Frederick Charles Gaden Lowe

Frederick Charles Gaden Lowe

Male 1889 -

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  • Name Frederick Charles Gaden Lowe  [1
    Birth 1889  Wellington, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Gender Male 
    War Service 07 Sep 1915  World War I Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 4
    Age: 26yrs 9mths 
    • Frederick Charles Gaden Lowe enlisted in the 10th reinforcements to the 6th Australian Light Horse Regiment on 7th September 1915 at Liverpool New South Wales. By this time both his parents had died and he listed his Grandmother Susan Gaden as his next of kin. Her address at this time was listed as 300 Valley Red Wahronga Sydney New South Wales. His age on enlistment was 26 yrs 9 months. His description at the time of his enlistment was aged 26yrs 9mths, height 5 ft 11 inches, weight 136 lbs, chest measurement 33 1/2 inches, complexion dark, eyes blue, hair fair, Religious denomination Church of England.
      He was approved medically fit and appointed to the 10th Reinforcements of 6th Light Horse Regiment on 22 September 1915. The 6th Light Horse along with the 5th and 7th light horse Regiments made up the 2nd Light Horse Brigade.

      Frederick along with the rest of the 10th Reinforcements of the 6th Light Horse embarked on transports and sailed from Sydney on 12 October 1915. He arrived in Maadi, Cairo, Egypt on 27 December 1915.

      Private Frederick Lowe along with the 10th Reinforcements joined the 6th Light Horse Regiment in Cairo Egypt.
      The 2nd Light Horse Brigade became part of the ANZAC Mounted Division and, in April 1916, joined the forces defending the Suez Canal from a Turkish advance across the Sinai Desert. It fought at the battle of Romani on 4 August, at Katia the following day, and participated in the pursuit that followed the Turks retreat back across the desert.
      The regiment spent late 1916 and early 1917 engaged on patrol work until the British advance into Palestine stalled before the Turkish bastion of Gaza. It was involved in the two abortive battles to capture Gaza directly (27 March and 19 April) and then the operation that ultimately led to its fall the wide outflanking
      move via Beersheba that began on 31 October.
      With the fall of Gaza on 7 November 1917, the Turkish position in southern Palestine collapsed. The 6th participated in the pursuit that followed and led to the
      capture of Jerusalem in December. The focus of British operations then moved to the Jordan Valley. In early 1918 the 6th was involved in the Amman (24 & 27
      February) and Es Salt (30 April & 4 May) raids, both of which were tactical failures but helped to convince the Turks that the next offensive would be launched across the Jordan.
      Instead, the offensive was launched along the coast in September 1918, with the 6th taking part in a subsidiary effort east of the Jordan. It was part of the force that captured Amman on 25 September, which proved to be its last major engagement of the war; Turkey surrendered on 30 October 1918. The 6th Light Horse was employed one last time to assist in putting down the Egyptian revolt of early 1919, and sailed for home on 28 June.

      Battle of Romani
      04 August 1916 - 05 August 1916
      The battle of Romani, fought between 3 and 5 August 1916, finally put a stop to the Turkish threat to the Suez canal and marked the beginning of the British
      forces' drive out of Egypt and into Palestine. The British defences were sited admist a series of towering sand dunes, 35 kilometres east of the canal, which the Turks tried to outflank to the south early on 4 August. Initially, only the 1st Light Horse Brigade was in position to meet the Turkish attack. Heavily outnumbered it was forced to fall back but as the day progressed both mounted and infantry reinforcements steadily arrived, allowing the position to be stabilized around a massive dune known as Mount Royston, after the charismatic light horse officer Lieutenant Colonel "Galloping Jack" Royston. The position was held throughout the night and before dawn the next morning the 1st and 2nd Light Horse Brigades advanced on foot with the bayonet. Turkish resistance collapsed at this point, and large numbers of prisoners were taken. At 6.30 am fresh troops of the 3rd Light Brigade were turned loose in pursuit of the retreating Turks.
      Frederick was promoted to Lance Corporal on 21st January 1917.

      The first battle of Gaza took place on 26 March 1917. Two British infantry divisions were to attack it from the south while the mounted troops of the Desert Column, which included Frederick Low and the Australian 2nd Brigade, would attack from the flanks and north. When the attack was launched the infantry made slow progress but the mounted troops succeeded in capturing
      high ground to the north of the city and advancing into it. Concerned by the lack of progress made by the infantry, and fearing the water supplies vital for the mounted troops would not be captured that night, Lieutenant General Dobell, the British officer commanding the operation, ordered a withdrawal at dusk. The next morning, after realising his mistake, Dobell attempted to resume the battle with the infantry, but with the troops exhausted and the Turks having received reinforcements, the attack floundered.

      Frederick Lowe and the 2nd Light Horse Brigade were once again in the second battle of Gaza which took place three weeks later, beginning on 17 April 1917. In the interim the Turks had extended and improved their defences. Dobell launched another frontal assault on the Turkish defences, which was supported by six tanks and gas shells. The tanks and the gas were both dismal failures and the attacking forces could make little headway against well-sited Turkish redoubts. After three days of fighting the attack was called off, having not gained any significant ground.
      Frederick was promoted to Corporal on 5th November 1917 Just prior to the 3rd Battle of Gaza which he and the 6th Light Horse regiment took no part in.

      First Amman Raid
      22 March 1918 - 30 March 1918
      The first "raid" on Amman was mounted between 22 and 30 March 1918 by the British 60th Infantry Division, the ANZAC Mounted Division, which inclued Corporal Frederick Lowe and the Australian 6th Light Horse Regiment, and the Imperial Camel Brigade with the intention of inflicting casualties on Turkish forces and severing railway communications with Damascus. The force crossed the Jordan River on 22 March and, despite difficult conditions, the village of Es Salt was occupied by the evening of the 25 March. The attack on Amman itself commenced on the morning of 27 March with the 2nd Light Horse Brigade, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles and the cameleers providing the attacking force. Fierce fighting continued for two days. The force effected serious damage on the railway but Turkish resistance was so strong that British forces withdrew on
      30 March. All elements of the raiding force had recrossed the Jordan by 2 April. Corporal Frederick Lowe was promoted to Sargeant during this battle as a replacement for a Sargeant of the 6th Light Horse Regiment who was killed in action.

      Es Salt Raid
      30 April 1918 - 03 May 1918
      Es Salt, a village in Palestine 23 km west of Amman, was the scene of heavy fighting between 30 April and 3 May 1918. The fighting occurred as part of the second "raid" mounted east of the Jordan River by General Sir Edmund Allenby's Egyptian Expeditionary Force. The actual raiding troops - the Australian Mounted (which included Sargeant Frederick Lowe and the 6th Light Horse Regiment), ANZAC Mounted, and British 60th Infantry Divisions, and the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade - were commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Harry Chauvel and their aim was to secure a launching point for operations against the key railway junction at Deraa. The operation progressed well initially with Es Salt being seized by the evening of 30 April. Increasingly determined Turkish resistance, including counter-attacks that threatened the flanks and rear of the
      advanced elements of the raiding force, eventually forced a withdrawal back to the Jordan on 3 May 1918. The raid failed in its objectives but did serve a
      purpose in that it encouraged Turkish commanders to believe Allenby's next major effort would be launched across the Jordan, when in fact it would be
      launched along the coastal plain.

      Second Amman
      On 25 September 1918 British forces occupied the city of Amman. After the breakthrough of the British along the coastal plain in the battle of Megiddo, the Turkish forces to the east of the Jordan River had continued to defend their positions. By 22 September, however, elements had begun to withdraw to Amman, with the intention of retreating north to Damascus. The ANZAC Mounted Division (including Sargeant Frederick Lowe and the Australian 6th Light Horse Regiment)chased them east, but a Turkish rearguard managed to hold back the Division long enough for the main body of Turks to get away, leaving only 2,360 Turks to become prisoners.
      After the Second Amman Raid, Sargeant Frederick Lowe was accepted as an Officer Cadet and underwent training at 6th Light Horse Regiment in Egypt. On the 1st January 1919 Frederick Charles Gaden Lowe was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and posted to 6th Light Horse Regiment.

      Egyptian Uprising 1919
      March 1919 - April 1919
      In early March 1919, demonstrations in Cairo, mainly by students, initiated an outburst of anti-British rioting, which within a few days spread through all the lower provinces and extended to upper Egypt. The situation was exacerbated by the local civil service's declaration of a general strike and the rapid suspension of
      railway and telegraph services. In the absence of a large British force in Egypt, elements of the Australian and ANZAC Mounted Divisions, which included 2nd lieutenant Frederick Lowe and the 6th Light Horse Regiment, then awaiting
      embarkation to Australia, were instructed to restore order. Within a month of the uprising order had been restored and principal political agitators imprisoned.
      The flexibility and mobility of the ANZAC forces involved were principal factors in the suppression of the rioting. During this operation, on 2nd April 1919, 2nd Lieutenant Frederick Charles Gaden Lowe was promoted to Lieutenant.
      Finally, on 28th June 1919, Frederick and the 6th Light Horse Regiment, after nearly 4 years in Egypt, embarked on the H.T. Madras for return to Australia.
      Lieutenant Frederick Charles Gaden Lowe was demobbed and discharged on 26th September 1919.

    Military Honours 26 Sep 1919  World War I Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    1914/15 Star No. 3705
    British War Medal No. 20724
    Victory Medal No. 20505 
    British War Medal
    British War Medal
    British War Medal, Left to Right Obv and Rev Sides
    Instituted by King George V in 1919 to mark the end of World War I and record the service given. The qualification period was later extended to cover post-war mine clearance and service in Russia during 1919 and 1920.
    The British War Medal was awarded for service in a theatre of war between 5…
    1914-15 Star
    1914-15 Star
    The 1914?15 Star was authorised in 1918 and was awarded for service in specified theatres of war between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915. A recipient of the 1914 Star could not also be awarded the 1914?15 Star.
    Eligibility

    The 1914-15 Star may be awarded to those who saw service in a prescribed Theatre of War between 5 August 1914 and 31…
    Victory Medal
    Victory Medal
    Left to Right: obv Face and Rev Face
    The Victory Medal was authorised in 1919 to commemorate the victory of the Allied Forces over the Central Powers. Each of the Allied nations issued a ?Victory Medal' to their own nationals with all of these having the figure of Victory on the obverse as a common feature. Australians were awarded the medal…



    Person ID I9354  Tucker Family Tree
    Last Modified 31 Jan 2009 

    Father Frederick G Lowe,   b. 1856, Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mother Aileen V Gaden,   b. 1866, Raymond Terrace, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1899, Wellington, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 33 years) 
    Marriage 1886  Wellington, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location  [6
    Family ID F2944  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Sources 
    1. [S23] Department of Defence - Australia, Australian Military Service Records - Army, 17 Sep 1915, 1 (Reliability: 3).
      What is your Name : Frederick Charles Gaden Lowe
      See attached PDF Document

    2. [S4] New South Wales Government, NSW BDM, 1889 (Reliability: 3).
      Surname Lowe, Given Names Frederick C G, Sex Male, Event Birth, Index Year 1889, Father Frederick G, Mother Aileen F, Place of Registration Wellington, Registration Year 1889, Registration Number 35184

    3. [S23] Department of Defence - Australia, Australian Military Service Records - Army, 07 Sep 1915 to 26 Sep 1919, 1 - 37 (Reliability: 3).
      See Attached Pdf document

    4. [S35] Australian War Museum, 27 Dec 1915 to Apr 1919 (Reliability: 3).
      Sinai Campaign, Battle of Romani, Battles of Gaza, Es Salt Raid, First Amman Raid, Second Amman Raid and Egyptian Uprising 1919.

    5. [S23] Department of Defence - Australia, Australian Military Service Records - Army, 26 Sep 1919, 31 (Reliability: 3).
      1914/15 Star No.3705, British War Medal No. 20724, Victory Medal No. 20505

    6. [S4] New South Wales Government, NSW BDM, 1886 (Reliability: 3).
      Surname Gaden, Given Names Aileen V, Sex Female, Event Marriage, Index year 1886, Spouse Surname Lowe, Spouse Given Names Frederic G, Spouse Sex Male, Place of Registration Wellington, Year of Registration 1886, Registration Number 7559


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