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Jack Gower in the Royal Marines
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Service record: 21 November 1907 - Enlisted at the Recruitment Depot, Deal. Service record: 29 Oct 1908 - moved to B Company, Portsmouth The postcards below were sent by Jack to his mother and sisters, mostly to Kent, the last one to Australia as they had emigrated by then. All descendents in Australia and listed in approximate chronological order. Notes by Bertha's granddaughter. |
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 | Service record: 17 June to 15 July 1909 - on board H.M.S. Furious 1. 'HMS Furious' -written in white on the front. Service record: 16 July to 20 October 1909 - Portsmouth |
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Service record: 21 October 1909 to 14 October 1912 - on H.M.S. Britannia 3. HMS Britannia. Reverse: Addressed to Mrs Gower,--- Cheriton. Date. Oct 22, 1909 (so precedes other card below which my grandmother marked No. 2) "HMS Britannia, Portsmouth Harb. Dear Mother, Just a line to let you know I got aboard alright. We have been getting all the ammunition out of the ship today. I haven't worked so hard since worked in Deal at the forge. But the funny thing is it seems to have done me good. I feel much better tonight than I did when I came aboard. When you write don't put B. Com on but15138 to my address (?). I will write a letter tomorrow. Jack." 4. Photo labelled 'No 10' in my grandmother Bertha's hand - Jack on
cart in Vigo, Spain. (This is a very dark photo with features not plain) 5.Photo of broken derrick. postcard with group of marines: HMS Brittania, Cromarty, Scotland. April 22, 1910 - Dear Mother, this is a photo of the ?? in Spain. I only had it yesterday. You will see me with a stick in my hand. Hope you are all quite well, as I am. We are having a lot of snow up here. The hills in the distance are covered. [last part illegible] 2.'The British Empire on the Sea in the Reign of George V, our Sailor
King. dedicated by permission to Admiral the Right Honourable Lord Charles
Beresford, GCVO.,KCB.,RN.,MP for Portsmouth. The Whole Effective Strength
of the British Navy is here represented. (X marks Jack's ship as a note
on the reverse in my grandmother's hand indicates - it looks like Britannia) postcard on ship: Oct? 28, 1910 (from Weymouth) to: Miss Gower (Queenie), c/o Mrs. Peel, Horenden, Tenderden, Kent. Dear Q, Just a line to let you know I am still kicking and alive. How do you like your new job. We have King George here inspecting the fleet. It is the largest one in the (rest missing). Postcard (buildings) sent to Master C Gower at 107 Royal Military Avenue, Cheriton, Nt. Folkestone, Kent from Jack in Weymouth. "Dear C.We are just going to Ireland. I will write to you from there. I thank you very much for the letter and paper and also Mother for her nice letter. Hope you are getting on alright at work. Best love to Dad, Mother and you all from your affectionate brother Jack." Dated 1/11/10. 8. HMS Britannia. Dated 16/1/1911. addressed to Mrs Gower [Elizabeth] at 107 Royal Military [Ave], Cheriton, Folkstone, Kent. Says " Dear Mother, We are just going out of harbour [Weymouth]. I expect to get to Vigo (Spain) Friday. I will write to let you know when we get there. Am quite well. Hope you are as I am. Your loving son Jack" 9.The Harbour and Fleet, Cromarty. Addressed to Mrs Gower, 107 Military avenue, Cheriton, Folkstone, Kent. Date May 11, 1911, Weymouth. Written from the ship Britannia, Portland. Says "Have arrived safely aboard at 2:30 today. Caught the train in good time. Will write in a day or two, Jack" Postcard from Jack to his mother (with red border, left): 10. Pen writing on the front [Bertha's writing]. Also the number 16, indicating that there were a number of cards which she numbered. Her writing on the front identifies the 'Firth of Forth bridge, Scotland' and the fact that the sailors are playing 'Football on Fo'castle'. Dated Oct 15, 1911. Addressed to Miss Bertha Gower, 107 Military Ave, Cheriton, Folkstone, Kent [Jack's sister, Bertha would have been 13 years old at that time]. "My dear sister, I was so pleased to get your letter. Yes, I got Mother's apples and very nice they were. I expect she has got the letter thanking her by this time. I wrote 2 days after we were in Torquay now so I shall soon be home the 1st or 2nd week in November. Remember me to Chris and Queen. This card is football on the forecastle on coal ship day. It is a real photo taken on board. The Forth bridge is in the distance. Your brother, Jack. XXXXXX" 11. Weymouth, May 1912. Royal Visit of Royal Yaught Victoria Albert. Our Sailor King, HM King George V to His Fleet. Navy Hydroplane Maneuvering at Weymouth. [Bottom photo] 'Royal airmen flying over the British Fleet in Weymouth Bay' [The X under one of the ships indicates that it is Jack's ship]. Addressed to Miss B. Gower [sister Bertha] at 107 Military Ave'; Cheriton. From HMS Britannia, Weymouth, 10/5/1912 "Dear Bertha, How do you like this. I got it today. The hydroplane is the one that steams in the water or flies. It rises from the water like a seagull. At the bottom you will see the three floats. Hope you are quite well as I am. Yours affectionately, Brother Jack." 12. HMS "Nile" (11, 940 tons 2nd class battleship [ Bertha' writing], 1912. Nothing written on reverse. (Jack was never on this ship but must have sent the picture to Bertha from the fleet review above) |
no reverse for buildings
no reverse of red photo
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Service Record: 15 October to 16 December 1912 - Portsmouth 6. Photo taken at the forge. Reverse: Sent from Gosport. No date. "My Dear Bertha, I am pleased to hear you have got over your accident. I hope your hand is quite well now. I am sending you one of these cards because I thought you would be pleased. How are you getting on at Folkestone. You must write when you have time to Your Loving Brother Jack." [Jack's daughter Queenie also had a copy of this postcard, without the message on the back, which remained in England. That has nothing on the back, apart from an unused postcard, but printed bottom left is 'RMLI [Royal Marines Light Infantry] Battery. The armourer's shop staff.' Probably taken in Gosport where RMLI was based.] - Bertha went to Australia in 1914, so this appears to be from one of the two periods in 'Portsmouth' in 1912/13. |
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Service Record: 15 July to 7 August 1913 - H.M.S. Glory 13. Colour postcard 'Napoli: Il Porto. Possibly Jack sailed to Italy? Bertha's writing says 1913 and labels this card as No 15. Obviously some cards were lost over the years. Card sent to Mrs Gower [Jack's mother] at Cheriton. Dated July 17, 1913. Written from 25 Mess H.M.S. Glory. "My dear Mother, I am you will see aboard again. This time I have a very old ship. She has a pretty name, hasn't she. It is a good ship, not too much (distress?) about it. We are at Margate now and the people are coming out in thousands to see us in boats. Well Mother, I willl send the ----when we get paid.---from your loving son, Jack" The postcard with photo of Jack, right, was sent by Jack from Devonport (Plymouth Naval Base) to Mr. and Mrs. King in Southampton - Mrs. King being Jack's future wife, Alice. Right: POST CARD. postmark: Devonport
date illegible [but possibly from H.M.S. Glory, July/Aug 1913]. Despite being partly illegible this suggests that Jack knew Alice and her first husband quite well at this time. Service Record: 8 August 1913 to 27 January 1916 - Portsmouth The postcard with the dogs, left, sent to sister Queenie in Australia : "To dear Queen, hoping your hand is better from Alice and Jack, Dec 1913. Don't forget when you write to Jack to put K.M.L.J. 15138. 2 upper Mill Lane Gosport, Hants." A copy of the photo left, with Alice and Queenie jnr, was sent to Jack's sister Queenie and dated November 1915. |
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The letter about Jack's death:
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Service Record: 28 January 1916 - H.M.S. Malaya 14. (right) Greetings from HMS Malaya on Active Service Great War 1915-1916. addressed to Mrs Gower, East Coraki, Richmond River, NSW Australia. "Dear Mother, Just a line to let you know I am still kicking. I had a letter from Queenie [Florence, his sister] which I am answering as soon as possible. Hope you are all well as I am---of course under the circumstances. Goodbye. Love from your Son, Jack" There is a censors stamp and my grandmother, Bertha later added a note, "Poor Jack didn't live to see that 2nd little girl Vera. He died 10 days after the battle." [HMS Malaya was the ship that got hit, causing the injuries that killed Jack] Service Record: Left Malaya 2 June, 1916, transferred to Portsmouth Division 3rd June.
The following letter was sent from Jack's younger sister, Bertha, to his older sister, Queenie, both in Australia, a couple of months after he died. Oakland, East Coraki My Dear Queenie, I hope you are getting over your worry now. Mum is much better now. Chris had word from Alice and she had his body brought home, so I don't think there can be any mistake. He was buried with full military honours. But mum won't part with the letters of news. So I will copy them and send to you. I had a blouse given to me and it is too small. Mum won't wear ir because it fastens at the back so I hope you [illegible] . . . sheets to you last saturday week, so I hope you had them. Don't forget to let us know. Thank Jackie for his letter to me. Now I will start the official letter. H.M.S. Malaya On behalf of the officers, ships company, and myself I beg to convey to you our sincere sympathy on the loss of our shipmate your son, John Gower. Who died a noble death, having been severely wounded in action on 31st May by the explosion of a big German shell, and having since died in hospital. [illegible name] And our old address wrtten on it. Mrs. E. Gower 107 Military Avenue Shorncliffe. Then the captains letter. It appears they are two different Cptns, 1 of Malaya, 1 of Marines. (20 June 1916. Dear Madam, It is not from any want of sympathy that you have not heard from me before this. I can assure you that you have my very deepest sympathy. Which is shared by the whole of the Royal Marine Detachment, in the loss of your son. I have been away for a few days and it was only on my return that I learned the sad news, he had died of his wounds. I feel that you will want to know all that I can tell you, of how he met his death. It was in the fleet action fought against the German fleet on May 31st off Jutland as you may know. He was at the time supplying ammunition to his gun, when a German shell penetrated exploded and killed or very severely wounded everyone in the battery. Your son was at his gun and although he made a great effort to hold on to life, living for several days, he was so severely burnt by the flame from the explosion that he was unable to recover from the shock. I can assure you that all that was humanly possible to do was done by the doctors. I was able to talk to him after the action and he was quite conscious and did not complain in the least although I know he must have been suffering, he knew that he had done his duty and nobly too, and that was quite sufficient for him. I know how irreperable is the loss to you. But surely Mrs Gower it will be of some consolation to you to know that he laid down his life for his King and country in this great struggle giving the best he had to give, standing to his gun, with determination to conquer. He is sadly missed by me, and his messmates, he was a good [illegible] of the corps to which he belonged and did his duty well and cheerfully. I am collecting all his private property which as soon as complete will be forwarded to Hdqutrs Forton Barracks for transmission to you. The regulations prevent me from sending it direct, but I shall send you a list of all that I have been able to collect, so that you will know what I have forwarded to Forton. Believe me yours sincerely So you see Queen there is a muddle over his things which Alice not us should receive but that is the only mistake. I am going into a . . . soon. Am waiting for further news. I can't tell you by post the reasons I broke my engagement but next time we meet will tell you. Now . . . dear Queen. I remain your loving sister |
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