McGOWAN, John
(Service number 2272)
| First Rank | Last Rank |
|---|
Birth
| Date | *1881 | Place of Birth | Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 26 August 1914 | Age | 33 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | C/o Mrs Smith, Upper Melbourne Street, West End, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | ||
| Occupation | Labourer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Joseph McGOWAN, Albury, South Canterbury | ||
Military Service
| Served with | Australian Imperial Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | Field Artillery | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Brigade 3 | ||
| Date | 25 November 1914 | ||
| Transport | Rangatira | ||
| Embarked From | Brisbane, Queensland | Destination | |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | |||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 3 August 1947 | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Kedron, Queensland, Australia | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
John McGowan was the oldest son of Joseph and Annie (née Donoghue) McGowan.
Penny Holden writes:
“Jack was the first child of six children of Joseph and Annie born on 12th December 1880 at Timaru. I am sure the death of his Mother when he was 18 must have affected him. About this time he must have gone over to Australia where many of his McGowan family lived.
He joined the Australian Imperial Forces No 2272, on 26th August 1914 in Brisbane, Queensland as a Gunner aged 33 years and 8 months. Embarkation information: Body of Embarkation Field Artillery, Unit Brigade 3, 25th November 1914 on ‘SS Rangatira’ from Brisbane. His enlistment address was C/- Mrs Smith, Upper Melbourne Street, West End, Brisbane, Queensland.
Jack, was promoted to Sergeant on 26th May 1917. Then shortly later on 30th September 1917 he was ‘wounded in action. Jack was sent to England and admitted to the 2nd Southern General Hospital in Bristol on 13th December 1917 (gun shot wound to right arm and left leg). Also noted on that date ‘Sgt / embarked on MS Patrick from France to England 13.12.17 (Multiple Wounds). Utimately he returned to Australia on 12th May 1918 for D8 from English GSW (gunshot wounds) Multi (for discharge) and lived at O’Connell Street in Brisbane.
On 22nd September 1927 Jack’s sister Alice Lawlor wrote to the Defence Headquarters in Melbourne trying to locate Jack after the death of their father. She stated they had only heard once from Jack after July 1918.
The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Queensland), Tuesday 5 August 1947, page 12: 'McGowan John - the funeral of John McGowan, late 11th F.A.B., will leave the funeral Chapel, Wickham Street Valley, this Tuesday afternoon at 3.30 o’clock for Lutwyche Cemetery.'; and 'McGowan John - Totally and Permanently Disabled Soldiers Ass. are invited to attend the Funeral of their deceased member John McGowan to leave as per above notice (J Head Sec)'
John died at Kedron, Queensland, Australia on 3 August 1947, and is buried at Lutwyche Cemetery (Registration Place Queensland. Registration Number B012868. Page number 1469)”
Jack's brother Joseph McGowan, who also served, had died on 12 October 1923 at Wellington, as a result of disease contracted on active service.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [06 May 2018]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [06 May 2018]; SCRoll web submission by P Holden, 12 June 2023; "Application to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force", National Archives of Australia, available at https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=9742945 [accessed 15 June 2023]
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Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG
Currently Assigned to
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