205107 Cpl. Matthew Nielson Bowman British Army 2nd Btn. D Coy Royal Scots Fusiliers from:Irvine, Scotland Matthew Nielson Bowman of Irvine Scotland was born in 1883, was a corporal in the 2nd Battalion, Company D of the Royal Scots Fusiliers during WWI. On his arrival in France he was attached to the 9th Infantry Brigade which in turn was subordinate to the 3rd Division. He was captured by the Germans and spent time in a POW camp. The Red Cross Archives in Geneva attest that he was captured March 23, 1918 at Ham, France. He was a prisoner of war in German hands, present in the camp of Soltau coming from Aachen (according to a German list dated 23.9.1919). Family anecdotes say that he was captured when he was shot in the knee and that he was made to work in the salt mines while he was a prisoner. Like many veterans, he never liked to talk about his wartime experiences.
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