Arthur Herbert DOW MC, MID

DOW, Arthur Herbert

Service Numbers: 1, VX18193
Enlisted: 10 September 1914
Last Rank: Major
Last Unit: Royal Australian Engineers
Born: Wandong, Victoria, Australia, 23 July 1891
Home Town: Wandong, Mitchell, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Military Staff Clerk
Died: Natural causes, Sandgate, Queensland, Australia, 4 December 1979, aged 88 years
Cemetery: Wallan Cemetery, Victoria, Australia
Cremated and ashes placed in Dau Family plot - Church of England; Section E; Graves 5 & 6.
Memorials: Wandong War Memorial, Wandong War Memorial
Show Relationships

World War 1 Service

10 Sep 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Warrant Officer, 1, Divisional Engineers Headquarters
21 Oct 1914: Involvement 1, Divisional Engineers Headquarters, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Orvieto embarkation_ship_number: A3 public_note: ''
21 Oct 1914: Embarked 1, Divisional Engineers Headquarters, HMAT Orvieto, Melbourne
5 Apr 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Warrant Officer, 1, Divisional Engineers Headquarters, ANZAC / Gallipoli
19 Jun 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Warrant Officer, 1, Divisional Engineers Headquarters, ANZAC / Gallipoli
5 Mar 1916: Promoted Second Lieutenant, Divisional Engineers Headquarters
25 Apr 1916: Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Divisional Engineers Headquarters
13 Nov 1916: Honoured Mention in Dispatches, For good general service in France from 15 June 1916 to 6 October 1916.
16 Jun 1917: Promoted AIF WW1, Captain, Divisional Engineers Headquarters
10 May 1918: Transferred AIF WW1, Captain, 4th Field Company Engineers
4 Jun 1918: Honoured Military Cross, Third Ypres, For conspicuous energy in forwarding Engineer material to the front zone in the Ypres fighting from 24 September 1917 to 24 October 1917.
10 Aug 1918: Wounded AIF WW1, Captain, 4th Field Company Engineers, "The Last Hundred Days", GSW hand and leg - remained on duty
20 Oct 1918: Embarked AIF WW1, Captain, 4th Field Company Engineers, HT Port Sydney for return to Australia (1914 leave) - arriving 2 December 1918.
31 Jan 1919: Discharged AIF WW1, Captain, 4th Field Company Engineers

World War 2 Service

17 May 1940: Enlisted VX18193, Royal Australian Engineers, Major
28 May 1940: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Major, VX18193
1 Oct 1940: Embarked VX18193, Royal Australian Engineers, HMAT New Zealand, Melbourne
13 Aug 1942: Embarked VX18193, Royal Australian Engineers, 'Tai Young' for return to Australia - arriving 10 October 1942
1 Feb 1946: Discharged VX18193, Royal Australian Engineers

Help us honour Arthur Herbert Dow's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Michael Silver

German immigrant, Joachim Dau married Martha Rye, a Geelong lass in 1865.  They ultimately raised a large family of seventeen, first at Somerton and later at Wandong, Victoria. One son, Frederick, served with the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles during the Boer War and was killed in action in South Africa in 1901 and three others saw military service - Charles and Walter in World War 1 and Arthur during both World Wars. Charles died of wounds in 1918.

Arthur Herbert Dow (1891-1979) was born at Wandong on 23 July 1891. Spelling his surname Dow rather than Dau, he first enlisted in the Commonwealth Military Forces on 16 November 1908, for five years. He was then 18 and gave his occupation as blacksmith’s apprentice, at Warburton. He was appointed as a Sapper to the Royal Australian Engineers and by 1 June 1913 had reached the rank of Warrant Officer. In November 1913 he renewed his enlistment for a further three years.

Arthur enlisted in the AIF on 10 September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of war, aged 23. He gave his occupation as Military Staff Clerk and religion as Church of England. He was appointed Engineers Clerk with the rank of Warrant Officer, 1st Australian Division. His regimental number was No.1. He embarked at Melbourne aboard the Orvieto on 21 October 1914 and arrived at Alexandria in Egypt on 8 December 1914.

Arthur left Egypt for Gallipoli on 5 April 1915. He watched the landing on 25 April but did not go ashore until several days later. He served at Gallipoli until he fell ill on 14 June and was hospitalized at Lemnos. He was discharged on 18 June and returned to his unit at Anzac Cove the next day, however, he was detached for duty in Egypt on 26 July and arrived at Alexandria three days later. He did not return to Gallipoli.

Arthur was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant at Tel-el-Kabir on 5 March 1916 and transferred from the Australian Records Section to Headquarters, 4th Australian Division Engineers. On 25 April 1916 he was promoted to Lieutenant and Adjutant and on 2 June embarked for France. On 13 November 1916, he was Mentioned in Dispatches by General Sir Douglas Haig for ‘good general service in France from 15 June 1916 to 6 October 1916’.

On 16 June 1917 he was promoted to Captain and Adjutant. On 20 August, he transferred to the 12th Field Company Engineers, then on 22 September transferred to the 4th Division Engineers Headquarters.

After leave in early December, Arthur was seconded to the Engineers Training Depot at Brightlingsea in England. On 3 May 1918 he left for France and was taken on strength of the 4th Field Company Australian Engineers. In March 1918, Arthur was recommended for the Military Cross and his award was gazetted on 3 June 1918. The citation read:

For conspicuous energy in forwarding Engineer material to the front zone in the YPRES fighting from 24-9-17 to 24-10-17. His organization of the convoys was well thought out, and his attention to the details of handling was such as to greatly reduce the time convoys were in the shelling area. On every occasion the stores reached their destination. His zeal and organizing abilities have been conspicuous since the commencement of warlike operations. He has a thorough knowledge of his work and has proved resourceful and reliable under arduous conditions. His devotion to duty has at all times been most marked.’

On 10 August 1918 Arthur was wounded in action, receiving gun shot wounds to his hand and leg, but remained on duty. On 27 September 1918 the 1st Division was granted home leave to Australia and he embarked aboard the Port Sydney at Taranto on 8 October. He arrived home on 2 December 1918 and was discharged on 31 January 1919.

Arthur volunteered his services again during World War 2. On 28 May 1940 he enlisted at Caulfield and was appointed to the rank of Major in the Royal Australian Engineers, No. VX18193. By then he was 48 years old and a civil servant who lived at East St. Kilda. He had married Edna Charlotte Caroline Ford in 1919 and they had two children. 

On 1 October 1940, Arthur embarked for the Middle East, arriving in Palestine on 3 November. He served there until 11 August 1942 when he left to return to Australia, arriving back on 10 October. He served for the remainder of the war in Australia and was discharged on 1 February 1946. He died in Brisbane in 1979 aged 88.

Source: http://www.westgarthtown.org.au/ww1/families/winter.html

 

Read more...