Charles Henry Cowley
Lieutenant Commander, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
- Register No.
- 266 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lieutenant Commander all Lieutenant-Commanders →
- Unit
- Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve all Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve VCs →
- Date of action
- 24–25 April 1916 on this day → all of 1916 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 2nd February 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
- Born
- 21st February, 1872 at Baghdad, Mesopotamia. (Iraq.)
- Died
- 25th April, 1916 near Kut-el-Amara, Mesopotamia. (believed
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- on Basra Memorial, Iraq
Digest of citation
On the night of 24th/25th April, 1916 in Mesopotamia, an attempt was made to reprovision the forces besieged at Kut-el-Amara. Lieutenant Commander COWLEY, with a Lieutenant *, a sub-lieutenant and 12 ratings, started off with 270 tons of stores up the River Tigris. Unfortunately SS Julnar was attacked almost at once by Turkish machine guns and artillery. At Magasis, steel hawsers stretched across the River halted the expedition, the enemy opened fire at point-blank range and Julnar's Bridge was smashed, and Julnar's Commander was killed: also or several of his crew. Lieutenant Commander COWLEY was taken prisoner with the other survivors and was almost certainly executed by the Turks
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
COWLEY, Charles Henry. (reg No. 266).
Lieutenant Commander. Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
London Gazetted on 2nd February 1917.
Born on 21st February, 1872 at Baghdad, Mesopotamia. (Iraq.).
Died on 25th April, 1916 near Kut-el-Amara, Mesopotamia. (believed to have been executed by Turks).
Memorial on Basra Memorial, Iraq.
Digest of Citation reads:. On the night of 24th/25th April, 1916 in Mesopotamia, an attempt was made to reprovision the forces besieged at Kut-el-Amara. Lieutenant Commander COWLEY, with a Lieutenant *, a sub-lieutenant and 12 ratings, started off with 270 tons of stores up the River Tigris. Unfortunately SS Julnar was attacked almost at once by Turkish machine guns and artillery. At Magasis, steel hawsers stretched across the River halted the expedition, the enemy opened fire at point-blank range and Julnar's Bridge was smashed, and Julnar's Commander was killed: also or several of his crew. Lieutenant Commander COWLEY was taken prisoner with the other survivors and was almost certainly executed by the Turks.
* Lieutenant H O B FIRMAN (reg No. 4 06) Commanding SS Julnar.
* Lieutenant H O B FIRMAN (reg No. 4 06) Commanding SS Julnar.
to have been executed by Turks).
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: on Basra Memorial, Iraq
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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