The Queens Own Royal West Kent R

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Corporal J Flowers

Inscription -

"AND LET PERPETUAL

SHINE UPON HIM

MAY HE REST IN PEACE"

Photograph by “chris(tine)eaton”

Corporal Joseph FLOWERS, G/21392, 7th Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, killed in action, Flanders France, 27th August 1918, age 22.

Born South America, son of Antony and Philonine Flowers, of 112, Oliver St., Birkenhead. Parents Italian.

1911 Census - 112 Oliver Street, Birkenhead - Antony Flower, head, age 42, married, musician, own account, home, born Italy, Italian; Philemena Flower, wife, age 47, married 21 years, 6 children, all still alive, assisting in business, home, born Italy, Italian; Peter Flower, son age 18. single, musician, home, born United States America, Italian; Teresa Flower, daughter, age 16, single, assisting home, home, born United States America, Italian; Joseph Flower, son, age 14, musician, street., home, born South America, Italian; Rosa Flower, daughter, age 8, born Birkenhead, Italian; George Flower, son age 6, born Birkenhead, Italian; Antonio Gentile, visitor, age 80, married 40 years, 5 children, 1 still alive, musician, street, own account, home, born Italy, Italian; Pietra Gentile, visitor, age 60, single, musician, street, own account, home, born Italy, Italian; Ernest Homans, boarder, age 37, single, marble worker, employee, at home, born South America, South American; Ethel Copeland, boarder, age 22, single, servant, employee, home, born Lancashire, English; Rowland Edwin Piercy, servant, age 16, servant, employee, home, born Birkenhead, English; James Waters, servant, age 20, servant, employee, home, born Liverpool, English; Eda Moore, visitor, age 33, married 15 years, 1 child, still alive, born Birkenhead, English.

13th November 1914, St Werburgh? Church, Birkenhead, married Letitia Mary McAleny, of 148, Beckwith Street, Birkenhead.

Children - Mary Jane Flowers, born 17th November 1916, Birkenhead; Joseph, born 11th October 1918, Birkenhead, deceased 29th January 1919.

Enlisted Birkenhead, age 19 years & 210days, height 5ft 6¼ inches. Resided 148, Beckwith Street, Birkenhead. Formerly fat resiner (British American Prod.Co)

8th December 1915, enlisted; 8th December 1915, to Army Reserve, Class "B"; 29th May 1916, mobilized; 29th May 1916, posted 5th Battalion Cheshire Regiment; 25th January 1917, embarked Southampton; 25th January 1917, disembarked Rouen; 25th January 1917, reported Infantry Base Depot; 27th January 1917, joined 16th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, Service No.241794; 12th April 1917, 2/2 Stationary Field Ambulance, influenza; 19th April 1917, to Duty; 20th January 1918, appointed unpaid Lance Corporal; 23rd July 1918, transferred to Royal West Kent Regiment, & posted 7th Battalion; 21st August 1918, promoted Corporal.

23rd March 1919, date when Separation Allowance of 22/- a week and Allotment of Pay of 3/6 a week payable to wife will cease.

5th June 1920, Statement of Relatives - Widow, Letitia Mary Flowers, 148, Beckwith Street, Birkenhead; Child, Mary Jane Flowers, born 17th November 1916, 148, Beckwith Street, Birkenhead; Father, Antony Flowers, 148, Beckwith Street, Birkenhead; Mother, Philonine Flowers, 148, Beckwith Street, Birkenhead; Brother - Peter Flowers, age 27, Brook Street, Birkenhead; Sisters - Theresa? Flowers, age 24, 112 Oliver Street, Birkenhead; Rose Flowers, age 17, 112 Oliver Street, Birkenhead; Mary Patrick, age 29, 27 George Street, Birkenhead.

Buried at Quarry Cemetery, II. M. 3., Montauban, Somme, France.

5th August 2025, information from Martin Coogan

You may be interested to know he is remembered on the Woodside and Wallasey Meat Traders Association War Memorial:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/62613

He worked at the Woodside and Wallasey Lairages.

There is a record for him on Familysearch.org:

https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/PQ73-WV2

This page was last updated on 13-Aug-2025.