Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- Created 1998 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 volume
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born in India, 1905; educated at Connaught House, Wellington College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; commissioned into the Corps of Royal Engineers, 1925; Lt, 1927; served in India with Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners, 1932-1936; awarded Albert Medal (later exchanged for the GC) for rescuing survivors of the earthquake in Quetta, India, 1935; Capt, 1936; Instructor, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, 1936-1938; Staff Capt, 1939; Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, 1939; served in World War Two in the Middle East, Italy and North West Europe, 1939-1945; Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General, War Office, 1939-1940; temporary Maj, 1940-1941; Middle East, 1940-1942; Assistant Quartermaster General, 1941-1942; temporary Lt Col, 1941-1944; Maj, 1942; Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General, 30 Corps, Western Desert, 1942; General Staff Officer 1, British Army Staff, Washington DC, USA, 1942-1943; Instructor, US Command and Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, USA, 1942-1943; awarded OBE, 1943; substantive Lt Col, 1944; acting Brig, Allied Forces Headquarters, Caserta, Italy, 1944; Brig Q [Quartermaster] (Army Equipment), 1944; temporary Brig, 1944-1953; awarded CBE, 1946; Col, 1949; Brig, 1953; temporary Maj Gen, 1953; Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Eastern Command, 1953-1956; Maj Gen, 1954; awarded CB, 1954; Vice Quartermaster General, 1956-1957; Lt Gen, 1957; Controller of Munitions, Ministry of Supply, 1957-1960; created KBE, 1958; Master General of the Ordnance, War Office, 1960-1962; Governor, Wellington College, 1960-1976; Col Commandant, Royal Pioneer Corps, 1961-1967; Col Commandant, Royal Engineers, 1961-1970; retired 1962; Director, Alastair Watson Limited, 1962-1970; Chairman, Bowmaker Limited, 1962-1971; Director, British Oxygen Limited, 1962-1976; Chairman of Governors, Eagle House School, 1968-1976; Chairman of Governors, Bigshotte School, 1968-1976; Director, C T Bowring and Company Limited, 1969-1971; Vice President and Chairman of Governors, Wellington College, 1969-1976; Chairman, Wilverley Securities Limited, 1970-1973; Keith and Henderson Limited, 1973-1976; Chairman, Polamco Limited, 1976-1993; Chairman of Governors, Brockenhurst Sixth Form College, 1977-1984; President, Old Wellingtonian Society, 1979-1993; President, New Forest Preservation Society, 1982-1993; Fellow, Royal Society of Arts; died 1993.Publications: Memoirs of Lieutenant-General Sir John Cowley, 1905-1993, edited by Colin Maitland (Deltastet, London, 1998).
Archival history
GB 0099 KCLMA Cowley Created 1998 Collection (fonds) 1 volume Cowley , Sir , John Guise , 1905-1993 , Knight , Lieutenant General
Born in India, 1905; educated at Connaught House, Wellington College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; commissioned into the Corps of Royal Engineers, 1925; Lt, 1927; served in India with Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners, 1932-1936; awarded Albert Medal (later exchanged for the GC) for rescuing survivors of the earthquake in Quetta, India, 1935; Capt, 1936; Instructor, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, 1936-1938; Staff Capt, 1939; Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, 1939; served in World War Two in the Middle East, Italy and North West Europe, 1939-1945; Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General, War Office, 1939-1940; temporary Maj, 1940-1941; Middle East, 1940-1942; Assistant Quartermaster General, 1941-1942; temporary Lt Col, 1941-1944; Maj, 1942; Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General, 30 Corps, Western Desert, 1942; General Staff Officer 1, British Army Staff, Washington DC, USA, 1942-1943; Instructor, US Command and Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, USA, 1942-1943; awarded OBE, 1943; substantive Lt Col, 1944; acting Brig, Allied Forces Headquarters, Caserta, Italy, 1944; Brig Q [Quartermaster] (Army Equipment), 1944; temporary Brig, 1944-1953; awarded CBE, 1946; Col, 1949; Brig, 1953; temporary Maj Gen, 1953; Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Eastern Command, 1953-1956; Maj Gen, 1954; awarded CB, 1954; Vice Quartermaster General, 1956-1957; Lt Gen, 1957; Controller of Munitions, Ministry of Supply, 1957-1960; created KBE, 1958; Master General of the Ordnance, War Office, 1960-1962; Governor, Wellington College, 1960-1976; Col Commandant, Royal Pioneer Corps, 1961-1967; Col Commandant, Royal Engineers, 1961-1970; retired 1962; Director, Alastair Watson Limited, 1962-1970; Chairman, Bowmaker Limited, 1962-1971; Director, British Oxygen Limited, 1962-1976; Chairman of Governors, Eagle House School, 1968-1976; Chairman of Governors, Bigshotte School, 1968-1976; Director, C T Bowring and Company Limited, 1969-1971; Vice President and Chairman of Governors, Wellington College, 1969-1976; Chairman, Wilverley Securities Limited, 1970-1973; Keith and Henderson Limited, 1973-1976; Chairman, Polamco Limited, 1976-1993; Chairman of Governors, Brockenhurst Sixth Form College, 1977-1984; President, Old Wellingtonian Society, 1979-1993; President, New Forest Preservation Society, 1982-1993; Fellow, Royal Society of Arts; died 1993.Publications: Memoirs of Lieutenant-General Sir John Cowley, 1905-1993, edited by Colin Maitland (Deltastet, London, 1998).
Presented to the Centre by the family in 1999.
Edition of Memoirs of Lieutenant-General Sir John Cowley, 1905-1993, edited by Colin Maitland (Deltastet, London, 1998), chiefly covering Cowley's education at Connaught House and Wellington College, the Quetta earthquake, India, 1935, service in World War Two, 1939-1945, in the Middle East and North West Europe, and service as Controller of Munitions, Ministry of Supply, 1957-1960.
1 item
Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.
English
Summary guide available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.
The papers of Capt Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart contain a typescript lecture text by Cowley entitled 'Future trends in warfare', given at the Royal United Services Institute, 4 Nov 1959 (Ref: LH 15/5/240). A memoir of the Suez operations, 1956 and Cowley's military reflections are held at the Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge University (Ref: CWLY).
Decorations: GC, KBE, CB
May 1999 Cowley , Sir , John Guise , 1905-1993 , Knight , Lieutenant General Documents Europe Higher science education India Information sources International conflicts Memoirs Middle East Military education Military engineering Military equipment Pakistan Quetta South Asia War Warfare Weapons Wellington College Western Europe World wars (events) World War Two (1939-1945) Wars (events) Equipment Primary documents
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Presented to the Centre by the family in 1999.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Edition of Memoirs of Lieutenant-General Sir John Cowley, 1905-1993, edited by Colin Maitland (Deltastet, London, 1998), chiefly covering Cowley's education at Connaught House and Wellington College, the Quetta earthquake, India, 1935, service in World War Two, 1939-1945, in the Middle East and North West Europe, and service as Controller of Munitions, Ministry of Supply, 1957-1960.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
1 item
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
The papers of Capt Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart contain a typescript lecture text by Cowley entitled 'Future trends in warfare', given at the Royal United Services Institute, 4 Nov 1959 (Ref: LH 15/5/240). A memoir of the Suez operations, 1956 and Cowley's military reflections are held at the Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge University (Ref: CWLY).
Finding aids
Summary guide available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Decorations: GC, KBE, CB
Notes area
Note
Decorations: GC, KBE, CB
Alternative identifier(s)
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Description control area
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Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English