Name
Edward Cowland
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/09/1916
34
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
22040
Bedfordshire Regiment
7th "A" Company
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MILL ROAD CEMETERY, THIEPVAL
X1V.A.9.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
North Mymms War Memorial, North Mymms War Shrine (now lost), St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, North Mymms, North Mymms Memorial Hall Memorial, Welham Green, Not on the Colney Heath memorials, We are not aware of any memorial in Roe Green
Pre War
Born in Roegreen (Roe Green).
The 1911 census shows him living with his brother Charles in Blue Houses Roestock. Edward was the eldest son of John and Jane Cowland. He was single in 1911.
Wartime Service
He enlisted at Bedford in June 1916 into the 4th Battalion, which was a reserve Battalion, he was transferred to the 7th Battalion “The Shiny Seventh”.
The war diary for the 27th September records that it was decided to attack the untaken portion north-western part of the fortified village of Thiepval, which was part of the Schwaben Redoubt held by the Germans for 2 years. Zero hour was fixed for 5.30 am; the morning was extremely dark & the assaulting companies had great difficulty in forming up for the attack on the correct alignment. At about 5.45 am all was ready & a few minutes later the two lines advanced, sweeping across the untaken portion of ground & trenches. Two machine guns and a good deal of rifle fire opened from the enemy's lines but the 7th Bn Bedfords continued to advance and in a short time were in possession of the German trenches on the north-western face of Thiepval.
During this action 36 prisoners were taken & about 100 Germans killed by rifle fire & bayonets. This action, though apparently small, was of the utmost importance as without the whole of the Village of Thiepval & the trenches surrounding it being captured the whole line of attack was held up. So to the 7th Bn.Bedfords belongs the Honour & Glory of the final destruction of one of the Germans strongest position & one which they had boasted could never be taken. The Bedford’s casualties were 2 officers & about 110 other ranks killed, one of whom was Edward.
Acknowledgments
Bedfordshire Regiment Web Site, Mike Allen
