Name
Geoffrey Vaux Salvin Bowlby
1 Dec 1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/05/1915
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
Royal Horse Guards
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 3.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Gilston Village Memorial, Not on the Eastwick memorials*1 Capt GVS Bowlby, Battlefield Cross, St Giles Ch, Bletchingdon Oxon, Eton College Memorial Rolls, RHG Ypres Charge Tablet, St Mary's Ch, Moulsoe, Bucks
Pre War
Wartime Service
Biography
Born in Kensington, London on 1st December 1883, to Edwin Salvin Bowlby and Elizabeth Vans-Agnew.
Geoffrey Vaux Salvin Bowlby came from a military family; indeed his grandfather was at Waterloo. Educated at Eton and Sandhurst, he excelled at polo.
He became a member of the Militia in Jan 1902 in joining 3rd Battalion Kings Own Scottish Borderers as a 2nd Lieutenant. He was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in Royal Horse Guards (the Blues) on 9 Mar 1904, Lieutenant on 1 Feb 1905 and Captain on 6 May 1908 at the early age of 24 and soon afterwards became Aide de Camp to the C in C Ireland before returning to his regiment in Sept 1910 acting as Adjutant to Sept 1913 at Combermere Barracks, Windsor.
He married in 1911 the Hon. Lettice Annesley, (4th daughter of Arthur, 11th Viscount of Valentia) on 18 Oct 1911, and they had two children. His sister married Capt. Hon. James Boyle (qv).
Bowlby was in France from the beginning of the War, as Billeting Officer, he arrived in France in advance of the rest of the 4th Cavalry Brigade on the 16th August 1914, re-joining his Regiment the day before the Battle of Mons.
He was Mentioned in Despatches for his actions at Wytschaete in the action at the end of October 1914, when, as the senior officer left, he took command of a composite battalion.
While holding the line at Zillebeke in early 1915 Geoffrey picked up a matchbox which had been thrown into the British Trench by the Germans opposite, it contained a note saying “We are a battalion of an Alsace Regiment; don’t shoot us and we won’t shoot you. Vive la France, but Germany comes first.”
Returning to the 'Blues' he commanded 'A' Company. The Second Battle of Ypres began in April 1915 and he was killed leading a successful afternoon counter attack up the hill across open country near Gully Farm after part of the Brigade had been driven out of their trenches earlier in the day. "Poor old Bowlby was shot and refused assistance; he was almost instantaneously killed." (along with 36 others).
A report dated 29/07/1919 states that a cross was found at Map Ref. B. 16. A. 1. 4. With the inscription GEOFFREY VAUX SALVIN BOWLOY. (sic). Capt. Royal Horse Gds. KILLED in Action. 13.5.15. DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI. No remains were found under the cross and it was removed to White House Cemetery, ST JEAN.
His widow, the Hon Lettice Bowlby, who had meantime thrown herself into war work becoming Commandant of the Auxiliary Hospital and twice mentioned in despatches, determined to commemorate her husband on the spot where he fell. She found that the field had already been bought by the sister of Captain Henry Skrine for the same purpose, but arranged to buy the strip of land concerned and in due course the two memorials were erected, some 150 yards apart.
In 1937 Mrs Bowlby looked at the possibility of selling surplus land to raise capital for future care as the railings and supports had already cost more than expected to maintain, but found the price of land too low. At a later time, probably around 1957, ownership of the surplus ground did revert to the Belgian state, however.
During the Second World War Mrs Bowlby expressed concern about the fate of the "memorials around Ypres' but they survived with little damage although the corner posts of her husband's memorial needed replacing in 1950. In 1966 the railings and surrounds were simplified to reduce costs and, concerned for its future, Mrs Bowlby made further provision before she died in 1988. Since the death of her husband she had been Lady in Waiting to the Duchess of York, and continued to attend her as Woman of the Bedchamber when she became Queen, and later Queen Mother. She was made CVO in 1937.
Vulnerable and difficult to maintain where it stood, there was concern about this memorial. In 1996 Captain Bowlby's daughter, the Countess of Meath, agreed to the memorial being moved to the roadside next to that of Captain Skrine. The work was duly carried out by CWGC, a lay-by was provided for the use of visitors and the future of these two memorials now seems assured.
Additional Information
Geoffrey left a widow and two young children. After the war his widow bought a strip of land near where he was killed and placed a Private Memorial there. In 1996 the Memorial was moved next to the nearby Memorial to Captain Henry Skine. His younger brother Lionel was killed in 1916 and is also commemorated on the Gilston War Memorial, as is Lieutenant G Johnston who was killed in the same action as Geoffrey. Both Lionel and Geoffrey and mentioned on the family grave in Eastwick. His service record is available to view at The National Archives, Kew. Ref, WO 339/5935. *1 There is no obvious connection to Eastwick apart from being mention on the family grave, however his brother battlefield cross is in the church and therefore we believe there may be a connection, hence his listing here.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Spike Hughes, Anthony Hodgkins, Brenda Palmer
