BOWERS, William Allan

War
2nd Word War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Stratford, Ontario
Original Unit
Perth Regiment
Regimental Number
11702
Rank
Private
Date of Death
Age at Death
19 years 7 months
Cemetery
Dungannon Cemetery
Cenotaph
St Helens Cenotaph
Lucknow Cenotaph
Biographical Summary

NAME                  BOWERS William Allan                                                                                                          RANK                  Private            11702                                                                                                 
REGIMENT         Perth Regiment - Machine Gun
                            “C” Huron Company
                            “bold and wary”
                            Royal Canadian Infantry Corp                                                                                                    Born                    March 2, 1921 -  Forward, Saskatchewan - Rural District of Norton                              Residence           Auburn                                                                                                                                        Died                    September 26, 1940         19 years   7 months
Cemetery            Dungannon Cemetery - Dungannon, Ontario, County of Huron                                                                                  C 26
Parents               Mr. Edward and Mamie Bowers - Auburn - Ontario                                                            Brothers             Gordon and Edward Bowers_ Auburn - Ontario

William was born on March 2, 1921 in Forward, Saskatchewan and the Bowers family was one of many families to move to Ontario. They moved because of the Great Depression and because of the massive dust storms caused by drought that went on for a number of years. William and his family moved to Huron County in 1937. The Bowers family were members of Dungannon United Church. William was a farmer before he enlisted.

CANADA

William went to Stratford and enlisted into the Canadian Army on October 5, 1939. Upon his enlistment he was  5' 9" in height and heweighed140 pounds. He had a medium complexion with hazel eyes and brown hair. On December 12th he transerred to the Perth Regiment Depot.
On March 2, 1940 he was Taken on Strength by the Perth Regiment and from that time until he lost his life he was stationed at Camp Borden. Private Bowers was attached to #2 Provost and on the day he died he was part of the Second Division Petrol Company. While he was on duty he was involved in an accident and was
admitted into Guelph General Hospital. The accident had taken place at 16:00 hours 5 miles south of Fergus
on Highway 6. The truck he was riding in went off the road and overturned after the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. Private Bowers suffered severe and fatal head and throat injuries.
• The convoy of trucks from Camp Borden had traveled to Stratford  on September 29th and arrived there at 18:00 hours. They attended a Civic Reception and the Regiment had been billeted at the fairgrounds   for the night. They had left Stratford on September 26th at 13:00 hours and had followed Highway 8 through Kitchener and once in Guelph turned north and followed Highway 6 until they were about 5 miles south of Fergus. Private Bowers was in the back of a truck with about 15 other men. The driver of the truck which was a Ford V8 fell asleep at the wheel. The driver had sufficient time while in Stratford to have a good night of sleep. Those who spoke to the driver said he had "dozed" off. There was nothing on the road to cause it to swerve before being  driven into a tree and from there into a deep ditch that had water in it. At the time of the accident the weather and the visibility were not a factor in the accident. Usually, there were two drivers in the truck but on this day there was one. However, there was an officer with the driver and who insisted that the windows be up which may have contributed to the driver being drowsy. The findings of the Court of Inquiry was that the driver of the truck had momentarily fallen asleep.                                                                                                     Private Bowers is honoured and remembered on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial as well as on the St.HelensCenotaph and Memorial and on www.canadianfallen.ca/68717/BOWERS. He should be honoured and remembered on the Book of Remembrance of the Perth Regiment but to date his name does not appear there.
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