De Ruvigny Roll of Honour Vol 1 page 45
Cambridge University Roll of Honour page 237
O.T.C. entry for Sadberge
Newcastle Journal Tuesday 04/05/1915
Edward Ratcliffe Bowden was born 28th April 1889. The son of Thomas Bowden, of Sherriff Mount, Gateshead Fell, Durham, who was the head of the firm Thomas Bowden, and Sons, of Newcastle and Manchester, Chartered Accountants.
Edward was educated at Corchester Preparatory School, Sedberge and Pembroke College, Cambridge (B.A.) and was also a member of the O.T.C. there. He received a commission in the Northumberland Fusiliers in 1910. Edward was promoted Lieutenant on the 25th December 1912.
He died of wounds received at Ypres, on the 28th April, 1915, and was buried at Abbeville. He was unmarried.
The Newcastle Journal Tuesday, 04/05/1915, carried a report on the Memorial Service on the late Lieutenant E. R. Bowden, 6th Battalion N.F.
A service was held yesterday in St Nicholas's Cathedral, in memory of Lieutenant E. R. Bowden, 6th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers who died of wounds received in the recent fighting round Ypres, which has taken such a heavy toll of many families in Northumberland.
Canon O.C. Carr, assisted by the Rev. E.L. Own officiated at the service, which was fully choral, and included the Anthem "Give rest, O Christ, to thy Servant" (Parfitt), and the hymn of the Northumberland Fusiliers, "St George of old the Dragon slew," "Fight the good Fight" and "Now the Labourer's Task is O'er."
At the close, Chopin's Funeral March was magnificently rendered.
The service was largely attended, and most members of the family of the deceased officer were present, with the exception of his father Mr Thomas Bowden, whose present state of health prevented him attending, and his brothers, Captain T. G. Bowden, R.F.A., who is on duty at Boyton, Wiltshire and Mr C.G. Bowden who is in Canada.
The late Lieutenant Bowden, previous to mobilisation, was with his father's firm, Thomas Bowden and Nephew, chartered accountants of Newcastle, and had been admitted a partner within the last few months. He was educated at Colchester Preparatory School, Sedberge School, and Pembroke College, Cambridge, at which University he was a B.A., having passed the First Division of the 2nd class of the Economics Tripos.
While at Cambridge, he was a Member of the O.T.C., and on taking up work here, he joined the 6th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Both as a civilian and as an officer, he was a young man of great promise, and his early death will be much regretted by all who knew him.
De Ruvigny Roll of Honour
Edward Ratcliffe Bowden is remembered at Newcastle on NUT096 and NUT101 and Gateshead on G39.049 and G39.064
