Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From How We Served 
 
The final resting place for; - V6096 Lance Corporal Hugh Cowan of Glasgow, Scotland and St.Kilda, Victoria, had already served during World War One in the trenches of France and Flanders with the 12th (Service) Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry prior to his immigration to Australia following the end of hostilities.

With the outbreak of World War Two, Hugh was employed as a cleaner when he decided to re-enlist for War Service with his newly adopted country on the 11th of September 1940.

Being dually accepted for fulltime service with the Australian Military Forces, Hugh was allocated to the 12th Garrison Battalion, with which his service would be continuous. In July of 1944, Hugh had been granted leave, but had failed to return to Camp, and was declared an illegal absentee.

Nothing more was heard from Hugh, until his body was discovered in the Yarra River near Princess Bridge on the 12th of August. An offical Court of Inquiry held by his Unit on the 18th of August later heard that Lance Corporal Cowan had failed to return to Camp whilst on Leave, and at the time of the discovery of his body in the Yarra River there was 'no evidence of Misconduct or Carelessness'.

Hugh had been aged 58 at the time of his premature death.

Following his passing, Lance Corporal Hugh Cowan, a Scottish veteran of the ‘Great War’, and who had decided to serve within the Australian Military Forces during a second world conflict, was formally laid to rest within Springvale War Cemetery, Victoria.