TROWBRIDGE, Brothers – The Invicta Medal Museum

FAMILY

George and Alfred were the eldest sons of Ambrose and Ellen Trowbridge (above). Ambrose had, himself, served in the 39th/54th Regiment of Foot (Dorsetshire Regiment). He joined up at age 18 (1884). They had 11 children. In addition to George and Alfred there were their siblings; Elizabeth, Florence, Emily, Harriet, Lillian, Alice, Ada, Charles and Jessie. Alfred and George appear together at the family home in Silverlock Road in Portsmouth on the 1901 census.

Some other family photos –

54453 Bombardier / Corporal George Ambrose Trowbridge

41st Battery, 42nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery

1914 Star with clasp and rosette (usually worn on ribbon bar only), British War Medal and Victory Medal

George followed in his Father’s footsteps and joined the army aged around 18/19 – a long time prior to the outbreak of war. He appears on the 1911 census (below), aged 20 with the rank of Bombardier (equivalent to Corporal), while serving with the 41st Battery of the Royal Field Artillery. It is likely he had already served at least 2 years to have been promoted twice. The photos above (click to enlarge) show him with the rank of Lance-Bombardier, making the date of this photo around 1910, when George was 19 years old. The full size image of him on horseback was sent home to his mother by post from Woolwich Arsenal in 1911, the reverse, showing her address at the family home is shown below.

After the outbreak of war, George was among the very first men into France with the British Expeditionary Force. At this time, with the 41st Battery being part of the XLII (42nd) Brigade Royal Field Artillery and in turn part of the the British Army’s Third Division, he would have arrived in France around the 16th-19th of August 1914. They moved to take up defensive positions on the Mons-Conde Canal. Following a bloody battle against fierce opposition, where the 3rd division won the first 3 Victoria Crosses of the war, they began the retreat from Mons and later saw action at the First Battle of the Aisne.

In early October 1914, the division moved up to take part in fighting to the south of Armentières. It was here on October 14th at Vielle Chapelle, that the division’s commander, Major General H.I.W.Hamilton was killed. Sometime around this time George too was wounded, probably by the superior German heavy and medium shellfire. He was taken to the casualty clearing station in Bethune, but sadly died of his wounds on 26th October 1914.

He is buried and remembered with honour in Bethune Town Cemetery, France. He is poignantly buried next to a soldier of the Middlesex Regiment and another artilleryman who both also died on the same day.

269210 / 21359 / WR27137 Sapper / Private

Alfred Thomas Trowbridge

Royal Engineers and Army Vetinary Corps

British War Medal and Victory Medal.

When Alfred turned 18 in 1916 he left the family home, where he lived with his parents, uncle Robert, brother and seven sisters, to enlist and go to war. At this point, conscription was in place, so he little choice in the matter. His brother had died in France in the early stages of the war while Alfred was only 16. His sister, Harriet also died around this time in 1916, aged 20.

Alfred went on to serve in both the Royal Engineers and the Army Veterinary Corps. His is shown, below, wearing his AVC uniform, and in the group image on a break from cleaning out the horse stables.

Alfred survived the war, and returned home. On the 1921 census he is shown back living with the family, listed as an out of work labourer. He ultimately died young, at the age of 35 in 1932. He left his estate of £63 to his Parents, Ambrose and Ellen, who themselves lived to grand ages of 79 and 85 respectively.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH DOCUMENTS