Sowell, Herbert Keith

Gosford District Casualties of World War One

Bragg, Edmund Allen Service Number 1494

Killed in Action 19th May 1915 Gallipoli Peninsula

Gosford District Casualties of World War One

Sowell, Herbert Keith Service Number 5701 / “Lieutenant”

Killed in Action 3rd May 1917 Near Bullecourt, France

Gosford City Council gratefully acknowledges the voluntary efforts of

Benalyn Campbell

And Vivienne Tranter

in compiling this resource

The information in this file has been extracted from official records

held in the

The Australian War Memorial and

National Archives of Australia

(© Commonwealth of Australia [National Archives of Australia] 2013)

Further information on this soldier may be found online at:

Commonwealth War Graves

The AIF project

Content advisory: This file may potentially contain disturbing accounts of service-related injury and death, disease and family grief. Adult supervision is recommended for children

using these resources. Individual files should be viewed within the context

provided by wider research on service conditions in the 1st AIF.

This resource is presented by Gosford City Council

for research purposes only. Please note that copyright for resources

contained within remains with the original copyright owners.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en

NAME Sowell, Herbert Keith

SERVICE NO 5701 / Lieutenant

UNIT 18th Battalion

RANK 2nd

Lieutenant

AGE at Enlistment 22 yrs 6 mths/ Dob 27 Jan 1894

PLACE OF BIRTH Ashfield, NSW

ADDRESS The Grove, Guildford, NSW

OCCUPATION Motor Engineer

DATE OF ENLISTMENT 1 Feb 1916

PLACE OF ENLIST-MENT

PREVIOUS SERVICE Yes

NEXT OF KIN Mother;- Amelia Sowell, The Grove, Guildford, NSW

PHYSICAL DESCRIP-TION

Height-Weight . Chest Complexion-. Eyes-. Hair-.

RELIGION

EMBARKED 9 Sept 1916 Sydney per A14 “Euripides

DISEMBARKED 26 Oct 1916 Plymouth

NOTES Father deceased

WOUNDED/ILLNESS

DIED 3 May 1917 Killed instantly by shell explosion, Approx position Sunken Rd leading from Railway line to Reincourt Les Cagnicourt, nr Bullecourt.

BURIED Where he fell/ Re-interred;- Queant Rd Brit., Cem., N E Queant, 8 ¾ mls WNW of Cambrai.

MEDALS British War Medal-47152, Victory Medal-46601. Memorial Plaque & Scroll-356769.

DEPENDANTS

PERSONAL EFFECTS One Valise (sealed) cont;- wallet, certificate, 2 coins, 2 stars, unit col-ours,snapebets,diary, new testament, military books, mirror, money belt, pr puttees, whistle, 1 primus stove, thermos flask, 2 brushes, compass in case, cap, watch & chain (damaged), 2 handkerchiefs, steel mirror, pyjamas suit, shirt, air pillow, 1 pr bed stockings, 1 “sam brown” belt, S D Tunic, pr breeches, raincoat, rug/ Paper parcel cont;- pocket book, photo, prayer book/ 1 suitcase cont;- 1-5 franc piece(silver) date 1842 in wallet, books, stars & badges, 1 military brush in case, 1 leather purse, 2 knives 1 pr slippers, 1 pr brown boots, 1 pr hamper straps, sword frog, keys & chain, 2 ties, 1 silver lever watch, no 3056 (damaged)/ 1 uniform case cont;- books, buttons, 1 tin sundries, 1 elec-torch, `1 pr binocu-lars in case, 1 pr leggings, 3 pr shorts, 1 drill tunic, 1 pr breeches, 1 pr slacks, 1 pr puttees, 1 bathing costume, 1 pr rubber shoes, 2 pr socks, 3 singlets, 1 cap cover, 1 lines bag, 1 pillow case, 5 towels, 1 belt, 1 shirt, 1 shoulder strap, 1 great coat, ex-wooden box;- stars, 1 book, 1 pr mittens, 1 balaclava cap, 1 fleece coat lining, 1 mat, 1 pr slacks, 1 scarf, 1singlet, 1 pr gloves, 1 pr braces, 1 clothes brush, 8 h’chiefs/ 1 side car under carriage/ 1 Zenith Motor Cycle (damaged), 1 head light, 1 generator, 1 speedometer (Damaged), 2 pices of driving belt, 1 wheel, mudguard, 2 connecting rods be-longing to sidecar, 1 tool bag, 1 tube/ 1 side car/

Sydney Morning Herald 3

rd May 1918 pg. 5

SOWELL – Herbert Keith Sowell, Lieutenant, 18th

Batt., A.I.F., and 20th Batt., C.M.F., fell in France May

3, 1917, aged 33 years. A loving remembrance by his

mother and brother. “Thanks be to God, which giveth

us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” -1 Cor.,

xv., 57.

Gosford Times 7

th June 1917

Lieutenant Herbert Keith Sowell, who fell in France on

3rd

May was the younger son of Mrs Sowell, Guilford,

and grandson of the late Rev. C.R. Sowell, B.A., St.

Goran, Cornwall. About six years ago, he was en-

gaged for a time on the Gosford Times staff. At the

introduction of compulsory training he was immediately

appointed Color-Sergeant, and being moved up with

the first draft to the militia was appointed Sergeant. In

1913 he was commissioned provisional 2nd

Lieutenant,

and subsequently 2nd

Lieutenant, Provisional Lieuten-

ant and Lieutenant. Afterwards he became Signaling

Officer to the 20th Parramatta Infantry, and then O.C.

D Company of the same Battalion. He enlisted soon

after the commencement of the war, and was for

nearly two years detained in the Liverpool and Coota-

mundra training depots. He left Sydney in command

of reinforcements in September last. His self sacrific-

ing nature and regard for duty won personal esteem of

all with whom he came in contact. His cousin, 2nd

Lieut. Donal Sowell (Devonshire Light Infantry), only

son of Rev. R.H. Sowell, M.A., Truro, Cornall, was also

recently killed on the Somme.

Gosford Times 31

st May 1917

The casualty lists also include the names of Henry Richard Sheridan and Keith Sowell. Keith Sowell was employed on the Gosford Times staff, about six years ago, and with his brother started the Boy Scout movement here.

Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8087865

























Documents

Sowell, Herbert Keith