Name
Francis Gilbert Dowling
1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/09/1917
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Bombardier
18858
Australian Field Artillery
7th Bde.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THE HUTS CEMETERY
IV. D. 7.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Hemel Hempstead memorials, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia
Pre War
Francis Gilbert Dowling (registered as Gilbert Francis and often known as Gilbert) was born in 1890 in Hemel Hempstead, Herts, the son of Walter and Elizabeth Dowling, and one of five children.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Heath Lane, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, where his father was a schoolmaster at what was known then as Heath Brow or Boxmoor School. It was a boys' school, taking pupils from 6 to 17 years and beyond, to prepare them for the civil service and business. Some pupils came from abroad, but most were from London. His elder sister Mabel was visiting the home of Walter and Emma Mott on Census night.
The whole family emigrated to Australia on 10 February 1906 on the SS Suevic (White Star Line) and arrived in Sydney on 2 April 1906. They settled in Dorrigo, New South Wales and Gilbert and his brother Harold were in partnership on a farm.
His father died on 22 July 1910 in Dorrigo and on enlistment he gave his mother as his next of kin, c/o S G Gould, Hooper & Harrison, Elizabeth Street, Brisbane, Australia, later changed to his brother, Mr W R Dowling, Davidson Avenue, Warrawee, NSW when his mother died.
He left a will dated 13 March 1916 in which he left all his assets to his brother Harold and . and appointed his other brother Walter as sole executor.
Wartime Service
He enlisted into the 7th Field Artillery Brigade of the Australian Army on 21 August 1915 at Armidale, NSW and served from 18 September 1915, embarking from Sydney on 11 May 1916 and arriving in Devonport, England on 19 July 1916. Whilst in England he was promoted to Provisional Corporal on 23 October 1916 which was confirmed on 16 December 1916.
They proceeded to France from Southampton on 29 December 1916 and he was transferred to the 26th Battery in the field on 6 January 1917 and reverted to Bombardier at his own request. He was detached to the Gas School at Steinwerck on 9 February 1917 and rejoined the Brigade on 16 February.
He was wounded in action on the 21 May 1917, remaining on duty, but was wounded again, being admitted to hospital with a gun shot wound on 5 June 1917.
He was killed in action on 11 September 1917. and is buried at The Huts Military Cemetery, Dickebusch (Dikkebus), Belgium.
Additional Information
His brother Harold G Dowling embarked for England as a munitions worker and his other brother Walter was Acting Sergeant no. 29901, 34th Field Artillery and in his letter of 10 January 1918 was expecting to be embarked any time when he wrote a letter from the Liverpool Camp, NSW.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild. www.naa.gov.au, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk
