DOWLING, Sidney Samuel
| Service Number: | 1780 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force |
| Born: | Melborne, Victoria, Australia, December 1883 |
| Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Storeman |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Apr 1919: | Involvement Sergeant, 1780, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Melusia embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Apr 1919: | Embarked Sergeant, 1780, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, SS Melusia, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide High School
Sidney (Samuel) Dowling was a determined young man who decided to honour his services to the army after World War 1 was completed. Dowling was born in December 1883 in Melbourne, Victoria, and had a wife named Stella Nora Dowling who lived at 85 Henley Beach Road, Mile end, South Australia. He was a religious man as he was a member of the Church of England and was a storeman before he enlisted into the army.
Dowling enlisted in the AIF on February 10, 1919, although he claims on his Attestation Paper that he had already served two years in the Australian Garrison Artillery. At the time he enlisted, he was 5'10, weighed around 65 kg and was 35 years of age. Most of his features (both his complexion and hair) were on the darker side of things, but his piercing blue eyes is what really made him stand out. Sidney was involved in the Naval Military Force Rebaul and the Australian Naval and Military Expedition Force and shortly transferred to the director of supplies, then promoted to the director of supplies in Rabaul. Sidney discharged from his services on July, 1920.
During the war, it was very common for soldiers to write letters to their loved ones to see how they were doing back home, answer any questions, telling their families how they were doing and what was going on in their surroundings in their own perspective as the information that was released in the newspapers only gave out limited information on the current situation of the war. Sidney was quite consistent with his letters when first enlisting to the army like many other soldiers, but on April the 7th, 1920, Dowling’s spouse showed great concern of her husband’s whereabouts. The letter explained that she had not heard from Sidney for some months and was extremely worried, as she had no idea where he was or if he was even alive. This letter was sent out to the 4th military district, who later replied and wrote that Sidney was last reported as being on the strength of Garrison at Rabaul on January the 14, 1920.
Due to Sidney Dowling enlisting after WW1, not many records were found that provided relevant information. Dowling's medical forms showed that he did not experience any injuries nor illnesses during his involvement in the war and it was discovered that many of his documents were damaged and faded, resulting in a loss of valuable information. There is no knowledge of the exact date of Sidney’s departure nor where his life steamed off after he departed.