Cpl 57495 Albert Edward Cowie

• Age: 19
• From: Grimsby
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Friday 22nd March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

Albert Edward Cowie was born in 1898 the son of George Cowie and his wife Emma Elizabeth (née Lowther), who married in Lincolnshire in 1888. 

He enlisted in Grimsby and served originally as 791, Highland Divisional Cyclist Company. He was transferred to the 20th Bn King’s (Liverpool) Regiment and upon the disbandment of the 20th Battalion in February 1918 served with the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment. He was serving as Corporal 57495 when he was killed in action on the 22^nd March 1918, aged 19 during the German Spring Offensive. 

The Battalion diary gives an overview of the events of the 22nd March 1918 as follows:

22^nd  GERMAINE – HAM- MOYENCOURT

The battalion moved up accordingly being in position at 6:30 a.m. About 3pm the enemy attacked the left of our position and advanced on our left flank towards FLUQUIERES. At 4:30 pm an attack was launched on our front and the enemy forced his way through on our right. The remainder of the Battalion was forced to retire to south of FLUQUIERES. During this engagement the Battalion lost 11 Officers and About 21 O.R. The order was given to retire to the defences at HAM. The Battalion by this time was very weak, and passing through the 20^th Division took up positions in HAM, as ordered, getting into position at 2am.

Albert's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial in France.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930. 

His father died in the September quarter of 1925, aged 74. 

His mother died in the March quarter of 1943, aged 84. 

We currently have no further information on Albert Edward Cowie, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.