Person

Harold Pickering Lowes was born on 9 October 1895, the middle child of William (a seaman) and Mary Isabella Lowes. He was baptised at St Ignatius, Hendon on 23 October 1895. In 1901 the family were living at 3 Nobles Bank Road, Sunderland. In September 1901 Harold’s mother died and then in June 1904 his father was drowned in China. The three eldest children went to live with their paternal grandparents at 17 Norfolk Street, Sunderland and in 1911 census Harold is working as an errand boy.

Harolod enlisted at Sunderland in the Territorial Force on 8 May 1912 and joined the 7th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (DLI) and was given the service number 1602. His attestation papers, which are now to be found amongst his pension records, show that he signed up to the DLI to play in the band. The attestation form has the words “for Band Boy” scrawled on the the front and his rank is described as “boy” from 8 May 1912 to December 1914. On 17 December 1914 he was promoted to bugler but three months later he reverted to private at his own request. In this case, it probably meant that he transferred to a more active service role rather than simply as a bandsman. Bandsman were often also the battalion’s stretcherbearers and therefore did not carry arms.

In April 1915 Harold was sent to France and on 24 May 1915 he was wounded and gassed at the Second Battle of Ypres. From 20 December 1916 he served at home and on 7 April 1917 Harold was discharged at Newcastle as being no longer physically fit for war service and was awarded a 20% permanent disability pension.

For a while Harold worked as a tram conductor and then as a laboratory steward at a technical college. He died on 12 July 1918 of pneumonia. Harold’s war injuries were accepted as contributing to his death and he is buried in the War Graves Cemetery at Bishopwearmouth.

Durham at War blog about 7th DLI at Second Battle of Ypres:
http://ww1countydurham.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-second-battle-of-ypres-7th_24.html

Birth date: 09-Oct-1895

Death date: 12-Jul-1918

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 3 Nobles Bank Road, Sunderland (1901 census)
17 Norfolk Street, Sunderland (1911 census)
17 Norfolk Street, Sunderland (1912, enlistment)
23 Murton Street, Sunderland (1916-18,Discharge and death cert)

Employment: Errand boy (1911 census)
Warehouse boy [Wearhouse boy] (1912, enlistment)
Tram Conductor (1916, med board pension review)
Laboratory steward (1918, death cert)

Family: Paternal grandfather: Benjamin Tiffin Lowes 1839-1919
Maternal Grandmother: Elizabeth Ann Lowes 1840-1911
Father: William Lowes 1868-1904
Mother: Mary Isabella Lowes 1872-1901
Sisters: Eleanor Layton Lowes b1892, Mary Isabella Lowes 1900-1901
Brothers: William Lowes b1893, Benjamin Tiffin Lowes b1899

Military service:

08-May-1912 Enlisted at Sunderland, posted to 7th Battalion DLI (1602)
17-12-1914 promoted Bugler
20-03-1915 reverted to private at own request
19-Apr-1915 to 19-Dec-1915 Expeditionary Force, France
25-May-1915 Wounded and gassed near Ypres
20-Dec-1915 t0 07-Apr-1916 service at home
07-Apr-1916 Discharged at Newcastle as no longer physically fit for war service
Awarded 20% permanent disability pension
5s 3d in 1916, 5s 6p in 1917, 8s 3d in 1918

Memorial(s): War Cemetery, Bishopwearmouth
Book of Remembrance, Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland

Gender: Male

Contributed by Harold P, Durham