Major
A (Delhi) Company
1st Battalion
The Royal Gurkha Rifles
British Army
He was deployed with the UK contingent of NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Maj Bowman, Lt Neal Turkington and Cpl Arjun Purja Pun were killed in a night-time attack by a renegade member of the Afghan National Army at Patrol Base 3 in southern Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand province. The company commander, Maj Bowman, was shot dead in his sleeping quarters and the other two were killed in the base's operations room using a shoulder-mounted rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Four other British soldiers were injured in the attack.
Aged 34, Maj Bowman was from Salisbury, Wiltshire. Known as Josh, he commissioned from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1999 and was posted asa a rifle platoon commander in 1st Battalion The Light Infantry. He served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Sierra Leone, and as an instructor at the infantry training centre in Catterick and the Land Warfare Centre in Warminister. He also completed a five month posting as the Assistant Chief Instructor at the Iraqi Military Academy Ar Rustamiyah (IMAR), an eight man training team for 600 Officer Cadets and 300 Iraqi staff. Maj Bowman assumed company command with 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles in May 2009. He was lauded for his unflinching courage and determination, inspirational leadership and cheerful demeanour.
He was presented with a kukri knife as the ultimate battle honour by the Gurkha warriors he commanded. Legend has it that once drawn a kukri cannot be sheathed until it has drawn blood, and giving it marked Maj Bowman as a "blood brother".
Maj Bowman leaves behind his parents John and Barbara, sister Louisa, half-brothers David and Brian, his girlfriend Lucy Chittenden, along with other relatives and many friends. His family said, "He was the best possible son and brother who will be sadly missed by his family and many friends. He loved the Army and was very proud of the selfless work that he and his Company were doing."
Funeral with full military honours was held on August 6, 2010 in Salisbury Cathedral. Ashes interred at St Andrew's Church, Boscombe, SP4 0AB.
*Thanks to Lady Linda for the grave photo and Forscher for the memorial photos
A (Delhi) Company
1st Battalion
The Royal Gurkha Rifles
British Army
He was deployed with the UK contingent of NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Maj Bowman, Lt Neal Turkington and Cpl Arjun Purja Pun were killed in a night-time attack by a renegade member of the Afghan National Army at Patrol Base 3 in southern Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand province. The company commander, Maj Bowman, was shot dead in his sleeping quarters and the other two were killed in the base's operations room using a shoulder-mounted rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Four other British soldiers were injured in the attack.
Aged 34, Maj Bowman was from Salisbury, Wiltshire. Known as Josh, he commissioned from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1999 and was posted asa a rifle platoon commander in 1st Battalion The Light Infantry. He served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Sierra Leone, and as an instructor at the infantry training centre in Catterick and the Land Warfare Centre in Warminister. He also completed a five month posting as the Assistant Chief Instructor at the Iraqi Military Academy Ar Rustamiyah (IMAR), an eight man training team for 600 Officer Cadets and 300 Iraqi staff. Maj Bowman assumed company command with 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles in May 2009. He was lauded for his unflinching courage and determination, inspirational leadership and cheerful demeanour.
He was presented with a kukri knife as the ultimate battle honour by the Gurkha warriors he commanded. Legend has it that once drawn a kukri cannot be sheathed until it has drawn blood, and giving it marked Maj Bowman as a "blood brother".
Maj Bowman leaves behind his parents John and Barbara, sister Louisa, half-brothers David and Brian, his girlfriend Lucy Chittenden, along with other relatives and many friends. His family said, "He was the best possible son and brother who will be sadly missed by his family and many friends. He loved the Army and was very proud of the selfless work that he and his Company were doing."
Funeral with full military honours was held on August 6, 2010 in Salisbury Cathedral. Ashes interred at St Andrew's Church, Boscombe, SP4 0AB.
*Thanks to Lady Linda for the grave photo and Forscher for the memorial photos
Major
A (Delhi) Company
1st Battalion
The Royal Gurkha Rifles
British Army
He was deployed with the UK contingent of NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Maj Bowman, Lt Neal Turkington and Cpl Arjun Purja Pun were killed in a night-time attack by a renegade member of the Afghan National Army at Patrol Base 3 in southern Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand province. The company commander, Maj Bowman, was shot dead in his sleeping quarters and the other two were killed in the base's operations room using a shoulder-mounted rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Four other British soldiers were injured in the attack.
Aged 34, Maj Bowman was from Salisbury, Wiltshire. Known as Josh, he commissioned from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1999 and was posted asa a rifle platoon commander in 1st Battalion The Light Infantry. He served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Sierra Leone, and as an instructor at the infantry training centre in Catterick and the Land Warfare Centre in Warminister. He also completed a five month posting as the Assistant Chief Instructor at the Iraqi Military Academy Ar Rustamiyah (IMAR), an eight man training team for 600 Officer Cadets and 300 Iraqi staff. Maj Bowman assumed company command with 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles in May 2009. He was lauded for his unflinching courage and determination, inspirational leadership and cheerful demeanour.
He was presented with a kukri knife as the ultimate battle honour by the Gurkha warriors he commanded. Legend has it that once drawn a kukri cannot be sheathed until it has drawn blood, and giving it marked Maj Bowman as a "blood brother".
Maj Bowman leaves behind his parents John and Barbara, sister Louisa, half-brothers David and Brian, his girlfriend Lucy Chittenden, along with other relatives and many friends. His family said, "He was the best possible son and brother who will be sadly missed by his family and many friends. He loved the Army and was very proud of the selfless work that he and his Company were doing."
Funeral with full military honours was held on August 6, 2010 in Salisbury Cathedral. Ashes interred at St Andrew's Church, Boscombe, SP4 0AB.
*Thanks to Lady Linda for the grave photo and Forscher for the memorial photos
A (Delhi) Company
1st Battalion
The Royal Gurkha Rifles
British Army
He was deployed with the UK contingent of NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Maj Bowman, Lt Neal Turkington and Cpl Arjun Purja Pun were killed in a night-time attack by a renegade member of the Afghan National Army at Patrol Base 3 in southern Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand province. The company commander, Maj Bowman, was shot dead in his sleeping quarters and the other two were killed in the base's operations room using a shoulder-mounted rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Four other British soldiers were injured in the attack.
Aged 34, Maj Bowman was from Salisbury, Wiltshire. Known as Josh, he commissioned from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1999 and was posted asa a rifle platoon commander in 1st Battalion The Light Infantry. He served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Sierra Leone, and as an instructor at the infantry training centre in Catterick and the Land Warfare Centre in Warminister. He also completed a five month posting as the Assistant Chief Instructor at the Iraqi Military Academy Ar Rustamiyah (IMAR), an eight man training team for 600 Officer Cadets and 300 Iraqi staff. Maj Bowman assumed company command with 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles in May 2009. He was lauded for his unflinching courage and determination, inspirational leadership and cheerful demeanour.
He was presented with a kukri knife as the ultimate battle honour by the Gurkha warriors he commanded. Legend has it that once drawn a kukri cannot be sheathed until it has drawn blood, and giving it marked Maj Bowman as a "blood brother".
Maj Bowman leaves behind his parents John and Barbara, sister Louisa, half-brothers David and Brian, his girlfriend Lucy Chittenden, along with other relatives and many friends. His family said, "He was the best possible son and brother who will be sadly missed by his family and many friends. He loved the Army and was very proud of the selfless work that he and his Company were doing."
Funeral with full military honours was held on August 6, 2010 in Salisbury Cathedral. Ashes interred at St Andrew's Church, Boscombe, SP4 0AB.
*Thanks to Lady Linda for the grave photo and Forscher for the memorial photos
Gravesite Details
He also has a memorial in Allington; see FG #83850079.
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