Oliver John Dowell

"Australia's Fighting Sons of the Empire" p.141
Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown
Place of Birth	Canningdale, Western Australia
Death	21 May 1975, aged 77
Place of Death	Victoria Park
Age at Enlistment	19 years, 5 months
Description	5'6½" (1.69m) tall; weight 140 lbs (63.5 kg); fair complexion, blue eyes, light brown hair
Occupation	orchardist
Religion	Church of England
Address	Bedfordale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr Joseph Richard Dowell
Military Information
Reg Number	52052
Date of Enlistment	8 Sep 1917
Rank	Lance Corporal
Unit/Formation	1st General reinforcements allocated to 28th Battalion, transferred to 3rd Motor Transport Company.
Date of Embarkation	8 May 1918 - 16 Jul 1918
Ship Embarked On	SS Port Darwin
Date of Return	18 Dec 1919 - 28 Jan 1920
Ship Returned On	SS Königen Luise
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale (Bedfordale panel) Bedfordale Honour Roll
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Training in Australia was general in nature before departing for England from Albany ON arrival at Southampton, Oliver was sent to the 5th training Battalion at Fovant on 17 Aug 1918 for infantry training as he was allocated to the 28th Battalion.

On 4 Oct 1918 he proceeded overseas to France via Dover to join the Australian Infantry Base Depot. Joined 28th Battalion on 11 Oct 1918 along with 84 others, a month before hostilities ceased. The battalion was in a rear rest area at Berteaucourt-les-Dames in Picardy some 25 km north west of Amiens.

Detached to the Australian Motor Transport on 25 Mar 1919, he joined the 1st Australian Motor Transport Company on 8 Apr 1919, but was transferred to the 3rd Australian Motor Transport Company on 22 May 1919 and appointed temporary Driver on 2 Jun 1919.

A fortnight later he marched out for England where he spent another 6 months before shipping out for Australia on the SS Konigen Luise. Discharged 5th Military District 17 Mar 1920.

Post War

While Oliver initially returned to Bedfordale to work on the orchard (1925 electoral roll), by 1931 he was a motor driver living in Keitley road Subiaco.

In 1931 he married Grace Emily Alice Smith, and on 1 Jul 1932 a daughter arrived, followed by premature twin sons in June 1935.

In 1936 he was living at "Windsor" on Fairway in Nedlands and is a gardener, remaining there until after the end of WW2, when he and his wife Grace Emily Alice return to Bedfordale to again work on the orchard.

The 1972 nominal roll has him still on Albany Highway in Bedfordale.

Grace died 3 Sep 1996 aged 90 in Como.