Private 18168 11th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regt)
Died Saturday lst July 1916 (Age 24)
Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France
Memorial Ref.: Pier and Face 10 C 10 D and 11 A.
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Lewis Angus (Augustus) Towle was born in 1892 at Langley Mill, Nottinghamshire. the son of Joseph Towle, a blacksmith and his wife Kezia Towle of Bridge Street, Heanor. By 1901 Lewis is living at Station Road, Langley Mill with his elder brother James Towle and his wife Ann as both of lewis’s parents had died in 1898 just within a few weeks of each other. James had taken in, not only Lewis, then aged 6 years, but another brother named John and a sister named Gertrude. Lewis also had elder brothers and sisters William, Frederick, Mary, Kezia and Priscilla.
In May 1915, at St. Mary’s Church, Westwood Lewis married Fanny Clark of New Westwood. At the time of the marriage Lewis was a soldier, billeted in Kent. The Soldiers Died CD shows his place of residence as Jacksdale but the Sherwood Foresters Roll of Honour mentions a Nottingham Evening Post article referring to an L. A. Towle of New Westwood. The family can be found on the 1901 Census at Station Road, Langley Mill. Lewis is living with his elder brother James Towle and wife Ann. James had taken in, not only Lewis but another brother named John and a sister named Gertrude. The 1891 Census indicates that Lewis was the son of Joseph and Kezia Towle of Bridge Street, Heanor and that he also had brothers named William and Frederick, as well as sisters named Mary, Kezia and Priscilla.
A newspaper report entitled “Selston Roll of Honour” reports that he enlisted at Nottingham in October 1914. He was posted to France in August 1915 and was killed on Saturday 1st July 1916, age 24, in the attack on Ovillers, France.
Lewis was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War and Victory Medals. In January 1917 his personal effects amounting to £3 9s 5d were sent to his widow Fanny and later in September 1921 a war gratuity of £7 10s was paid.
As yet, we have been unable to trace any living relatives and therefore have no further information about him. He is the only ‘Towle’ listed on the Jacksdale War Memorial but it is interesting to note that H/275972 Private Leonard Towell of the 1st Notts S.R. Yeomanry, place of residence Laverick Road, Jacksdale, who served, is also mentioned on the Jacksdale War Memorial. Due to the different spelling of the name we have assumed that there is no relationship. 268909 Private Arthur Graney (fallen) and 268910 Lance Corporal Thomas Wrightson (served) were also 11th Bn Sherwood Foresters.
Lewis Angus Towle is one of nine Jacksdale & Westwood casualties commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial, France, memorial to 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20th March 1918, and have no known grave.
Fanny and Lewis had no children but Fanny went on to marry Archibald W Romaine in 1919 and they had one son, Archibald born in 1930.
