Originally from Manchester, England, George Richard LOWE arrived in South Australia in the 1850's searching for a new life in a new colony.  He lived with his wife Jane REED in various residences in Macclesfield, Kooringa, Whyte-Yarcowie and others. The couple had nine children, with one William Ridgway Lowe making a name for himself as a respected business man in Adelaide, travelling throughout Australia and the UK. In 1891 he married Emma Rebecca Jane CREER and they had three children - Marjorie Lowe, William Erl Bridson Lowe and Ridgway Bridson Lowe.
 

William Ridgway LOWE	Emma Rebecca Jane CREER

Their residence during WW1 was in London, UK when in 1915 the then 19 year old William Erl Bridson already enlisted in the British Army became 2nd Lieutenant and served with the 3rd Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment.

He was killed in action on 28 May 1918 as an Acting Captain in the 2nd Battalion, East Lancs and is commemorated on the Soissons Memorial in France.  His bravery in action was awarded and he received the Military Cross and Bar, meaning he received the award twice, once on 28 September 1917 and on 26 July 1918 (posthumous).

The London Gazette of the day holds records of his second citation:
"Lt (A./Capt.) W.E.B. Lowe, M.C., E. Lancs. Regt. - ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty throughout lengthy operations.  When all officers senior to him were wounded he took command of his unit, displaying the greatest courage and coolness, and taking part in several successful counter-attacks.  His fearlessness and personal example were of the highest value to all ranks with him’".

Many people on the Internet have helped us to gather information about the battle in which W.E.B. lost his life.

Here is one such account:
“In the Spring and early summer of 1918 the Germans launched a series of massive attacks on the Western Front. They had transferred men from the redundant Russian Front and were making one last attempt to win the War before the Americans arrived in sufficient numbers to make defeat inevitable. The 2nd East Lancs. were part of the 8th Division, which along with the 19th, 21st, 25th and 50th Divisions had been sent to the front line between Reims and Soissons to recuperate after being badly mauled in these attacks. This part of the line had been a quiet sector, but unfortunately it was the very area in which the Germans had planned to launch their next big attack. The attack was launched on the morning of 27th May with overwhelming numbers of troops against exhausted British troops who had only just been brought up to strength with young and partly trained boys who had just arrived from England. Despite this the British troops did not break, but made a fighting withdrawal over the next few days, during which Capt. Lowe was killed.”

Related Links
The Military Cross
Information about the citation and it's history.

The Lowe Family Genealogy Forum
Post your query about the Lowe family.

Keeping a Lowe Profile
Another researcher with her Lowe family.

Greater Manchester Gazetteer
Information about Manchester, UK and surrounds.

Anne's Low Genealogy Page
Another Low/Lowe researcher.

Lancashire England World Gen Web Project Genealogy
An excellent site for Lancashire genealogy.

LANCASHIRE Look-up Exchange

World War 1 by Avishai
Photos discovered by a man named Avishai showing the war scenes in Soissons, France around the time William Erl Bridson Lowe was killed.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Find out about your ancestors who were killed during wartimes.