Pte 31536 John James Cowley

John James Cowley was born on the 06th September 1888 in Onchan, Douglas, Isle of Man to Douglas to widower and general labourer William Cowley and his Douglas born wife Eleanor Christian (nee Colvin) who married in Bradden Isle of Man on 09th June 1883, they had four sons and a daughter. 

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 6 Hanover Street, Onchan, Isle of Man. His father, William, is aged 36, born in Douglas, Isle of Man in 1855 is a general labourer, his mother, Eleanor, is aged 33, born in Douglas in 1858 with no occupation listed. They have three children living with them at the time of the Census, Thomas aged 6, born 1885, William aged 5, born 1886 are both scholars and John James is aged 2 and was born in 1889. The children were all born in Douglas.  

His mother died, aged 44, in 1903.  

 

His father died, aged 53, in 1908. 

 

Orphaned, the family broke up and the youngest child Edward Castell Cowley, aged 12, was sent to Canada in April 1908 by the children's home.

 

In 1909 his elder brother William Cannon Cowley, died, aged 23.

 

John's whereabouts for the 1911 Census are unknown. 

 

In 1912 his younger brother, Thomas, died, aged 28.

 

When he was aged 18, his younger brother Edward came back from Canada on 21st October 1914 and enlisted into the Cheshire Regiment on 09th December 1914. 

 

John appears to have also enlisted into the 17th (Pals) Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 31536.

 

After training he was sent to France on 09 February 1916, aged 27.

 

He was one of eight other ranks killed in action on 03rd July 1916, near Montauban France. 

His body was not found or was subsequently lost as he is remembered on the Arras Memorial incorrectly under 1/7th King's by CWGC. He is also incorrectly listed as 1/7th Killed in Everard Wyrall's History of the King's.

His body was not found or was subsequently lost as he is remembered on the Arras Memorial:

The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July). 

 

Soldiers Effects and pay arrears of £5:5s:3d were shared between his sisters and brother and his War Gratuity of £3 shared between his sisters and step sisters.

 

His two medals the British War Medal and Victory Medal with the 17th King's were returned unclaimed and undelivered. They were destroyed. 

 

His death was reported in the Mona's Herald on Wednesday 19 July 1916, on page 7

 

It was also featured in the Isle of Man Examiner on Saturday 22 July 1916, on page 8.

 

 

 

John James is remembered on the Isle of Man War Memorial.

 

We currently have no further information on John James Cowley, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.