Private William Alfred Thomas Prowse
2nd Garrison Battalion, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
Died of heatstroke in Kut, Mesopotamia
Date of Birth: 21 March 1881
Place of Birth: Teignmouth, Devon
Date of Death: 14 July 1917 aged 36
Buried: Amara War Cemetery, Iraq; remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. James’ Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth, Devon.
King's South Africa Medal 
Queen's South Africa Medal - five clasps
Awarded the Queens' South African War Medal with clasps, Orange Free State, Transvaal Tuegela heights, Relief of Ladysmith and Laings Hek. The Kings' South African Medal with clasps 1901 and 1902, the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Private William Alfred Thomas Prowse age 36.
Born in Teignmouth on 21 March 1881 and baptised on 28 July, son of William Henry, a sailor, and Fanny Prowse of Exeter Street.
William enlisted with 4th (Reserve) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, on 3 June 1897 and was mobilised in June 1899.
He embarked with 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, service number 5728, in December 1899 to South Africa, where he served in the South African campaign from 1899-1902; he was awarded Victoria Medal and Edward Medal. He was discharged at the end of campaign in 1902.
By the start of WW1 he had left the reserve but volunteered at the outbreak of the war and enlisted in Exeter. William served in France with the Somerset Light Infantry, service number 15040, in France where he was wounded and gassed in 1915. He was later transferred to 7th Battalion, Gloucester Regiment, service number 25944, then to 2nd Garrison Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, service number 48745 where he was serving when he died of heatstroke in Kut-al-Amara, Mesopotamia on 14 July 1917. Buried in Amara War Cemetery, Iraq; remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. James’ Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth, Devon.
A total gratuity was paid to his mother, Fanny Tozer, of £19.17s.11d during 1918 and 1919.
“Mrs Tozer of Bitton Hill learnt on Monday that her son Pte. W Prowse of Northumberland Fusiliers died from heatstroke in Mesopotamia. He had served in the Boer war with the Devon's and had previously been wounded in France.” -20 July Western Times
