George Mouatt Dow
From Our Contribution
Contents
War Service
Completed basic training only in WA before leaving for England where more advanced training was to be carried out.
On arrival in England, was sent to 12th Training Battalion at Codford for 2 months before travelling to France from Southampton arriving there on 29 May 1917.
Spent the best part of a month in the 4th Division's Base Depot before joining the 46th Battalion on 21 Jun 1917 at Doullieu west of Armentiès where it was resting and rebuilding, along with 92 other reinforcements.
On the night of July 16/17, Hill 63 where the 46th Battalion was in the front lines, was heavily shelled for 4½ hours with gas shells, shrapnel and high explosives causing very few casualties. It follows that George was one of the casualties as no other action is mentioned in the 46th Battalion's War Diary for that day.
Red Cross file witness statement by Cpl JPL Kenny
"I saw him killed on the Messines Ridge on Sunday night July 15th by a piece of shell. He was on fatigue work at the time, bringing up supplies to the front line. He had been under constant heavy fire for about four hours and was on his last trip when he got hit. He was given first aid and put on a stretcher to be taken to the Dressing Station, but died on his way down. He was buried at 11:00am the following morning in the Aust. cemetery at the foot of Hill 63. The Rev Father Devine buried him. A cross was erected with his name and particulars on."
[If this is correct, than George died on the 16th of Wounds received the previous day, rather than KIA 16th.]
The Drill of the Foothills mentioned him in its 1917 Feb-Mar edition, but no details.
Buried in UNDERHILL FARM CEMETERY - Plot 1, Row "B", Grave 19. "Son of George Mouatt Dow and Margaret Lind Dow, of Seventh Road, Armadale, Western Australia. Native of Queensland." (The cemetery is about 1.5 km north of Ploegsteert, and 3 kms Southwest of Messines.)
Post War
George's mother Margaret was granted a War Pension of 40/- per fortnight from 28 Sep 1917.
Notes