping people can find relatives themselves.

Ladies are often down with 2 or even 3 surnames,as they will be on their with thier maiden name and also their new married one,as in the case of Beatrice only marrying the following year.
Then if someone is widowed they may have a 3rd surname if they marry again too.

Carol

Thanks.  I wasn't aware of this and altho I have a subscription to ancestry.co.uk I was trying to get views over the last couple of days on which was best and wondering whether I should switch to FindMyPast.  Maybe I will try it out under the offer for a limited period in parallel.

I am still struggling with Douglas Bowler's parents but I think that after the information provided below it is probably my lack of skill with the quirks of freeBMD's search facility that is holding me back rather than a lack of information available!!!

[groom]

I am still struggling with Douglas Bowler's parents but I think that after the information provided below it is probably my lack of skill with the quirks of freeBMD's search facility that is holding me back rather than a lack of information available!!!

I don't think so, as none of us can find a marriage of a Henry John Bowler to a Mary Ann Bowler or even to a Mary Ann. There don't appear to be any Henry Bowler marriages between 1890 - 1919.

When using Freebmd, it is sometimes better to put less to get results and then narrow them down. For instance Douglas John Bowler  or Douglas J Bowler might not get any hits, but Douglas Bowler would.

[lizdb]

That's why I wondered if he was illegitimate, as birth record suggests, and the "parents" from the CWGC site were actually grandparents or uncle and aunt or some other rellies who brought him up.

[Skoyen89]

I think I will try to get his birth certificate to see if I can resolve this impasse.  As you say it could be that he was illegitimate

It is interesting that Douglas Bowler's father was deceased by the time of his marriage in 1940.

There were few army units in this area during the War, although there was a searchlight regiment which would have been in the Royal Artillery in Thame early in the war.  As I said in an earlier post there are a number of Bowlers in the villages nearby and it could be that is the link to the area.

[IMBER]

He was married at Emmington, near Thame in 1940 and I have found this in the Parish Records, and the baptism of a daughter the following year.  He married Beatrice Joyce Fry and again I am having trouble finding out anything about her although the CWGC register says she was from Tetsworth, Oxfordshire.

Worth bearing in mind that the CWGC register was compiled from post war information provided by the family and that the wife's location at Tetsworth might relate to the situation post war.

Imber

[Skoyen89]

Just seen that DJ Bowler's place of domicile was given as Godalming, Surrey according to the Army in 1944 on the Royal Artillery Casualty Card.  However he was married, and his daughter was born, in Oxfordshire in 1940 and 1941 respectively and his wife lived in Oxfordshire after his death.