COWLEY, Campbell
| Service Number: | 2366 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 April 1917 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 11th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Townsville, Queensland, Australia, 4 May 1881 |
| Home Town: | Toowong, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Brisbane Grammar School, Queensland, Australia; King's School Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Planter |
| Died: | Suicide, Doi-labi, Iomedi, Upper Musa, New Guinea, 26 November 1919, aged 38 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Brisbane Grammar School Boer War Honour Board, Brisbane St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Great War Honour Roll (4) |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Lieutenant | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Lieutenant, Queensland Imperial Bushmen | |
| 18 May 1900: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Lieutenant, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 475 notes 4th QIB embarked 18 May 1900 aboard Manchester Port arriving Beira 14 Jun 1900. | |
| 18 May 1900: | Involvement Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Lieutenant, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen | |
| 10 Aug 1901: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Lieutenant, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 477 notes 4th QIB embarked 5 Jul 1901 aboard Britannic returning to Australia arriving Brisbane 5 Aug 1901, disbanded 10 Aug 1901. | |
| 26 Sep 1901: | Involvement Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Lieutenant, 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen | |
| 26 Sep 1901: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Lieutenant, 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 506 & 519 notes part of 2nd Draft of 6th QIB that embarked at Sydney 26 Sep 1901 aboard Harlech Castle arriving Cape Town 26 Oct 1901. | |
| 23 Jun 1902: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Lieutenant, 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 508 notes 6th QIB embarked at Durban 17 May 1902 aboard Devon returning to Australia arriving Brisbane 17 Jun 1902, disbanded 23 Jun 1902. |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Apr 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 11th Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 May 1917: | Embarked Private, 2366, 11th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Port Sydney, Sydney | |
| 9 May 1917: | Involvement Private, 2366, 11th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Sydney embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 28 Aug 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 2366, 11th Light Horse Regiment |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Claude McKelvey
Campbell Cowley served twice in the South African (Boer) War and again in WW1. First service was as a Lieutenant, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, Boer war. Second service was as a Lieutenant, 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen (2nd Draft), Boer war. Third service was as a Private S.N. 2366, 11th Light Horse Regiment AIF, WW1. His younger brother William Roy Cowley S.N. 21197 also served in WW1.
When he joined the 4th QIB in 1900 and he was entered in the original nominal roll for the 4th Queensland Contingent, held by National Archives, his N.O.K. was recorded as his father A. S. Cowley, Silky Oaks, Toowong. His father at the time was a member of the Legislative Assembly in Queensland parliament. In the Boer War Service Paybooks for the 4th QIB, Bk 1 p. 14, it is noted he directed part of his pay to Hon. A. S. Cowley, Parliament House, Brisbane. He served the full tour of the 4th QIB and was discharged in Brisbane on 10 Aug 1901.
Almost immediately he was selected as one of the officers (Lieutenant) of the 2nd Draft of the 6th QIB and embarked again for South Africa in Sep 1901. Every member of the draft, except one, had served previously in the 3rd or 4th contingents in South Africa, and were assembled as reinforcements for the 5th and 6th QIB contingents already in South Africa.
Men in the draft were not recorded in the original nominal roll for the 6th QIB but he is recorded in the Boer War Service Paybooks for the 5th QIB (to which he was allotted), Bk 4 p. 114. When the 5th QIB returned to Australia it appears he remained in South Africa with no date of return to Australia, or discharge, recorded in the paybooks.
It appears he remained in South Africa for several years touring various countries in Africa on behalf of the Australian Imperial Government, and later took up elephant hunting. He returned to Australia in 1911 and then took up a coconut plantation in PNG.
He enlisted again in 1917 for WW1 and on his Attestation Form, dated 27 Apr 1917, he noted that; he was born at Townsville and was 35 years 11 months of age; he was single and a planter; his N.O.K. was his father Sir Alfred Sandling Cowley, Toowong, Brisbane; and he had previously had active service in the Boer War.
Campbell Cowley was born on 4 May 1881 at Townsville, a son to Sir Alfred Sandlings Cowley and Dame Maria Cowley (nee Campbell). Campbell returned from WW1 in Aug 1919 and not long after became engaged to Isabella Mary Philip, whose brother had been a fellow officer in the Boer war. In Nov 1919, prior to them marrying, he made a trip to PNG to check on his plantation and was taken seriously ill in a remote location without access to medically serveices and apparently took his own life.
His name appears on church Honour Boards held by Saint Andrew's Uniting Church. Some of the information above has been obtained from an excellent biography on Campbell's life undertaken as part of "Stories from the Honour Boards" by the Saint Andrew's Uniting Church Heritage Committee- see web link on this profile.
(source- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 479 & 519; National Archives Australia- B 5172 Nominal Roll of 4th Queensland Contingent Queensland Defence Force for service in South Africa, p. 1, Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 4th QIB, Bk 1 p. 14, and 5th QIB, Bk 4 p. 114; National Archives Australia- WW1 service record; Saint Andrew's Uniting Church Heritage Committee- Stories from the Honour Boards).
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