John Cowans
| Sir John Cowans | |
|---|---|
 Lt-Gen Sir John S Cowans: circa 1914 | |
| Born |
11 March 1862 Carlisle, United Kingdom |
| Died |
16 April 1921 (aged 59) Menton, France |
| Buried at | Kensal Green Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1881–1919 |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Member of the Royal Victorian Order |
General Sir John ("Jack") Stephen Cowans GCB GCMG MVO (11 March 1862 – 16 April 1921) was Quartermaster-General to the Forces.
Military career
Educated at Burney's Academy at Gosport,[1] Cowans was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1881.[2]
He became a Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General at Army Headquarters in 1898 before moving on to be Assistant Quartermaster-General for 2nd Division at Aldershot Command in 1903.[2] In 1906 he was appointed Director-General of Military Education for the Indian Army and in 1907 he became Director of Staff Duties and Training at Army Headquarters in India.[2] He then became Commander of the Presidency Brigade in Calcutta in 1908.[2]
He returned to the United Kingdom in 1910 to be Director-General of the Territorial Forces and then became Quartermaster-General to the Forces in 1912; in this capacity he was responsible for finding accommodation and supplies for more than a million newly enlisted servicemen at the start of World War I and worked closely with the Women's Legion and the YMCA to achieve this.[1]
Prime Minister Herbert Asquith described him as the best Quartermaster since Moses.[3]
He retired in 1919.[2]
Family
In 1884, he married Eva Mary Coulson: they had no children.[1]
Honours and decorations
In October 1919, Cowans was appointed a Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer by Alexander of Greece, King of the Hellenes; this is the highest grade of the highest order of Greece.[4]
Death
He died at Menton, France, in April 1921 aged 59, and was buried at St Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, London.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 John Cowans at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- 1 2 3 4 5 Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ↑ Wipers Dead Time Magazine, 1 June 1925
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31615. p. 13002. 21 October 1919. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ↑ "Sir John Steven Cowans". CWGC Casualty record. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Herbert Miles |
Quartermaster-General to the Forces 1912–1919 |
Succeeded by Sir Travers Clarke |