South Arabia Awards and Decorations

The following South Arabia award was made to a soldier of the Worcestershire Regiment.

Order of South Arabia

 

 

Order of South Arabia

Surname

Forename/s

Rank

Number

Award Class

Gazette Date

Bowen, M.C.

Thomas Jim

Colonel

100229

Companion

1967

 

Thomas Jim Bowen was commissioned into The Worcestershire Regiment on the 1st October 1939 and soon acquired the nickname of “Bill” from his fellow officers and “Buck” from the soldiers.

He served with the 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment during World War 2. As a Platoon Commander, he was awarded the Military Cross in 1941 for his "outstanding leadership and disregard for danger" during a counter attack by Italian forces in Eritrea. In 1942 he was captured at Tobruk and taken to a prisoner of war camp in Italy from where he escaped, but was recaptured some 5 months later

In 1965 Colonel Bowen was appointed Commander of the Federal Guard in South Arabia, with the task of reorganising the force as four infantry battalions, in order to combat the Egyptian-inspired insurgency in Aden and the Federation. As well as organising and training, the post involved continuous operational commitments working in conjunction with the British Forces and the Federal Regular Army. He was wounded in a grenade incident in Aden in March 1967. After commanding the Federal Guard he returned to Britain and retired in 1967.

He was appointed Colonel of the Worcestershire Regiment in July 1967, and on the amalgamation of the Worcesters with the Sherwood Foresters he became Deputy Colonel to Brigadier James Hackett, whom he succeeded as Colonel of the Regiment in 1972.

Colonel Bowen of Worcestershire died on the 14th March 2001 (age 83).

Colonel Thomas Jim Bowen
(known as "Bill")



Colonel Thomas Jim medal group

 

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