George Mouatt Dow

George Mouatt Dow

photo courtesy Samuel Hancock
George's headstone in the Underhill Farm Cemetery
Personal Information
Date of Birth	17 Jan 1894
Place of Birth	Indooroopilly, Queensland
Death	16 Jul 1917
Place of Death	Messines, Belgium
Age at Enlistment	22 years, 9 months
Description	5'5" (1.65m) tall ; 116 lbs 52.617 kg ; fresh complexion ; grey eyes ; fair hair
Occupation	Pastry Cook
Religion	Presbyterian
Address	West Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr George Mouatt Dow (Snr)
Military Information
Reg Number	3137
Date of Enlistment	15 Oct 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	46th Battalion, 8th reinforcements
Date of Embarkation	29 Dec 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A34 Persic Fremantle to Devonport
Fate	Killed in action 16 Jul 1917 at Hill 63, Messines, Belgium
Monument	Armadale War Memorial West Armadale panel Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

George had spent 4 years apprenticed to his father as a pastry cook, and 4 years as a member of the militia unit 22nd Australian Service Company.

War Service

Completed basic training only in WA before leaving for England where more advanced training was to be carried out.

On arrival at Devonport in England, George 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 were 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 12 killed 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 Australian 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.]

Private J Barnes was another who saw him injured

"He was in A Company. We were in the trenches on fatigue duty on July 16th (1917) at Hill 63. A shell came right into the trenches. Dow was badly wounded. I saw him carried away on a stretcher to the Dressing Station. I heard that he died an hour afterwards. I think he was buried at the cemetery at Hill 63. I knew Dow well, He was rather short, dark, clean shaven. He came from Western Australia. I think he was a baker.

The Drill of the Foothills mentioned him in its 1917 Feb-Mar edition, but gave 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.)

• 

  Underhill Farm Cemetery courtesy CWGC
• 

  Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Post War

George's mother Margaret was granted a War Pension of 40/- per fortnight from 28 Sep 1917.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial