VOWLES, Eric Lacy
Service Number: | Officer |
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Enlisted: | 14 August 1914, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia |
Last Rank: | Brigadier |
Last Unit: | Royal Military College |
Born: | Kew, Victoria, Australia, 13 July 1893 |
Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
Schooling: | Scotch College, W.A., & Royal Military College, Duntroon |
Occupation: | Brigadier (Australian Army) |
Died: | Natural causes, South Australia, Australia, 28 September 1977, aged 84 years |
Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
Memorials: | South Australian Garden of Remembrance |
World War 1 Service
14 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Officer, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia | |
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3 Oct 1914: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: '' |
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3 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , HMAT Medic, Fremantle | |
5 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 5th Division Medium and Heavy Trench Mortar Batteries, AIF, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) | |
1 Aug 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Major, AIF Headquarters | |
13 May 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1 |
World War 2 Service
1 Feb 1946: | Involvement AIF WW1, Brigadier, Royal Military College |
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Also awarded the Silver Medal for Military Valour (Italy)
Father Thomas Vowles - c/o GPO Box Melbourne, Victoria; and
Mother Mary Lacy Vowles (nee _____, d. 18/5/1908 Claremont, WA)
buried in Karrakatta Cemetery and Crematorium, WA
Sibling:
Sister Violet Isabel (b. 1894 - d. 21/5/1905 11 years old,
buried with mother)
Next of kin in service:
Brother Alan Stewart Vowles
Captain in 12th Infantry Battalion AIF WWI
1918 discharged AIF
1918 attached to 1/113th Indian Army
Prior to enlisting Eric had begun an engineering course.
In 1911 Eric Vowles was in the first graduating class from Duntroon.
In 1914, graduating 28th from the First Class to attend the Royal Military College.
**Eric Vowles designed the RMC BADGE which is used to this day.**
Described on enlisting as 21 years old; single;
Church of England.
14/8/1914 Enlisted in AIF, from Royal Military College, Duntroon
2/11/1914 Embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia, on board HMAT A7 Medic
as a Lieutenant with 3rd Field Artillery Brigade, 8th Battery
4/4/1915 proceeded to join Mediterranean Expeditionary Forces, Dardanelles, Gallipoli
9th Battery of the 1st Division
**He was one of three RMC graduates chosen for the task of directing fire of naval guns
during the landing at Anzac Cove.
5/6/1915 Promoted to Captain
13/6/1915 Special Mention in Divisional Orders
"for acts of conspicious gallantry or valuable service during period
6/5/1915 - 28/6/1915 - Dardanelles, Gallipoli."
4/9/1915 transferred to 8th Battery, Dardanelles, Gallipoli
After the evacuation from Gallipoli to Egypt, he was transferred to the artillery of the 5th
Division and proceeded to France.
June 1916 took part in the Battle of Fromelles
early 1917 Staff course at Clare College, Cambridge, England
9/3/1917 Recommended for Military Cross - Captain in 5th Australian Divisional Artillery
"In France, this officer commanded the 59th Battery, and received valuable service
in supporting the attached at Fleurbaix during the period 16th-20th July 1916, for
which he was mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's Despatches (13/11/1916 (AIF List 138).
He also did excellent work at Gallipoli, and was mentioned in Sir C C Munro's Despatches
19/4/1916."
26/5/1917 Awarded in London Gazette - Italian Silver Medal for Military Valour
- Lieutenant in 5th Australian Divisional Artillery
4/6/1917 Awarded Military Cross - in London Gazette
1/8/1917 Promoted to Major
10/8/1917 taken on strength and posted to Command the 54th Battery
of the 5th Division Artillery in France
30/10/1917 wounded by shell and gassed - Passchendaele, France
2/11/1914 transferred to England
3/11/1917 admitted to 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth
2/2/1918 proceeded overseas to Havre, France
29/7/1918 proceeded to Egypt, ex Folkestone, England
17/8/1918 disembarked into Alexandria, Egypt
24/8/1918 Posted for duty with Hants Battery, RHA
28/11/1918 Sick to hospital
21/12/1918 rejoined Hants RHA
23/12/1918 attached to 1st Inverness Brigade, ex RHA
During late 1918 - February 1919 he served in Palestine with the Royal Horse Artillery
27/1/1919 Embarked on board HMAT City of Exeter at Cairo, returning to Australia
12/2/1919 Assumed Command of HMAT City of Exeter
2/3/1919 disembarked into Melbourne, Victoria
13/5/1919 Discharged from service in AIF WWI
WWI Medals
1914-15 Star (27569); British War medal (3298); Victory medal (3297);
Gallipoli Medallion; Military Cross, MID bar.
On his return to Australia he was stationed in Perth, Western Australia, and
continued to occupy a series of staff postings, mainly artillery reltated throughout
Australia.
1926-27 he was chosen to attend Staff College at Camberley, England.
1928 he continued with further staff postings throughout Australia, but at a
higher level.
Then at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Canberra ACT, as Instructor of
Artillery, and at Sydney.
July 1938 arrived into Brisbane, Queensland taking on the role as
General Staff Officer of the 11th Brigade, being charge of training
operations in Queensland.
Married: Eric married Mary Lacy.
Son: Robert Vowles
1939 Royal Military College, Duntroon - as the Director of Military Art.
Nov 1939 With the outbreak of WWII he was posted as Director of Military Training
at Australian Head Quarters.
WWII Service #VX101868 (WP22111)
2/11/1939 - 5/1/1942 Director of Military Training, Army Headquarters
6/1/1942 - 14/2/1942 District Officer, Commanding 6th Military District
15/4/1942 - 5/4/1943 Commanding Officer Tasmania Lines of Communication Area
7/6/1942 - 5/4/1943 Commanding Officer Tasmania Force
6/4/1943 - 2/4/1944 Commanding Officer 12th Australian Infantry Brigade
3/4/1944 - 1/9/1944 Commanding Officer Lae Base Sub Area - New Guinea
2/9/1944 - 1945 Commanding Officer 4th Australian Base Sub Area - New Guinea
March 1945 Became Commandant (Brigadier) of the
Royal Military College Duntroon
which also included administrative responsibility for the Army
School of Civil Affairs
13/6/1949 Retired from service with the RMC and the Australian Army.
Eric's last address was in North Adelaide, South Australia.
28/9/1977 Eric passed away
cremated in: Centennial Park Cemetery
WW Section
Thank you to Robert Kearney for his links. 5/3/2015.
Information sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 7/3/2015. Lest we forget.