John Cowans

Sir John Cowans
Lt-Gen Sir John S Cowans: circa 1914
Born	11 March 1862 Carlisle, United Kingdom
Died	16 April 1921 (aged 59) Menton, France
Buried at	Kensal Green Cemetery
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1881-1919
Rank	General
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Member of the Royal Victorian Order

General Sir John ("Jack") Stephen Cowans GCB GCMG MVO (11 March 1862 – 16 April 1921) was Quartermaster-General to the Forces.

Military career

Educated at Dr. Burney's Academy at Gosport,^[1] Cowans was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1881.^[2]

He became a Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General at Army Headquarters in 1898 before moving on to be Assistant Quartermaster-General for 2nd Division at Aldershot Command in 1903.^[2] In 1906 he was appointed Director-General of Military Education for the Indian Army and in 1907 he became Director of Staff Duties and Training at Army Headquarters in India.^[2] He then became Commander of the Presidency Brigade in Calcutta in 1908.^[2]

He returned to the United Kingdom in 1910 to be Director-General of the Territorial Forces and then became Quartermaster-General to the Forces in 1912; in this capacity he was responsible for finding acccommodation and supplies for more than a million newly enlisted servicemen at the start of World War I and worked closely with the Women's Legion and the YMCA to achieve this.^[1]

Prime Minister Herbert Asquith described him as the best Quartermaster since Moses.^[3]

He retired in 1919.^[2]

Family

In 1884 he married Eva Mary Coulson: they had no children.^[1]

References