An India Service Medal 1895, Punjab Frontier, W.I.A Battle of Flers-Courcelette WW1 Medal Group awarded to 3660/10419 Pte T. Bowyer, 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry.

Tom Bowyer was born in Taunton, Somerset, during 1874. Having worked as a labourer, he enlisted on the 3rd of May, 1892, joining the ranks of the 1st Battalion, the Somerset Ligh Infantry.

The 1st Battalion was sent to India for 15 years in 1893, seeing action during the 1st Mohmand Campaign against the Mohmands between 1897 and 1898. During his first deployment to India, Pte Bowyer’s medical records show that he received regular treatment for Syphilis and Gonorrhoea.

Tom Bowyer re-enlisted on the 11th of August, 1914, joining the ranks of the 6th Battalion, the Somerset Light Infantry. They disembarked France on the 21st May, 1915. The 6th Battalion were in action during the Battle of Hooge on the 30th of July, where the Germans deployed flamethrowers against the British for the first time, then the 2nd attack on Bellawaarde, Delville Wood, and he was wounded in action on the 2nd day of the Battle of Flers-Corcelette, suffering a gunshot wound to his left thigh on the 16th of September, 1916. Pte Bowyer was repatreated back to England on the 21st of September 1916, to convaless. He then returned to India, serving there from the 13th of February 1917, through to the 5th of March 1919.

The medals are mounted for display, sold with good, copied research (service records covering his time at Mohmand and WW1 service, and confirming the medals are to the same man), and are as follows -

India Service Medal, 1895, clasp Punjab Frontier 1897-1898, 3360 Pte T. Bowyer. 1st Bn Som Lt Infy (correctly engraved naming); 1914/15 Star, 10419 PTE T. BOWYER. SOM: L.I.; British War & Victory Medals, 10419 PTE. T. BOWYER. SOM. L. I.

Condition, cleaned at some point slightly polished, good fine and better