COWAN, George
| Service Number: | 209 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 29th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Fitzroy, Victoria, 1 July 1892 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Confectioner |
| Died: | Lung failure, 1981, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 209, 29th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 209, 29th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Melbourne |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
George Cowan was born on the 1st of July 1892 in Fitzroy, Victoria. He lived on number 8, Harmsworth Street, Collingwood, with his wife Ethel May Cowan and two children. Before joining the war, he worked as a confectioner making lollies. On the 10th of July 1915, Cowan decided to enlist at the age of 23. On his enlistment forms, he wrote about his appearance; he described himself with having blue eyes, brown hair, and a 'fresh' complexion.
Cowan did not undergo much training before being deployed, however he finished it upon arriving in the Middle East. He travelled to France, where he spent a majority of his time in the war. He was promoted multiple times, to Corporal Lieutenant while there, and at one point, when his superior officer was killed in action, Cowan became the officer in charge. He managed to get all of his men out, without any casualties or severe injuries. Cowan spent a little bit of time in varying rolls such as a gunner (controlling machine guns), a tunneller (digging tunnels), and was also a stretcher bearer. During his time as a stretcher bearer, he often had to save soldiers from the mustard gas attacks. One particular time, upon finding a wounded Canadian soldier, Cowan made the decision to give the man his mask, ultimately saving the soldier's life. For the rest of his life, Cowan suffered with lung problems because of all the gas he endured during this time.
After the war, he went back to working in McRobinsons’s lolly factory in Fitzroy for around 30 years. Then during World War II, Cowan moved companies and began working for Allen’s in South Melbourne, working there for 15 years. While at Allen’s, Cowan created the recipe for Columbines, a lolly that was made for many years later. He had another three children with his wife, Ethel, having his last child in 1932. For a majority of his life after the war, Cowan spent lots of time in and out of hospital due to lung issues from the war. In 1981, Cowan passed away due to lung failure, and was later cremated.