Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
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).