Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Captain G.H.T. Chowne


Gardenerbill

Recommended Posts

Captain G.H.T. Chowne

Captain Chowne was the commanding officer of “A” company 9th Battalion East Lancashire regiment when the battalion was serving with the British Salonika Force in 1916 and 1917.

Some time before December 1916 Capt Chowne was either wounded or taken ill as the first mention of him in the war diary is when he returned from Hospital on the 4th of December 1916:

4th System of guides organised.

Capt. G.H.T. Chowne , 2/Lieuts. R.F. Lee & R. Gailey & 9 O.R.

rejoin from HP.

2/Lieut. R. Addison reports for duty & is taken on strength of the Battn.

Day very misty.

The second reference to Captain Chowne in the War Diary is in an appendix detailing orders for an assault. Captain Chowne as the commanding officer of “A” company and is to lead a party in the assault on the village of Akindzali West. Akindzali West is a village in the valley to the east of Lake Doiran occupied by a Bulgarian forward post:

“A” Coy.

Capt. Chowne and party will leave their wire at 4 a.m. and proceed via the P of A remaining at a suitable distance from the Redoubt.

The Redoubt is a small fort occupied the Bulgarians near the village of Akindzali West. The first successful attempt to capture it is on the 27th of December, there is no mention in the war diary of Captain Chowne:

27th 0300 Capt A.D. Rollo, 2/Lieuts. Robinson & Gibson & 50 O.R.

(Assaulting points) proceed to HODZA REDOUBT. Object to

capture work & hold until 9 K.O. have cleared BREST of the enemy.

2/Lieut. xx- K.G. Wilson & R.E. party proceed to bridge 300x S.W. of HODZA REDOUBT.

0630 Attack begins. Enemy open (rifle) fire only 250x. Heavy wire

entanglements blown up with gun cotton & cut with wire cutters.

0700 Redoubt captured.

0715 2/Lieut Wilsons party disposes of enemy post & blows up bridge.

0750 25 of redoubt garrison ordered to retire. (barraged by enemy)

0810 Remainder of redoubt garrison ordered to retire.

Casualties 1 O.R. killed.

2/Lieut. J.S. Robinson & 4 O.R. severely wounded.

15 O.R. slightly wounded.

1200- Enemy high velocity gun shells

1500 B & D coy areas

The attack on Akindzali West takes place on the 6th of January 1917, again the war diary makes no mention of Captain Chowne:

6th 0641 Very light sent up from HODZA REDOUBT. No firing.

0645 Bombardment of HODZA REDOUBT, CEMETERY WOOD, HODZA WOOD, AKINDZALI E. etc. begins.

0650 Bombardment of HODZA REDOUBT lifts.

0700 Redoubt captured, 4 Bulgars killed 1 prisoner.

0725 HODZA WOOD captured.

0800 Advance on AKINDZALI W begins.

Intense bombardment.

0810 Bombardment lifts. AKINDZALI W. entered. Village deserted.

0852 Retirement begins.

Total casualties 2 O.R. killed 5 O.R. wounded.

However the Regimental History records the action as follows:

‘A week later, in conjunction with the King’s Liverpools who were operating on our right, we repeated the raid on a somewhat larger scale. Our objectives, this time were not only Hodza Redoubt but also the village of Akindzali East and, on this occasion, the raid was preceded by a five minutes’ intensive wire-cutting. Three parties took part in the raid, Heurtley with fifty men making for Hodza Redoubt, Chowne with fifty for Akindzali Church and Leonard with fifty for the White House, a strong-point in Akindzali. All three parties gained their objectives and the two latter, with the assistance of the Royal Engineer demolition parties, blew up the church and the White House which had been converted by the Bulgars into strong-points. Our casualties were light; with two killed and five wounded we inflicted a heavy blow on the enemy.’

In February 1917 the Battalion is back in the Doiran Sector West of the Lake and preparations are underway for the 1st battle of Doiran. The battle starts on the 24th of April and the 9th East Lancs are in reserve. After 3 days of fierce fighting the battalion relieves the 13th Manchesters in the new line. On the 1st of May 1917, while out on patrol, Captain Chowne is seriously wounded:

May. Horseshoe.

1st. Enemy battery, at point 310 (true) from boundary on P.5.

Shelled “A” (left) Coy. during morning and afternoon.

Enemy shelled “D” (Right) Coy during night and M.Gs from 06 fired up Jackson’s Ravine.

Major L.H. Trist lies out in scrub at S.E. corner of Corne du Bois all day.

No sign of movement in enemy trenches or behind their works.

3 patrols, each of 1 off & 2 O.R. proceeded nightly (29/30, Apl 30 Apl) 1 May & 1/2 May)

from Right Coy. to corenr of Corne du Bois, along ravine to E. For 400x yds. and thence back to wire of right Coy. Casualties: 2 O.R. killed. Capt Chowne seriously wounded. 19 O.R. wounded.

On the 2nd of May Captain Chowne dies of his wounds:

2nd 1600 Horseshoe camp shelled with 8 or 9 4.2 H.E. P41/2 shelled during night – 60% duds.

Protective patrols only. Casualties 1 O.R. killed. Capt. G.H.T. Chowne died of wounds.

Lieut H.C. Coaks & 2/Lieut W. Young and 8 O.R. wounded.

This is how the Regimental History describes the events in the first few days of May 1917:

The 1st of May was blazing hot and neither side seemed disposed to take offensive action. Under the pitiless sun, Trist lay out all day in the scrub of “no-man’s-land” observing the enemy’s lines in which, however, there were no signs of activity. The cool of evening brought increased artillery activity which cost us the lives of Chowne and three men, while Coaks, Young and twenty seven men were wounded. Chowne’s death was a great loss to us and to the artistic world in which he was by no means unknown. A water-colour artist of considerable merit, his panorama sketches were of great value from a military point of view and his caricatures were an unending source of joy to us.

The Commonwealth graves commission records that Captain Chowne is buried at Karasouli Military Cemetary in Greece and that he was the Husband of Nora.

Sadly the final reference to Captain Chowne is in mid June when Lieut R. F. Lee replaces him as commanding officer of “A” Company.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...