Lives of the First World War

Not on Yateley’s War Memorial but George Cowie, born Motherwell, Lanarkshire, 1885, son of Alexander & Helen Cowie, 84a Milburn St, Motherwell is associated with Yateley. A Sapper with the Royal Engineers, “F” Cable Sect. No 13417, he enlisted at Hamilton, Lanarkshire on 22 February 1904, age 19yrs 6 months, a blacksmith transfering from the 2nd VBSR. Description: 5ft 7in, 147lbs, fresh complexion, grey eyes, brown hair, Prebyterian, small scar on bridge of nose and below right eye. Tested skilled blacksmith 8 March 1904. Transferred to reserve 25 July 1906. He was mobilized 5 August 1914. On 1 October 1914 his blacksmith pay raised to Skilled rate 1/4, and 3 June 1916 to Superior rate @ 1/8. On leave in UK 10 January 1917 to 18 February 1917. He died from a cerebral haemorrhage at the 41st Stationary Hospital, Gailly, France, on 20 June 1917, age 33. Medical record states he was brought in unconscious, stated to have been picked up in this condition, died without change of condition 5.55pm. Address given for wife was Mrs M Cowie, 84a Milburn St, Motherwell, separation allowance 16/8, Allotment of pay 11/8 George was blacksmith husband of Edith May Bunch (1880-1954), married 30 September 1905, by John Beardall, Vicar, witnesses William Bunch and Phoebe May Baldwin. His children listed as Agnes May Cowie born 25 March1906 in Farnborough and Dorothy Edith 20 October 1917 in Camberley. On 2 October 1919 Edith May Cowie declared that she was the widow of the soldier, of The Oaks, Yaeley Green, countersigned by Rev AJ Howell, Clerk in Holy Orders, Yateley Vicarage. His kin were entered, his childen as above; mother Helen Cowrie, 33 Academy St, Berryhill, Wishaw, Scotland; brothers David Cowie 42, 19 South Avenue, Somerton, Nr Redcar, Yorks, Alexander Cowie 32, 19 Robert St, Wishaw; sisers Helen Roy 51, Whitegales, Wisham, Janet Witherspoon 47, 40 Bells St, Wishaw, and Agnes Prentice 30, 33 Academy St, Berryhill, Wishaw, Not on War Memorial but inscribed on tombstone in St Peter’s Churchyard for William Bunch (1840-1916), and mentioned on the gravestone of Edith May Cowie (1880-1954) buried 17 March 1954. On the north side of the stone “Sapper George Cowie, RE, 1884-1917, died on active service”. His effects of £8-10-10 paid to widow Edith M on 8/11/17, child’s benefit of £17-1-9 on 15 November 1917, along with “disc, piece, letters, cap badge, pocket knife, numerals”, and war gratuity of £16-10-0 on 6 December 1919. On 9 January 1918 she was awarded a pension of 22/11 for herself and two children, from 31 December 1917. Daughter Agnes May Cowie (1905-1990) married Joe Windsor on 20 December 1925 in Shinfield, Berkshire. She die in Surrey. Daughter Dorothy Edith Cowie (1917-23 March 2012) married Thomas J P Fox in 1939 in Aldershot and remarried Geoffrey Martin Bunch (1917-2005) in1950. She died in Fleet. Buried in Cemetery No 5237 Vide IWGCF8/AV/1/18 d/16/1/25.

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