大象传媒

The twins, Arthur and Sid, had just celebrated their fifteenth birthdays when the Second World War started and little did they, or anybody else at the time, imagine it would last long enough for this pair of young scallywags to become involved.

But as the war years dragged wearily and inexorably on it became obvious that they would join older brothers Jack, Stan, and Fred in fighting for their country.

Sid couldn't wait to do so and at the same time escape his job as apprentice welder in the shipyards. He hated both and often "jumped the wall" just as he had played truant from school in years gone by so he volunteered for the Royal Navy just as soon as he was able.

As usual wherever Sid went Arthur was sure to follow. The pair of them were inseperable, forever getting into scrapes with the rebellious Sid invariably the leader and the faithful Arther tagging on.

At that time the Admiralty had an inflexible rule that brothers would not be allowed to sail on the same vessel but after an appeal from my father who pointed out that they had never been apart, they relented.

So the twins were re-united and continued to get into more scrapes together including once over staying their leave. I well recall the scene when the Naval Police collared them and as the van, with them inside, drove away a stray mongrel dog they had adopted chasing after it.

We were never to see Sid again.

He and Arthur served on the destroyer H.M.S. Saumarez when it took part in the battle of the Scharnhorst on Boxing Day 1943. The Saumarez took a direct hit and Sid was killed.

Arthur was so distraught that when Sid鈥檚 body was ceremoniously buried at sea he jumped in after it only to be quickly hauled back on board.

It was a matter of months before he got leave and arrived home unannounced and in the low key manner he did everything.

Those of the family who were still at home were huddled around our meagre coal rationed fire when the back door opened and there stood Arthur. He cut such a pathetic figure with that huge kit bag on his shoulder, so young looking, so forlorn.

Mother, who had howled like a stricken animal the entire night we received that fateful telegram broke her heart again as she hugged her remaining twin.

Arthur Miller Bowman, my brother, served out the remainder of the war in destroyers and minesweepers. He escorted Arctic convoys to Russia and received one of the few medals awarded to foreigners by the Soviet Union. He also served in the Mediterranean and took part in the D-Day landings on Normandy.

He survived the war unscathed in body but when that German shell took his twin brother鈥檚 life it took much of him too for he was never the same again.

Arthur was in fact, as much a casualty of war as Sid

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.