William Bowden-Smith

A cabinet card portrait of a young naval cadet, identified verso as ‘Bik’ Bowden-Smith, later Rear-Admiral William Bowden-Smith. The inscription is dated September 1887. This was shortly after William Bowden-Smith enrolled as naval cadet on 15 July 1887.

Born on 28 March 1874, William Bowden-Smith was the son of Admiral William Bowden-Smith. William, the son, saw action in the Royal Navy during the First World War, and narrowly escaped death when his ship, the HMS Russell, struck a mine in 1916. A report on the loss of the ship in the Illustrated War News (3 May 1916) carried a recent portrait of Captain Bowden-Smith by Russell and Sons. After the War, he was created a Commander of the British Empire (CBE).

In 1913 he married Ada Margaret Sandham at Holy Trinity Church in Brompton.

In 1947 he was living at West Hanney House at Wantage in Berkshire. Formerly the Rectory, this is a fine early Georgian house that is still standing. A google search will bring up several photographs of a large, handsome, red-brick house.

Rear-Admiral William Bowden died at Horsham in Sussex on 17 March 1962, aged 87. He left an estate valued at £34,144.

Photographed by Byrne and Co of Richmond in Surrey.