BORN – Oswestry
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation / St Oswald’s Church / Christ Church / RodboroughWM
EDUCATION – Apprentice Printer
JOB – Print Compositor
UNIT – 9 Bn Cheshire Regiment
RANK – 9 Bn Cheshire Regiment.
THEATRE – Kaiser Offensive. / Somme. Beugny. 9 Bn Cheshire Regiment. 25 March 1918.
DIED – Died of wounds 25 March 1918. Aged 38.
BURIED – St Pierre Cemetery at Amiens. (CWGC)
BROTHER to Captain John M Owen
Herbert Morris Owen was born at Oswestry in 1879. His father was Thomas Owen, a bookseller, printer and stationer with a business in Oswestry. Thomas Owen’s first wife, Mary, had died in July 1876 – possibly due to complications with the birth of their fourth child, Emily. Their other children were William, who had died in 1870, Edith and Edward. Thomas Owen remarried in 1878 to Mary Sarah Oliver, a widow with a child named William. Herbert was their eldest child followed by Arthur, Florence and youngest John Morris Owen who was also killed in the war. In 1881 the family, with 2 servants, were living at Fern Bank, Racecourse Road (Mount Road), Oswestry. The Owen family were neighbours to Captain T C Wynne (Thomas Charles) Minshall and family.
Herbert followed his father’s trade and took an apprenticeship as a printer and, in 1901, was living as a boarder at Alma Road, St Albans and working as a print compositor. By 1911 he had moved to Lansdown Road, Stroud, working as a bookbinder, printer and stationer – he now is running his own business. In 1913 Herbert married Mollie Esme Kinsley at Wandsworth, London; they lived at Rodborough, Stroud. His widow returned to Wandsworth and her parents home.
Telegram to Herbert’s mother at Holly Bank, Oswestry informing her of her son;s death. (National Archives)
Herbert joined up 1916 enlisting in the Gloucester Hussars and went over to France in October 1917. He was later commissioned into the 9 Bn Cheshire Regiment. Herbert died of wounds on 25 March 1918 during Operation Michael, Kaiser Offensive. He was likely wounded on the 23 or 24 March, the battalion were holding a defensive line at Delsaux Farm near to Beugny and, following enemy successes, were withdrawn over the ensuing days to beyond Bapaume to a line between Miraumont and Achiet le Petit. He was evacuated from the battle area to Amiens where he is buried at St Pierre Cemetery. Herbert is also commemorated at St Oswald’s Church and Christ Church, Oswestry and on Rodborough War Memorial.
Acknowledgements.
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