HIS SON'S GRAVE

Evening Star, Issue 16516, 30 August 1917, Page 3

HIS SON'S GRAVE

PATHER’S DISCOVERY IN FRANCE. One of the most poignant stories of the war—how a father found on the battlefield the grave of his Hying son, who had been “missing” for e’ight weeks—lately reached London. On March 19 Captain Eldred Wolfevstan Bowyer-Bower, East Surrey and Royal Flying Corps, went up to make a reconnaissance. Eye-witnesses state that he had passed from five to seven miles behind the then Hindenburg line when he was attacked by sis enemy airmen. His machine was seen to descend. Ihe British advance came weeks later. In the vanguard was a detachment of Royal Engineers, which included the missing airman’s father. Captain T. BowyerBower. The father heard that not far away was a grave marked by a cross made from pieces of a wrecked aeroplane which bore in pencil the words ; “ Two unknown captains of the flying corps.” Knowing that his sou had been brought down close by. he determined to inspect tho grave. Ihe number on the remains of the aeroplane convinced him that his sou lay buried there. And stuck on the primitive _ cross witli a piece oi mud was the tag of a tunic heaving the name of the London tailor who had made his son’s uniform. Permission was obtained to exhume the body, and the father found that it was that of lii.s son. It was buric<l with the body of the observer. The dothes had been stripped of all valuables, and the identification discs had been removed. The bodies yvere removed to the cemetery of a little village a few miles awav. anil while they wore being placed in coffins on the battlefield the Germans shel’ocl and sniped tho men engaged in tho task.