Patrick Fowler facts for kids

Patrick Fowler was a soldier from Dublin who served in the British Army during World War I. He was part of a cavalry group called the 11th Hussars. During a battle, Patrick got separated from his unit. He survived alone in the woods for five months. Then, some kind French people living in German-controlled areas helped hide him. Patrick is famous for spending most of the war hiding inside a wardrobe! After the war, he moved to Scotland.

Patrick Fowler's Wartime Story

On August 26, 1914, Patrick Fowler was fighting in the Battle of Le Cateau. During a German advance, he became separated from his fellow soldiers. For five months, Patrick lived by himself in the local woods.

• Finding a Hiding Place

On January 15, 1915, a local man named Louis Basquin found Patrick. Instead of telling the Germans, Louis took Patrick to a farmhouse in Bertry. This farm belonged to Louis's mother-in-law, Madame Belmont-Gobert, and her daughter Angèle. They decided to hide Patrick in a wardrobe. This wardrobe was about 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 meters) tall and 20 inches (51 cm) deep.

• Living with the Enemy Nearby

Soon after Patrick moved into the wardrobe, sixteen German soldiers were sent to stay at the farm. This meant the Germans spent a lot of time in the same room as Patrick. They had no idea he was hiding in the wardrobe! Patrick had to stay completely still and silent so he wouldn't be found. He could only come out at night. He lived on small amounts of food shared by the family helping him.

• A Risky Move

Later, the German leaders ordered the farmhouse to be taken over. The family had to move to a small cottage. Madame Belmont-Gobert asked the German soldiers staying with her to help them move. This included moving the wardrobe with Patrick still inside it! Luckily for Patrick, none of the Germans looked inside.

• Close Calls

The Germans only searched the wardrobe once. This happened after a British nurse, Edith Cavell, was caught helping Allied soldiers. However, the Germans didn't find Patrick. He had been temporarily hidden under a mattress. Madame Belmont-Gobert later said she had a feeling the wardrobe would be searched.

• Freedom and Reunion

After moving to the new cottage, Patrick had a bit more freedom to move around. But he still had to hide whenever Germans came near, and at night. Finally, on October 10, 1918, Patrick was reunited with his old unit, the 11th Hussars. They were leaving Bertry. Patrick was then able to explain to his regiment why he had been away for four years.

After the War

After World War I ended, Patrick Fowler moved to the Glenernie Estate in the Scottish Highlands. This large estate was about 8,400 acres (34 square kilometers). He lived there with his wife and three daughters. The famous wardrobe was moved to the 11th Hussars regimental museum in Winchester. You can still see it on display there today.

• Honoring Madame Belmont-Gobert

Madame Belmont-Gobert was given a special award, Officer of the Order of the British Empire. This was to thank her for her brave efforts in keeping Patrick hidden. By 1927, she was not doing well financially. So, a newspaper called The Daily Telegraph started a campaign to help her. As a result, the 11th Hussars gave Madame Belmont-Gobert £100. They also gave her all the money she should have received for housing a soldier, going back to 1914. In response, the French War Minister Paul Painlevé said the British government didn't need to pay her anymore. The French government would give her a pension instead.

Patrick Fowler in Popular Culture

• Film Plans

In 2000, there were plans to make a movie about Patrick Fowler's life during the war. The actor Robert Carlyle was thought to play Patrick. The film was planned to be made by Shepperton Studios and filmed in France. However, the movie project never happened.

• Horrible Histories

A funny sketch inspired by Patrick's time in the wardrobe was shown on the TV show Horrible Histories. It was part of a special episode about World War I in 2014.

• Podcast Feature

In 2017, Patrick Fowler's story was featured on an episode of the Futility Closet Podcast. His experience of living in a wardrobe was compared to the story of Harriet Jacobs. She was a woman from North Carolina who was enslaved and later became an author.