American Soldiers in Biddulph World War 2

You never know...well buying some chips at Shepherd Street, Biddulph we got chatting about americans in Biddulph during world war 2 and they used the old wood yard next door.  I had done a little bit of research on the subject and here are some links:  

I can confirm that elements of the 87^th Infantry Division, specifically the 345^th Infantry Regiment (my father’s regiment), stayed in Biddulph for a short while before embarking to France.

From an official standpoint, this is documented in our history book, which you can download here:

http://87thinfantrydivision.com/History/HistoryBook/index.html

Download the “Combined History Book”. This is a PDF document that is text-searchable. When I searched on “Biddulph”, two references from the 345^th section were found.

A search of “Biddulph” on our web site provides these three links:

http://www.87thinfantrydivision.com/Commentary/000002.html

http://www.87thinfantrydivision.com/History/345th/Personal/000025.html

http://www.87thinfantrydivision.com/History/345th/Official/index.html

Biddulph Bus Identified.......

 

E8961 is a Leyland (obviously from the photograph) but bodywork unknown. It was new in March 1924 to Arthur Turner of 27 Tunstall Road, Biddulph and had left him by Jan 1929. I have details of 4 buses operated by him but this is the first photograph I have seen of one of them.

Would be interested to know the names of the "crew", perhaps one for Jeremy Condliffe and his "Glancing back in pictures" column.  Can't quite make out the name of the establishment to the rear of the bus but it is alongside an Hotel.

Congleton terminus in the 1920's was Congleton (Fountain) for most Biddulph services i.e. Swan Bank and Bridge Street

(Bears Head Hotel)

Pictures of New Buildings, Brindley Ford, Staffordshire

I have been doing some more research on the Turner and Farmer side of the family, in relation to the connection with Mabel Turner and Thomas Richard Hill.  Looks like we may have some relatives in America, so here are some photographs of the old place where they were brought up:

Number One looking down the 'fronts'

Number 13 first door in shot, looking up towards number 1

Looking towards Victoria Colliery - Long Gone

The 'backs' of New Buildings

Must be bin day....?

Looking towards number one from the back of number 15

Connections through the internet and new family members found

You never know what the power of the internet has to offer - Last week I had an e-mail from a Marion McAdam and then a Facebook message.  She was wondering if she was related.  Well turned out she was and in the process we managed to establish that her father now had a brother and sister he never knew about.  Within 24 hours I had connected her via Facebook to her new relatives in America and yesterday, Sunday through the power of Skype they managed to talk to each other, Henley on Thames to Oregon in the Untied States.
I got this message from Marion,'We had the wonderful experience today of meeting Lynn, Dad;s half sister. Phew - very emotional. And you are the one we have to thank. SO THANK YOU Nigel, you have made us all very happy and it was really wonderful for my dad to meet his sister. They got on really well and the resemblance is there for all to see, I hope that my dad will be able to make the trip to Oregon before he is too much older so he can see where his dad lived. All very emotional but wonderful. Dad is going back to Somerset so hopefully you should hear from him by the end of the week x'
Great news = Merry Christmas to Marion, John and Liz

Albert Bowers - Royal Navy World War Two - H.M.N.Z.S. ACHILLES - BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE

Through the power of the internet and the web site www.nigelbowers.co.uk I have been in touch with some more relatives.  This has inspired me to do some more research, so I have been back to thge local library at Congleton, Cheshire, United Kingdom and looked up the article featured on the left about Albert Bowers.
It was on microfish, bit of a strain to read, but here goes:

It is from the front page of the Congelton Chronicle, Incorporated with the Congleton and Macclesfield Mercury.....

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IN THE RIVER PLATE

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BIDDULPH MAN ON H.M.S. 'ACHILLES'

One of the heroes of the River Plate, Albert Bowers, son of Mrs and the late James Bowers of 140 Brook Street, Brown Lees, Biddulph.  As a hospital attendent he was in the engagement as a member of HMS 'Achilles' which played a leading role in forcing the 'Graf Von Spee' to take to refuge in Montevideo Harbour and eventually scuttle her.

S.B.P.O. Bowers, as a youth worked at Black Bull Colliery and is remembered in the district as a keen sportsman and regular church attender.  When aged 17 he was on the Primitive Methodist Church Plan in Biddulph.  He joined thr Navy as a young man of 20 and has now served eleven and a half years.  Following a period in the marines, he was transferred to HMS 'Achilles' and promoted Leading Sick Berth Attendent.  His fondness of sport has found ample expression in the Navy and in peace time he was a regular member of the Royal Navy Hospital team, winning many medals.  He is an excellent swimmer. He has a wife and baby who look forward to seeing him at their future home in Gillingham, Kent.

Brief history HMS then HMNZS Achilles

Some more info on HMS Achilles 

Whilst I was at the library I had a browse of the paper and if you fancied a night at the pictures you could go and see:

At the Premier

Hound of the Baskervilles

Starring Basil Rathbone

At the New Cinema - Royle Street, Congleton

The Magnificent Fraud

Starring Akim Tamiroff and Lloyd Nolan

Howver if you wre ill and suffering from influenza doctors, according to the advert were recommending OVALTINE....

The power of the internet - New family member found

Just got an e-mail from June Jones nee Bowers from Nottingham.  She saw the web site ~: http://www.nigelbowers.co.uk and e-mailed me.  I think she is going to be a wealth of information and I must try and go to see her.  Here is the e-mail:

'Hi Nigel,just looked on family tree and thought l would drop you a few lines,l am Reginalds daughter..l remember your grandma and grandpa well,from the days when we visited Brown Lees to see grandma Bowers(your great grandma)l loved her to pieces so it was a joy to come over.

l remember not only Uncle Jim and Aunty Hannah but ..Bill,Albert,Frank,Jack and Aunty Harriett.

Have you managed to contact young Frank?(Frank's son) l would love to hear of him or from him as we used to go and stay at Uncle Jack and Aunty Minnies pub in Cresswell,during school holidays.

l think you may have been in touch with my son Mark from Shropshire at sometime as he was interested in tracing the family..until took up all his time.

l have lived in Nottingham all my life and still live only four miles from where l was born.

It would be nice to hear from you,let me know about you and yours,must dash as l sing in a choir and it's practice night,

Bye for now,

                June'

Time for some video footage off Youtube Battle of the River Plate

Albert Bowers, is born 14.6.1908 -
Information from uncle Harry about Albert Bowers. He was a Chief Petty Officer sick berth attendent on HMNZS Achilles, which became famous in 1939 as it was involved in the Battle of the River Plate,
link : http://www.historybecame famouslearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_the_river_plate.htm
I also found out that after the battle all the ship's crews were given a victory parade. As HZMNZS was a New Zealand ship it went back to New Zealand. Pathe New filmed the home coming and it was seen his sister Harriet as she worked as an usher at the pictures in Tunstall. Guess what I have found that clip on Youtube;

1911 Census is Now online and available

A bit early, but what the hell, get your researching done. But hang on aminute, it is not on Ancestry. It has a designated web site at www.1911census.co.uk. Went on to have a look, but you haev to buy credits to view the entries in full, so I paid for my 30 credits for access to one census page The Bowers Family. Very interesting as it i wriiten bythe householder, in this instance Emily and includes more details than the other census records. One I found fascinating was she had 10 children and declared to have had 3 that had died......



Check out the site:

1911 Census