John Bowler (of the family who made the hats of the same name) visited the Bloxham last week, where his father and four uncles were all educated, to loan us his family war memorabilia for the school’s First World War exhibition
Bloxham School was fortunate to be visited on Thursday by John Bowler (of the Deddington family who used to make the hats of the same name), along with his wife Gill.
John visited Bloxham in order to drop off memorabilia associated with his family, three members of whom attended Bloxham School and fought in the First World War. The memorabilia included the ceremonial sword and medal collection of his father, Leslie Bowler. Leslie won the Military Cross in November 1917, and again in August 1918. John’s brother Geoffrey was wounded at Gallipoli, losing a leg, and then joined the RFC (which later became the RAF), rising to the rank of Air Vice Marshal in the Second World War. A third brother, Frank, also served in the war as a pilot in the RAF. Two more brothers, Cyril and John, died tragically whilst still students at Bloxham, drowning in a river near their home back in 1917.
John and Gill lunched with the Headmaster in the school dining hall before being taken on a tour of Bloxham by the school archivist, Simon Batten. During the tour, all parties were delighted to discover that John, who himself won the Military Cross in Korea, had served in the same battalion there as Simon’s father 63 years ago and remembered him well.
The memorabilia which John has kindly lent will be put on display in an exhibition on Bloxham School and the First World War which will coincide with the term’s main dramatic production ’79’, which has been written by Director of Drama Sam Brassington and follows the story of five Bloxham boys who joined up to fight in the First World War.’