LOWRY, William James

William was the son of James and Agnes Lowry of Spencer’s Gully, near Inverell. He became a motor mechanic and at the age of twenty, whilst working in Sydney, enlisted on 16 August 1914.  He became a member of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force D Company and three days later sailed for service in New Guinea. He returned to Australia and as his contract had expired was discharged in March 1915. 

The following January, at Inverell, he re-enlisted and joined the First Contingent of The Kurrajongs, becoming a member of the 33rd Battalion D Company.  After training at Armidale and Rutherford he sailed from Sydney in May, arriving in England nine weeks later.  William served in England at No 4 Command Depot, Wareham and then with the 9th Training Battalion at Larkhill.  Shortly afterwards he was sent for temporary duty with the Australian Flying Corps.  By April 1917 he was ill and hospitalised with tuberculoses.

Private Lowry was returned to Australia by the hospital ship ‘Karoola’ in August 1917 and sent to North Head Quarantine Station.  Five months later he was medically discharged. Sadly he died in June 1919 and was buried at Katoomba General Cemetery.

At Inverell his name is inscribed on the Honor Roll and Cenotaph. He was one of the 215 men for whom a memorial tree was planted in Kurrajong Parade in November 1919. Before the War, William was a noted Inverell Rugby Union player.