THE life expectancy of First World War pilots and their observers was measured in weeks and many barely had time to master the rudiments of flight before they were called on to go into combat.

Ulverston flyer Leslie Bowman was among many to be killed with the Royal Flying Corps in the skies over the trench lines in France and Belgium almost 100 years ago.

Fl/Lt Bowman was the only son of Dr Bowman, of Lightburne House, Ulverston, and was shot down and killed by an enemy aircraft on June 25.

Notice of his death in action was reported in the Barrow News of Saturday, June 30, in 1917 which said he had just celebrated his 20th birthday.

His war service had started with the 1/4th King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment as a lieutenant.

He was slightly wounded in the thigh while serving in France with the territorial soldiers of Furness and North Lancashire.

In June 1916 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps - later the RAF - as a flight lieutenant.

The paper noted: "He was a very fine and particularly promising young fellow and was at Clifton College when he joined up."

Before that, he had been a school pupil at Seascale.

A second article with a picture on Saturday, July 7, noted: "The brave young officer had completed some observation work and was returning when he was shot down by enemy aircraft in the British lines."

A letter from his commanding officer noted: "His one fault, if it could be called a fault, was that he was too courageous.

"From what we can learn, he was outnumbered by five to two.

"I cannot speak too highly of his work."

He has no known grave and is named on the Arras Flying Services Memorial in France.

Fl/Lt Bowman had served with the 53 rd Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps which was formed at Catterick on May 15 in 1916 and was sent to France in December for reconnaissance duties using BE 2e aircraft and from April 1917 the RE 8.

The RE 8 was a two-seater biplane and more than 4,000 were built by the Royal Aircraft Factory