Captain Thomas David Dickenson Bowman
Unit : Mortar Platoon, Support Company, 12th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment.
Service No. : 243050
Awards : Military Cross
Captain Thomas David Dickenson Bowman was commanding the twelve mortars of his Battalion in France from June 7th until August 31st 1944.
The close nature of the country demanded that the controller of the Mortar fire was in an Observation Post among the forward sections, or, at times, in front of them.
Whenever the enemy opened fire with his mortars or machine guns Captain Bowman was inevitably to be found in a forward Observation Post, which many times was a target itself for the enemy's fire.
On one occasion the Artillery Forward Observation Officer beside him was killed outright and Captain Bowman himself wounded. He, however, remained at his post until the mortars were no longer required, an hour later.
Throughout the period his Battalion was in France and in particular during the period 1st August to 31st August, Captain Bowman has shown outstanding courage and devotion to duty and a sincere desire to engage the enemy at every opportunity.