Diary of Gerard Henderson Cowan, January - April 1917

Places
Accession Number AWM2019.22.256
Collection number 3DRL/3660
Collection type Digitised Collection
Record type Item
Item count 1
Object type Diary
Physical description 37 Image/s captured
Maker Cowan, Gerard Henderson
Place made United Kingdom: England
Date made 1917
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Source credit to This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government.
Description

Diary relating to the First World War service of 6733 Private Gerard Henderson Cowan, 11 Australian Infantry Battalion.

This diary, written by Cowan between 12 January and 26 April 1917, contains details of his service in England. Cowan records experiences such as his struggle with the cold, muddy weather, attending lessons, drills and exams, seeing aeroplanes overhead, doing laundry, performing fatigue duty, poor army rations, sightseeing at nearby villages during his time off, visiting English family members, a water pipe bursting in his hut and the water freezing on the floor, bayonet exercises, snowball fights, a friend’s funeral, getting mumps and spending time in hospital, asking a civilian to buy him a train ticket, attending a musketry school, and doing well in his tests.

Gerard Henderson Cowan joined the Australian Flying Corps and became a pilot in 1918, but died of illness on 22 February 1919.