Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Life Before World War 1:

John Cowie was born in September 1885 in Keir Parish, Dumfriesshires, Scotland. He lived with his mother, Mrs M. Cowie at home on 60 Marchmont Road, Edinburgh, Scotland until he migrated to Australia in 1913 at the age of 28. Before John migrated to Australia he lived in Scotland as a child and attended George Heriot's Boys School.(1)He then eventually graduated and moved on to be an apprentice grocer in Edinburgh, the place that he and his mother lived at the time.(2)When he enlisted on 20 August 1914 in Roma, Queensland John was a storekeeper whose marital status was single. After his successful enlistment in the Australian Imperial Force, John was assigned to the 2nd Light Horse Regiment (Part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade) as a private and was allocated the service number of 134.(1) The 2ndLight Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry similar to a dragoon. The purpose of a dragoon was to protect flanks and supply lines, to be positioned at the head of an army or in the flanks so that they could stay in the areas of strong points rather than weak and to assault troops in siege warfare. It may be that John did many of these things during his time in the 2nd Light Horse Regiment. As for his appearance John was a rather short man coming in at a height of 5’6” and with a weight of 67.36 Kg. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair curly hair. George and his family were also parishioners of the Church of England.(1)

1. https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=64808  
2.https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImag e.aspx?B=3434515  
3. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338850

Life in Service:

Roughly 8 months after his enlistment in Roma John had already travelled to Alexandria and was joining the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, a force that was part of the British Army and commanded all Allied forces at Gallipoli and Salonika, in Gallipoli, the warfront between the AIF and Turkey, on 9 May 1915 aboard the SS Devanha.(1,2)Later that year on 14 November 1915 John was with a detachment of the 2nd Light Horse Regiment in Mudros. On that day John was admitted to hospital with an unknown illness. He then returned to duty on 22 November 1915. John and his regiment then disembarked Alexandria on 26 and 27 December 1915.(1,2)

A few days later on 29 December 1915 John was promoted and appointed Lance Corporal, a rank higher than private and lower than corporal. He was responsible for the behaviours and wellbeing of his soldiers, in Heliopolis. He then joined the war front on 14 January 1916. John was promoted to corporal on 10 May 1916. On 28 September John was admitted to hospital with an unknown illness in Kanara. A few days later on 1 October 1916 he was transferred to the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance, a formation responsible for taking care of the wounded and ill in war, with a bad case of influenza; A common viral infection that can be deadly, especially in high-risk groups. 6 days later he was then transferred to the 26th casualty clearing station;a military medical facility behind the front lines that is used to treat wounded soldiers. On the same day he was also transferred to the 31st General Hospital in Port Said. Another 6 days later John was transferred to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital and was discharged to a rest camp after a week. Several days later on 2 November 1916 he was discharged to the 1stLight Horse Regiment and was then discharged to the 1stLight Horse Training Regiment, a regiment made to train soldiers to go out into the field in the Light Horse Regiment, 11 days later.

On 13 November 1916 John returned to duty with the 2ndLight Horse Regiment and was appointed temporary sergeant 14 days later. He was the appointed sergeant on 9 January 1917. John joined the school of instruction in Zeitoun, Egypt on 24 February 1917 and then rejoined his unit on 25 March 1917. In 19 March 1917 John attended the 24th NCO’s course; a training course for non-commissioned officers. He was then taken on strength to the 1stLight Horse Training Regiment in Marakeb on 13 September 1917. On 21 January 1918, John rejoined the 2ndLight Horse Regiment in Richon.

About 2 months later on 31 March 1918 he was admitted to the 1stLight Horse Field Ambulance with pyrexia; an extremely high fever. He was then transferred to several clearing stations and hospitals; 66th Casualty Clearing Station on 1 April 1918, 76th Casualty Clearing Station on 6 April 1918, 43rd Stationary Hospital in Kantara on 8 April 1918, 44th Stationary Hospital in Kantara on 8 April 1918 and the 14th Australian General Hospital in Port Said on 8 April 1918. John was then transferred to the Rest Camp on 8 May 1918 and rejoined the 1st Light Horse Training Regiment in Moascar on 22 May 1918. He then rejoined the 2nd Light Horse Regiment in the field on 4 July 1918. John was then tragically killed in action on 16 July 1918 and was buried at Abu Tellul by Chaplain N.J. Clarke.(1)

1.https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=64808  
2.https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3434515  
3. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338850
 
ANZAC Spirit:

ANZAC is the acronym forming the initial letters of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. This was the formation in which Australian and New Zealand soldiers in Egypt were grouped before the landing on Gallipoli in April 1915. ANZAC went on to stand for the qualities of which Australians have seen their troops show in the war. These qualities collectively make up the ANZAC spirit and include endurance, courage, ingenuity, mateship, integrity and humour. The ANZAC spirit is a concept which suggests that Australian and New Zealand soldiers possess shared characteristics, specifically the qualities those soldiers allegedly exemplified on the battlefields of World War 1. During the years of John Cowie’s service, he displayed persistence, perseverance, endurance, strength and courage to overcome several illnesses and attend trainings and schools just to return to his regiment to do his duty for a country that wasn’t his true home. He also displayed courage by sacrificing his new life in Australia after only 1 year of peaceful living. John was also awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service and commitment to Australia.