Gunner Herbert Lowe
Royal Field Artillery, Service no. 32587
Born: 26th February 1897. Died: 1973
Maud Lowe
Munitions Worker
Born: 22nd November 1898. Died: 1953
Private Ernest Lowe
Born: 6th July 1894. Died: 1968
Story
Herbert and Maud were brother and sister. Their parents were Thomas Lowe (23/01/1874- 27/08/1945) and Emily Prince (13/04/1875 – 16/11/1949), who are pictured below:
In 1911, they were living at Fenton Square, Kippax. Herbert was a Pony Driver at the Colliery, and enlisted with Hugh Lambert on 22nd April 1915 aged 18 and 2 months. Herbert was first in line, as his service number 32587 is one higher than Hugh’s.
Herbert fought in France 1915-1917 and Italy 1917-1919 with the Royal Field Artillery, until he was discharged on 9th February 1919. After the War, Herbert married Sarah Ann Bell on Christmas Day 1922 in Whitwood Mere, and had a daughter, Emily Annie Lowe, in 1923. By 1939, Herbert was still working as a Colliery Hewer, and was living at 63 Pottery Lane, Castleford. He passed away at the age of 76.
Herbert’s sister, Maud, was a Munitions Worker during the War. She married Ernest Lowe in Kippax on 19th April 1919 (wedding picture below). Ernest Lowe was the son of Jonathan Lowe (1862-1935) and Julia Jones (1863-1927), baptised in Kippax on 1st August 1894, and he was also a Colliery Labourer before the War, living on School Lane, Kippax. He was listed in the newspaper on 18th August 1915 as having enlisted early during the War, and is thought to have risen to the rank of Corporal, but it is not known in which regiment he served:
After the War, Ernest returned to Coal Mining, and Maud resumed domestic duties, at their home, 29 Coronation Drive, Kippax, where they had a son, Percival Prince Lowe in 1919. Maud’s father Thomas Lowe also came to live with the family. During the Second World War, Percival, who was living nearby at 12 Coronation Drive, joined the RAF, and was killed. His death was registered in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, and he was brought back to Kippax to be buried on 20th March 1941. His estate of £161 4s was administered by his father. Maud and Ernest later moved to 25 Birch Drive, Kippax, where Maud passed away at the age of 54, and is buried with her son and father. Ernest passed away at the age of 74.
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