Richard Heath Lowe

Rank 
Captain
Regiment 
Essex Regiment
Date of death 
9 October 1917
Age of death 
25
Address 
730 High Road
Leytonstone
Essex
E11 3AJ
Address source 
1911 Census
Cemetery / Memorial 
Belgium
Biography 

Born on 1885 at South Hackney, son of Henry (Mechanical Engineer) and Annie Mary Lowe. 1891: With his family at 32 Romford Road West Ham. 1901: With his family at 34 Romford Road, West Ham. In 1909 he married Laura Rosina Urquhart. 1911: A Garment Dyer and Cleaner with his wife and one year old child Rosina Mary at 730 High Road, Leytonstone. Two more children, Richard and Robert would follow. His will gave the address 61 Browning Road, Leytonstone.

He  enlisted in 1 Essex Volunteer Royal Field Artillery at Stratford on 13th March 1901 while an Apprentice Engineer, signing on again when the Territorial Force was introduced, before finally standing down on 2nd April 1914. When the war came he served as a Captain in 6 Essex Territorial Battalion, arriving in France on 11th July 1917. He was finally attached to the regular Battalion 2 Essex.   

The Battle of Poelcappelle was intended to take ground between Poelcappelle on the right and the Ypres-Staden Railway on the left, beyond the Poelcappelle - Houthulst Road, so linking the two points. Zero Hour at 05.30 on 9th October 1917 was preceded by a 4 minute artillery barrage followed by a creeping barrage moving forward 100 yards in 10 minutes. However advancing men encountered severe rifle and machine gun fire from the area of the railway. Objective 1 was taken, but machine guns in blockhouses checked the advance on the left, and the attack began to falter. Falling short of their final objective, the Essex men then formed a defensive line in shell craters to repel an expected counter attack. They held the ground overnight until relieved by the Household Division, when they retired to support positions in water filled shell holes. Casualties during this operation were severe, and Richard Lowe was one of seven Officers who were Killed in Action.

His exact connection with South Woodford remains unclear.

Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian

Sources:

Ancestry.com

Regimental History