John William Richard Dowsett

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Fri, 04/08/2017 - 09:07

First Name:

John

Middle Name:

William Richard

Last Name:

Dowsett

Mother's Name:

Mary Dowsett nee Dobing

Father's Name:

William Dowsett

Date Enlisted:

Tuesday, May 4, 1915

Rank at Enlistment:

Corporal

Rank at Discharge:

Sergeant

Unit:

20th Battalion

Company:

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

1914/1915 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Saturday, January 6, 1951

Place of Death:

Wollongong, NSW

Details:

John Dowsett (Service No 742) was born in Wollongong in1894.

On 9th June 1913 he married Rubena Stone in Wollongong.

At enlistment John was 20 years old, worked as a miner and lived at Keiraville, near Wollongong. He had served 4 years with the Militia.

John embarked from Sydney on HMAT A35 Berrima with 20th Battalion, B Company on 25th June 1915 with the rank of Sergeant, having been promoted on 31st May 1915.

He arrived in Egypt and landed on the Gallipoli peninsula with the battalion on 22nd August 1915. The battalion was sent to Russells Top to man the trenches in that sector.

On 10th September 1915 John was reduced in rank to Corporal at a Court Martial after being found guilty of being drunk on duty on Russells Top on 30th August 1915.

On 26th November 1915 John was evacuated to hospital suffering from severe frostbite to both feet. He was repatriated to Australia in March 1916 and discharged medically unfit with a pension on 17th August 1916 due to the frostbite.

He and Rubina raised 2 children and he died in 1951.

John's service is commemorated on the Keiraville Primary School Honour Roll.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, DOWSETT J W R