Councillor Lieutenant William Bowen North Staffordshire Regiment and Mayor of Stafford
William Bowen
The Man William Bowen (Bill) was born on Sunday 20th May 1923 in Stafford, son of Percy a former World War I Driver in the Royal Engineers, Domestic Groom and Bricklayers Labourer and Elizabeth nee Wood. He was one of 10 children, Frank Slater (1906 - 1961), Stanley Thomas (1908 - 1986), Arthur (1910 - 1990), John Henry (1913 - 1942), Edith Mary (1915 -), Nona Winifred (1920 - 1988), Madge (1921 -), Bernard (1925 - 1999 ) and another unknown sibling who died very young.
Following his education Bill became an electrical fitter and the 1939 Register shows him as such, aged 16 and living with his family at 116 North Walls, Stafford. In the same year his brother John married Gladys May Birch in Stafford.
At the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939, Bill was aged 16 and too young to enlist, but in 1940 aged 17 he joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment with service number 5124312. On 12th February 1944 he was granted an emergency Commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the North Staffordshire Regiment with a new service number of 308193 and promoted to Lieutenant on 12th August.
Bill saw service in Northwest Europe following D-Day on 6th June 1944 and was severely injured during the Ardennes Offensive, Battle of the Bulge, in December 1944 when serving with the 5th Battalion Cameron Highlanders, possibly on attachment. At the end of the war, he was awarded his 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45.
Sadly in 1942, Bill’s brother John passed away leaving Gladys a widow and during the third quarter of 1945 aged 22 Bill married her in Stafford and they had two children, Valerie Ann born in 1946 and Elizabeth May 1948. They lived at Clifton House, 34 Clifton Drive, Stafford to where Bill’s medals were sent in 1948.
Following his education Bill became an electrical fitter and the 1939 Register shows him as such, aged 16 and living with his family at 116 North Walls, Stafford. In the same year his brother John married Gladys May Birch in Stafford.
At the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939, Bill was aged 16 and too young to enlist, but in 1940 aged 17 he joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment with service number 5124312. On 12th February 1944 he was granted an emergency Commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the North Staffordshire Regiment with a new service number of 308193 and promoted to Lieutenant on 12th August.
Bill saw service in Northwest Europe following D-Day on 6th June 1944 and was severely injured during the Ardennes Offensive, Battle of the Bulge, in December 1944 when serving with the 5th Battalion Cameron Highlanders, possibly on attachment. At the end of the war, he was awarded his 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45.
Sadly in 1942, Bill’s brother John passed away leaving Gladys a widow and during the third quarter of 1945 aged 22 Bill married her in Stafford and they had two children, Valerie Ann born in 1946 and Elizabeth May 1948. They lived at Clifton House, 34 Clifton Drive, Stafford to where Bill’s medals were sent in 1948.
Past Mayor of Stafford Jewel. 1939-45 Star. France and Germany Star. Defence Medal. War Medal 1939-45.
Bill remained in the Army following the war and transferred to the regulars on 22nd September 1952 although relinquished his Commission on 14th March 1953 on account of a disability, possibly relating to his earlier injuries sustained on active service. He returned to the electrical trade and later became the Records and Purchase Officer at the General Electric Company Laboratories in Stafford.
Bill’s marriage to Gladys didn’t last and they divorced, he re-married in the first quarter of 1956 to Phyllis Turner nee Harper, she having previously been married to Percy Turner a Police Constable and was working at the County Police HQ in Baswich. Bill gained two stepsons, Stuart born in 1935 and Alan 1936. Gladys married a third time to Francis Charles Clarke in 1955 and passed away on 17th November 1995.
In his spare time Bill enjoyed writing songs and poetry and was runner up in the 1957 Melody Maker song contest. He also became interested in local politics after his brother Stanley had been elected to Stafford Borough Council. Bill was also elected, as an independent Councillor on to the Borough in 1964 representing Littleworth Ward and onto Staffordshire County Council in 1967.
Bill’s marriage to Gladys didn’t last and they divorced, he re-married in the first quarter of 1956 to Phyllis Turner nee Harper, she having previously been married to Percy Turner a Police Constable and was working at the County Police HQ in Baswich. Bill gained two stepsons, Stuart born in 1935 and Alan 1936. Gladys married a third time to Francis Charles Clarke in 1955 and passed away on 17th November 1995.
In his spare time Bill enjoyed writing songs and poetry and was runner up in the 1957 Melody Maker song contest. He also became interested in local politics after his brother Stanley had been elected to Stafford Borough Council. Bill was also elected, as an independent Councillor on to the Borough in 1964 representing Littleworth Ward and onto Staffordshire County Council in 1967.
Reverse of Bill Bowen's Past Mayors Jewel
During his time on the council, he became Chairman of the Development Control Sub-Committee (planning), Vice-Chairman of the Development Services Committee and Chairman of the County Council’s Stafford Area Highways Advisory Committee. He was made redundant from GEC in 1972 and not being able to find another job, was able to devote much time to his council work.
Following the local Government Act of 1974, the Municipal Borough of Stafford was disbanded and merged together with Stafford Rural District, Stone Rural District and Stone Urban District into the new Stafford District Council, although styling itself a Borough, thus retaining the mayoralty.
Bill and Phyllis lived at Westhead Avenue in Stafford and in November 1974 Bill was nominated as the Mayor of the Stafford Borough Council for the municipal year of 1975-76, being formally elected to office on 30th April 1975 at the annual Mayor Making Ceremony in County Building, Stafford aged 51. He became the second Mayor of the new Borough, but the 361st of the town.
During his acceptance speech he pledged to continue the work of his predecessor to unify the citizens of the new Borough and during his year in office he and Phyllis attended many functions and engagements. 12 months later, on 14th May 1976 he handed the chain of office over to his successor and he and Phyllis were presented with their Past Mayor and Mayoress’s jewels recognising their year in office.
Bill retired from the Borough Council in 1991 aged 68 and he and Phyllis lived in Derrington. Sadly, Phyllis suffered a stroke in 1996 and died on 30th December, aged 86 having been admitted to hospital over Christmas. She was cremated on 6th January 1997 at Stafford Crematorium.
Bill lived for another five years passing away in November 2001 also in Stafford
Following the local Government Act of 1974, the Municipal Borough of Stafford was disbanded and merged together with Stafford Rural District, Stone Rural District and Stone Urban District into the new Stafford District Council, although styling itself a Borough, thus retaining the mayoralty.
Bill and Phyllis lived at Westhead Avenue in Stafford and in November 1974 Bill was nominated as the Mayor of the Stafford Borough Council for the municipal year of 1975-76, being formally elected to office on 30th April 1975 at the annual Mayor Making Ceremony in County Building, Stafford aged 51. He became the second Mayor of the new Borough, but the 361st of the town.
During his acceptance speech he pledged to continue the work of his predecessor to unify the citizens of the new Borough and during his year in office he and Phyllis attended many functions and engagements. 12 months later, on 14th May 1976 he handed the chain of office over to his successor and he and Phyllis were presented with their Past Mayor and Mayoress’s jewels recognising their year in office.
Bill retired from the Borough Council in 1991 aged 68 and he and Phyllis lived in Derrington. Sadly, Phyllis suffered a stroke in 1996 and died on 30th December, aged 86 having been admitted to hospital over Christmas. She was cremated on 6th January 1997 at Stafford Crematorium.
Bill lived for another five years passing away in November 2001 also in Stafford
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Bill and Phyllis Bowen's Past Mayor and Mayoress of Staford Jewels (not to scale)
The Story The medals and Past Mayors Jewels awarded to Percy, William and Phyllis Bowen were acquired from Bill Friar medals on 6th December 2024 whilst idly viewing various dealer web sites online.
They were of immediate interest because of the Father and son combination of medals, together with William and Phyllis’s past Mayor and Mayoress jewels; unusual to see medals kept together with the jewels. His Commission parchment and Mayoral appointment scroll also came with the lot, and purchased immediately.
As is often the case with Past Mayors, much information was gleaned from the Newspaper Archives, together with Ancestry, Forces War Records, London Gazette and Stafford Borough Council who very kindly provided the excellent portrait photograph of William as Mayor, pleasingly wearing his WWII medals.
It was also good to find that Percy’s World War I service records had survived, enabling a good biography of him to be pieced together as well as William.
Another great addition to the Mayoral sub-theme of this collection.
They were of immediate interest because of the Father and son combination of medals, together with William and Phyllis’s past Mayor and Mayoress jewels; unusual to see medals kept together with the jewels. His Commission parchment and Mayoral appointment scroll also came with the lot, and purchased immediately.
As is often the case with Past Mayors, much information was gleaned from the Newspaper Archives, together with Ancestry, Forces War Records, London Gazette and Stafford Borough Council who very kindly provided the excellent portrait photograph of William as Mayor, pleasingly wearing his WWII medals.
It was also good to find that Percy’s World War I service records had survived, enabling a good biography of him to be pieced together as well as William.
Another great addition to the Mayoral sub-theme of this collection.
Bill Bowen's Commissioning Parchment
Mayoral Appointment Scroll
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Past Mayors Roll of Honour
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Medal Details:
- 1939 - 45 Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- France and Germany Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
- Past Mayors Jewel: COUNCILLOR WILLIAM BOWEN C.C. MAYOR OF STAFFORD 1975-76
- Past Mayoress Jewell: MRS P BOWEN MAYORESS OF STAFFORD 1975-76
This page last updated 3 Dec 25
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