John Cowley (British Army officer)


Sir John Guise Cowley, was a British Army officer and George Cross recipient who reached high office in the 1950s.

Military career

Educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military Academy Woolwich, Cowley was commissioned into the Royal Engineers on 3 September 1925. He was promoted to lieutenant on 3 September 1927.
He was awarded the Albert Medal which he subsequently exchanged for the George Cross because of his action during the Quetta earthquake of May 1935. Cowley received his Albert Medal for rescuing earthquake survivors from the ruins of a collapsed hospital. At the time, he was posted to India and was attached to the 16th Army Troops Company, 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners :
Cowley was promoted to captain on 3 September 1936. From 16 November 1936 to 17 December 1938, he was an instructor at Woolwich. He was promoted to major on 3 September 1942, and served in the Second World War in the Middle East, Italy and North West Europe. Ending the war as a brigadier and war-substantive lieutenant colonel, he was promoted to colonel on 10 March 1949. In 1953 he became Chief of Staff at Headquarters Eastern Command. He was then appointed Vice Quartermaster-General in 1956, Controller of Munitions at the Ministry of Supply in 1957 and Master-General of the Ordnance in 1960; he retired in 1962.
He was also made Colonel Commandant of the Royal Pioneer Corps from 1961 to 1968.

Family

In 1941 he married Irene Sybil Millen and together they went on to have one son and three daughters.