COWELL, Charles Thomas
| Service Number: | 1695 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 23rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | 1877, place not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Mortlake, Moyne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Mortlake State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Chronic Nephritis), 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, 23 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Cambridge City Cemetery, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Corowa War Memorial, Mulwala War Memorial, Shire of Mortlake War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 16 Jul 1915: | Involvement Private, 1695, 23rd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '14' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Demosthenes embarkation_ship_number: A64 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1915: | Embarked Private, 1695, 23rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Demosthenes, Melbourne |
Help us honour Charles Thomas Cowell's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Charles Thomas Cowell was born around 1877 to parents James & Emily Cowell (nee Chamberlain). According to information supplied for the Roll of Honour by a next-of-kin - Charles Thomas Cowell was stated to have been born at Mortlake, Victoria. According to details on the Attestation Papers, Charles Cowell stated that he was born at Mulwala, New South Wales.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 13th May, 1915 as a 38 year old, single, Labourer from Mortlake, Victoria.
Private Charles Thomas Cowell, Service number 1695 embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Demosthenes (A64) on 16th July, 1915 with the 6th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Infantry Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements.
On 10th January, 1916 Private Cowell disembarked at Alexandria from Minneva from Mudros (after the evacuation at Gallipoli).
He was absent without leave from 07.00 hrs on 18th January, 1916 to 21.30 hrs on 22nd January, 1916 – 98 hours while posted at Tel-el-Kebir. He was awarded 9 days detention & forfeited 5 days’ pay.
Private Cowell proceeded to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) from Alexandria on 19th March, 1916 & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 26th March, 1916.
Once again Private Cowell was absent without leave from 9.30 pm on 31st August, 1916 to 4 pm on 1st September, 1916 while posted in France. He was awarded 96 hours F. P. (Field Punishment) No. 2 & forfeited 2 days’ pay.
He was wounded in action in France on 9th November, 1916 & was admitted to the 5th Australian Field Ambulance on 9th November, 1916 with shrapnel wounds to the face. Private Cowell was transferred to 38th Casualty Clearing Station on 9th November, 1916 then transferred to 7th Ambulance Train the same day. He was admitted to 9th General Hospital at Rouen, France on 10th November, 1916 with gunshot wounds to face. Private Cowell was listed to be invalided to England on 12th November, 1916 & embarked from Havre, France on14th November, 1916 on Hospital Ship Asturias.
Private Cowell was admitted wounded to Beaufort War Hospital, England on 15th November, 1916. He was marched in to No. 1 Command Depot from Hospital in 25th November, 1916 & granted furlough.
On 12th December, 1916 Private Cowell was marched in to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire from furlough & was medically classified as B1 A. (fit for overseas Training Camp in a few weeks).
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire. Convalescing soldiers were also posted in various counties – one being Wiltshire.
He was Absent without Leave from No. 1 Command Depot from 9.30 am on 26th Decemebr, 1916 till 9 am on 15th January, 1917. For Breaking Camp he was awarded 21 days F. P. No. 2 (Field Punishment) & forfeited 21 days’ pay on 16th January, 1917.
On 3rd February, 1917 Private Cowell proceeded overseas to France from Infantry Draft Depot per S.S. Victoria. He was marched in from England to 2nd Australian Divisional Base at Etaples, France on 4th February, 1917. He was marched out to join his Unit on 6th February, 1917 & re-joined his Unit (“B” Company, 23rd Battalion) in France from wounded on 8th February, 1917.
Private Cowell reported sick on 2nd October, 1917 & was admitted to 3rd Australian Field Ambulance with Renal Calculus. He was transferred to 10th Casualty Clearing Station & admitted - Cause N.Y.D. (Not yet determined). Private Cowell was transferred to Ambulance Train No. 20 on 3rd October, 1917 & was admitted top 2nd Australian General Hospital at Boulogne, France on 4th October, 1917 – N.Y.D. He was invalided to England on 5th October, 1917 on Hospital Ship St. Denis with Haematuria (blood in urine).
He was admitted to 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England on 5th October, 1917 with Haemature – slight.
Private Charles Thomas Cowell died at 7.50 am on 23rd October, 1917 at 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. A Post Mortem was conducted on 24th October, 1917 & the cause of death was found to be from Chronic Nephritis.
He was buried in Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/city.html
Click images to start slideshow.