COWDROY, Henry Atfield MM VETERAN

Name – COWDROY, Henry Atfield MM VETERAN
Born – 05/11/1876
Died – 5/08/1955
Location – Number 114 Anglican Section
Mother – Mary Susan Atfield
Father – Charles Collas Cowdroy

Notes – Henry was born at Wodonga, NSW to Charles and Mary Cowdroy in 1876. Henry was known by all as Harry and he married Gertrude Margaret Gannon in Brisbane in 1911.

Their first set of twins Plunket John and Rachael arrived in 1912. Sadly, the wee girl died that year. Charles Noel was born in 1913 and then they had another set of twins who did not survive. Their last child William Ross was born in 1921.

After a brief time working as a farmer, Harry turned his hand to labouring. The First World War came, and Harry enlisted on the 14th January, 1916. At the time he was a miner at Mary Valley near Gympie.

His military records show he was 5 foot 9 inches tall, 145lbs, had a dark complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His enlistment number was 752 and he was attached to the 3rd Pioneer Battalion.

During the course of his service he was awarded the Military Medal on the 23rd July, 1917 after saving a wounded officer. During the process he himself was wounded from shrapnel. He suffered from malaria in Cairo and another time he was wounded in the left foot but back with his unit by 30th Oct, 1917. He was again wounded in the thigh in Nov 1917. He rose to the rank of Lance Corporal before his discharge.

While Harry was away at war, Gertude informed the army that she had moved to Roma because their oldest son was ill. Gertrude died in 1937 and is buried in Toowoomba. In the same year Harry had a car accident on the way to work at Tara where he was part of a ringbarking team. The passenger who was in the car with him, hit his head and had to be taken to hospital.

It appears in his later years; Harry was living at a hotel in Tara. Census records for Harry have him in 1913 at Woodford DAgular as a labourer, 1919 Kadanga as a wood getter, 1921-1925 Bald Hills as a farmer, 1936 Toowoomba as a labourer and 1943 at Tara as a labourer.

His youngest son, William Ross Cowdroy enlisted in WW2 and was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese. William was taken to Changi POW Camp, where he died while working on the Burma Railway.

Harry has no headstone on his final resting place. However, Henry Atfield Cowdroy is remembered with honour on the Kilcoy Honour Roll, Moruya School Boys Roll of Honour and the Woodford Honour Roll. Lest We Forget.

Newspaper Article –

War Service File  – COWDORY Henry Atfield MM

Learn more about the Tara Cemetery here.