Sapper John Henry Lowe
Title
Sapper John Henry Lowe
Identifier
P.011
Bibliographic Citation
John Henry Lowe'. (1897) Marriage Record (1897/B/18614). Queensland Births Deaths and Marriages, QLD, Australia.
'John Henry Lowe'. (1930) Death Record (1930/B/12074). Queensland Births Deaths and Marriages, QLD, Australia.
Bean, C. E. W. (2014). Anzac to Amiens. Penguin: London.
National Archives of Australia: Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office; B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920; LOWE J H, Lowe John Henry : SERN 19256, 1914 – 1920.
Australian War Memorial: Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18; AWM4 22/23, 5th Signal Troop.
Australian War Memorial: Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18; AWM4 10/10, 5th Australian Light Horse Regiment.
Queensland Museum Donor Schedule #28/86 (1928).
Queensland Museum Miscellaneous Register, A1101-2.
Lowe Family Archive, Brisbane.
Lowe, J. H. (1918). 'Lowe diary, 17 September-12 November 1918 / John Henry Lowe'. State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, MLMSS 2873. Retrieved: https://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110341038
Communities, Housing and Digital Economy. (1848-1912). Assisted Immigration 1848-1912, Queensland. Retrieved: https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/assisted-immigration-1848-to-1912/resource/aa710ad1-42ce-413e-aa6a-6c87ac63ced6
Department of Veterans' Affairs. (2019). Australian signallers in World War I. Department of Veterans' Affairs Anzac Portal. Retrieved: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/personnel/army-life/signallers
SIGNAL SERVICE IN EGYPT (1917, July 14). The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), p. 3 (FINAL SPORTING). Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article221404990
RECRUITING. (1917, July 14). The Maitland Daily Mercury (NSW : 1894 - 1939), p. 5. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122831473
Personal Notes. (1919, April 4). The Week (Brisbane, Qld. : 1876 - 1934), p. 11. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192735081
Family Notices (1931, September 8). The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), p. 8 (FIRST EDITION). Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article190692238
Family Notices (1930, September 9). The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), p. 8. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article188282093
Personal Notes. (1917, November 2). The Week (Brisbane, Qld. : 1876 - 1934), p. 14. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article188092403
Family Notices (1932, September 8). The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), p. 8 (FIRST EDITION). Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article181154518
THE STRAND. (1917, October 26). Daily Standard (Brisbane, Qld. : 1912 - 1936), p. 3 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article179427781
Family Notices (1907, June 17). The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), p. 4 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article175954224
Family Notices (1924, September 29). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 6. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22891659
Family Notices (1930, September 9). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 10. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21581711
BY THE JORDAN. (1919, March 8). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 12. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20262217
PERSONAL NOTES. (1917, November 27). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 7. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20199847
Family Notices (1930, September 9). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 10. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21581711
Relation
C.011.001
C.011.002
C.011.003
C.011.004
C.011.005
C.011.006
Contributor
Mr James Donaldson
Biographical Text
John Henry Lowe was born in 1876 in London, England to George Lowe and Elizabeth Hale. The family emigrated to Australia in 1884, arriving aboard the Waroonga on 15 December. George and Elizabeth brought with them their six children: Elizabeth, Amy, George, Walter, John and Percy. John was only eight years old when the family arrived.
In 1897 John married Ethel Daisy Knight and by 1917 they had five children and were living at Welsby Street New Farm, where John worked as a Telegraphist. He enlisted on 23 March 1917 as part of the Australian Light Horse Signal Service Special Draft Reinforcements and went on to serve with the 5th Australian Signal Troop as a Sapper. His service number was 19256. At enlistment Lowe was almost 41 years old, but his specialist skills as a telegraphist were in demand and a special call had gone out in early 1917 for 3 officers and 149 other ranks to create a special reinforcements unit for the Australian signals service in Egypt.
John spent time training at the Moore Park Wireless School in Sydney before leaving Australia on the Kyarra, bound for Egypt, in September 1917. Throughout his service John kept up a regular correspondence with his family in Brisbane, particularly his daughter Daisy, to whom he described his day to day experiences. He also kept a diary, part of which was later donated to the State Library of New South Wales.
After arriving in Egypt in mid-November, 1917, John spent time in quarantine at Moascar and then at the Royal Engineers Base Signal Depot, Cleopatra Camp, at Ramleh, Alexandria. On the shore outside the camp John notes that there were the ruins of one of Cleopatra's palaces. John also spent time at Metras (al-Mitras) Camp just outside of Alexandria to the south-west, where he learnt to ride and tended to horses. His letters describe visits to the museums and monuments of Alexandria when leave allowed, including the so called “Pompey's Pillar”, actually erected by the emperor Diocletian. John also spent time learning Arabic and reading up on the history of Egypt and Alexandria. On 30 December 1917, John witnessed the sinking of the troopship Osmanieh in the sea off Metras Camp.
In early February 1918 John was appointed to serve with the British Palestine Line of Communication Signal Company at Kantara. Soon after, he applied for a transfer and was sent on to Deir Sineid, north east of Gaza to work with a mostly British signalling staff. On the way he stopped in El Arish and noted a monolithic Egyptian Sarcophagus used as a water trough in the town. In this role he also spent time Esdud, Ludd, and Hebron. He sent flowers, postcards and other souvenirs home as curios to his family and became well-known as a skilled tour guide for visiting soldiers. This may have been because of his interest in the history, particularly biblical history, of the places he visited and which he wrote about at length in his diary.
In June 1918 Australian Signals recalled John to duty with the AIF and he was granted 10 days leave to Cairo. John was excited at the prospect of visiting the Pyramids and Sphinx, but on his arrival he was unimpressed. In a letter dated 2 July 1918 John notes that the Pyramids were “originally covered with alabaster but it is nearly all fallen off. I have two small lumps of it. I went to the Sphinx, walked around the back of the neck and knocked two chips off the back of his head. I also inscribed my name in large letters (with blue pencil) on his bald spot.” These fragments of alabaster and limestone are now held by the Queensland Museum. While in Cairo, John also visited the Egyptian Museum and employed a guide to show him around the bazaar. On his return via Jerusalem he visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which he describes in great detail.
In July 1918 John joined the newly formed 5th Australian Signal Troop, attached to the 5th Australian Light Horse Brigade. The unit was raised from signals personnel already attached to Regiments within the 5th Light Horse Brigade, supplemented by personnel like John from the Palestine Line of Communication units and Base signals camp. The unit marshalled at Surafend in central Palestine, and spent July and August 1918 training in horsemanship and the use of the various signalling equipment used in the field: flag, lamp, heliograph, telephone and wireless. Around this time John began to keep a diary which was deposited with the State Library of New South Wales in 1920 as part of the European War Collecting Project. The diary records his experiences over the two months from September 1918, a period only sporadically covered by his surviving letters.
On 17 September 1918 the 5th Australian Signal Troop was ordered to move out toward Ludd at the beginning of Allenby's northern push. John was not an experienced horseman, and his diary describes the discomfort and fatigue associated with long hours in the saddle. From Surafend, the unit rapidly pushed north toward Jaffa, passing Mulebbis and stopping at Tulkarm, Nablus, and Jenin. The unit continued to push north and east towards the sea of Galilee via Afula, Nazareth, Kaffr Kenna and Safed. Here they crossed the Jordan at Jisr Benat Yakub on 27 September 1918, ten days after leaving Surafend. This period of constant movement kept John's unit just behind the front line and he frequently describes seeing and hearing allied bombardments, and coming under fire from enemy artillery, machine-guns, aircraft and even a sniper. The rapid advance meant that the Australians took numerous Ottoman prisoners, but John also describes the scenes of death and destruction that he witnessed in the wake of the advance.
A key role for the 5th Signal Troop was to maintain communications with other units during advances using manual signalling stations (flag, lamp or heliograph), and then establish more formal signal offices utilising telegraph networks during halts. These signal offices were often connected to existing Ottoman networks where available and were staffed 24 hours a day.
Once across the Jordan, the unit moved towards Damascus via Kaneitra (al Qunaitra), Sasa and eventually the village of Dumar outside Damascus in the days immediately prior to the capture of that city on 1 October 1918. The weather turned wet at Dumar and John's unit stayed put for the month of October, allowing him to obtain better supplies from the surrounding villages. However, his health deteriorated and he contracted a fever and an eye complaint. This eventually saw him evacuated by train and lorry to the 14th Australian General Hospital at Port Said in Egypt via Beirut. In the final pages of his diary, John describes the harbour of Alexandria echoing with the sound of ships' whistles celebrating the news that the war had ended on 11 November 1918. He was eventually classed as B1 (Temporarily Unfit for Service) and discharged for 'defective vision' in November 1918.
In early 1919, while awaiting repatriation to Australia, John wrote a short poem entitled 'By the Jordan' that was subsequently published in the Brisbane Courier on 8 March 1919. The poem describes the burial of an Australian soldier by the Jordan River where Lowe served, and opens: 'Wrap his waterproof around him, place his hat upon his brow, let the emu plume now mingle with the sod; and let the wailing bugle sound a martial requiem o'er a 'Dinkum' trooper gone to meet his God.' He returned to Australia in April 1919.
After returning to Australia, John donated the fragments he took from the monuments of Giza to the Queensland Museum, Brisbane, on 24 April, 1928, the day before ANZAC day. A postcard from John to his daughter Daisy and now in the Queensland Museum collection is dated March 1918 and features 'Abraham's Oak' in Jerusalem. On the reverse, John notes that he is 'collecting a few little curios. Hope I am able to get them home safely.' Alongside his ancient souvenirs, John also donated contemporary curios including a rosary, and oak bark and acorn cups from Jerusalem collected during his service.
After the war, John lived at his house “Ronville” on May St (now Scriven St) at Wilston. He was a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters and belonged to the Court Normal Lodge in Brisbane. He died on the 8th of September 1930, aged 54. He is buried in Lutwyche Cemetery, Plot MON-COE3-21A-7. John Henry received the British War Medal, and the British Victory Medal for his service.
In 1897 John married Ethel Daisy Knight and by 1917 they had five children and were living at Welsby Street New Farm, where John worked as a Telegraphist. He enlisted on 23 March 1917 as part of the Australian Light Horse Signal Service Special Draft Reinforcements and went on to serve with the 5th Australian Signal Troop as a Sapper. His service number was 19256. At enlistment Lowe was almost 41 years old, but his specialist skills as a telegraphist were in demand and a special call had gone out in early 1917 for 3 officers and 149 other ranks to create a special reinforcements unit for the Australian signals service in Egypt.
John spent time training at the Moore Park Wireless School in Sydney before leaving Australia on the Kyarra, bound for Egypt, in September 1917. Throughout his service John kept up a regular correspondence with his family in Brisbane, particularly his daughter Daisy, to whom he described his day to day experiences. He also kept a diary, part of which was later donated to the State Library of New South Wales.
After arriving in Egypt in mid-November, 1917, John spent time in quarantine at Moascar and then at the Royal Engineers Base Signal Depot, Cleopatra Camp, at Ramleh, Alexandria. On the shore outside the camp John notes that there were the ruins of one of Cleopatra's palaces. John also spent time at Metras (al-Mitras) Camp just outside of Alexandria to the south-west, where he learnt to ride and tended to horses. His letters describe visits to the museums and monuments of Alexandria when leave allowed, including the so called “Pompey's Pillar”, actually erected by the emperor Diocletian. John also spent time learning Arabic and reading up on the history of Egypt and Alexandria. On 30 December 1917, John witnessed the sinking of the troopship Osmanieh in the sea off Metras Camp.
In early February 1918 John was appointed to serve with the British Palestine Line of Communication Signal Company at Kantara. Soon after, he applied for a transfer and was sent on to Deir Sineid, north east of Gaza to work with a mostly British signalling staff. On the way he stopped in El Arish and noted a monolithic Egyptian Sarcophagus used as a water trough in the town. In this role he also spent time Esdud, Ludd, and Hebron. He sent flowers, postcards and other souvenirs home as curios to his family and became well-known as a skilled tour guide for visiting soldiers. This may have been because of his interest in the history, particularly biblical history, of the places he visited and which he wrote about at length in his diary.
In June 1918 Australian Signals recalled John to duty with the AIF and he was granted 10 days leave to Cairo. John was excited at the prospect of visiting the Pyramids and Sphinx, but on his arrival he was unimpressed. In a letter dated 2 July 1918 John notes that the Pyramids were “originally covered with alabaster but it is nearly all fallen off. I have two small lumps of it. I went to the Sphinx, walked around the back of the neck and knocked two chips off the back of his head. I also inscribed my name in large letters (with blue pencil) on his bald spot.” These fragments of alabaster and limestone are now held by the Queensland Museum. While in Cairo, John also visited the Egyptian Museum and employed a guide to show him around the bazaar. On his return via Jerusalem he visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which he describes in great detail.
In July 1918 John joined the newly formed 5th Australian Signal Troop, attached to the 5th Australian Light Horse Brigade. The unit was raised from signals personnel already attached to Regiments within the 5th Light Horse Brigade, supplemented by personnel like John from the Palestine Line of Communication units and Base signals camp. The unit marshalled at Surafend in central Palestine, and spent July and August 1918 training in horsemanship and the use of the various signalling equipment used in the field: flag, lamp, heliograph, telephone and wireless. Around this time John began to keep a diary which was deposited with the State Library of New South Wales in 1920 as part of the European War Collecting Project. The diary records his experiences over the two months from September 1918, a period only sporadically covered by his surviving letters.
On 17 September 1918 the 5th Australian Signal Troop was ordered to move out toward Ludd at the beginning of Allenby's northern push. John was not an experienced horseman, and his diary describes the discomfort and fatigue associated with long hours in the saddle. From Surafend, the unit rapidly pushed north toward Jaffa, passing Mulebbis and stopping at Tulkarm, Nablus, and Jenin. The unit continued to push north and east towards the sea of Galilee via Afula, Nazareth, Kaffr Kenna and Safed. Here they crossed the Jordan at Jisr Benat Yakub on 27 September 1918, ten days after leaving Surafend. This period of constant movement kept John's unit just behind the front line and he frequently describes seeing and hearing allied bombardments, and coming under fire from enemy artillery, machine-guns, aircraft and even a sniper. The rapid advance meant that the Australians took numerous Ottoman prisoners, but John also describes the scenes of death and destruction that he witnessed in the wake of the advance.
A key role for the 5th Signal Troop was to maintain communications with other units during advances using manual signalling stations (flag, lamp or heliograph), and then establish more formal signal offices utilising telegraph networks during halts. These signal offices were often connected to existing Ottoman networks where available and were staffed 24 hours a day.
Once across the Jordan, the unit moved towards Damascus via Kaneitra (al Qunaitra), Sasa and eventually the village of Dumar outside Damascus in the days immediately prior to the capture of that city on 1 October 1918. The weather turned wet at Dumar and John's unit stayed put for the month of October, allowing him to obtain better supplies from the surrounding villages. However, his health deteriorated and he contracted a fever and an eye complaint. This eventually saw him evacuated by train and lorry to the 14th Australian General Hospital at Port Said in Egypt via Beirut. In the final pages of his diary, John describes the harbour of Alexandria echoing with the sound of ships' whistles celebrating the news that the war had ended on 11 November 1918. He was eventually classed as B1 (Temporarily Unfit for Service) and discharged for 'defective vision' in November 1918.
In early 1919, while awaiting repatriation to Australia, John wrote a short poem entitled 'By the Jordan' that was subsequently published in the Brisbane Courier on 8 March 1919. The poem describes the burial of an Australian soldier by the Jordan River where Lowe served, and opens: 'Wrap his waterproof around him, place his hat upon his brow, let the emu plume now mingle with the sod; and let the wailing bugle sound a martial requiem o'er a 'Dinkum' trooper gone to meet his God.' He returned to Australia in April 1919.
After returning to Australia, John donated the fragments he took from the monuments of Giza to the Queensland Museum, Brisbane, on 24 April, 1928, the day before ANZAC day. A postcard from John to his daughter Daisy and now in the Queensland Museum collection is dated March 1918 and features 'Abraham's Oak' in Jerusalem. On the reverse, John notes that he is 'collecting a few little curios. Hope I am able to get them home safely.' Alongside his ancient souvenirs, John also donated contemporary curios including a rosary, and oak bark and acorn cups from Jerusalem collected during his service.
After the war, John lived at his house “Ronville” on May St (now Scriven St) at Wilston. He was a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters and belonged to the Court Normal Lodge in Brisbane. He died on the 8th of September 1930, aged 54. He is buried in Lutwyche Cemetery, Plot MON-COE3-21A-7. John Henry received the British War Medal, and the British Victory Medal for his service.
Rank
Sapper
Occupation
Palestine Line of Communication Signals Company
5th Signal Troop
Birth Date
1876
Death Date
8/09/1930
Death Place
Files
Collection
Citation
“Sapper John Henry Lowe,” First World War Antiquities, accessed April 24, 2024, https://ww1antiquities.omeka.net/items/show/216.
Comments