Stephen Downes

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Wed, 11/03/2015 - 10:02

First Name:

Stephen

Last Name:

Downes

Date of Birth:

Sunday, March 16, 1890

Mother's Name:

Elizabeth (nee Clarkson)

Father's Name:

William Downes

Date Enlisted:

Wednesday, March 3, 1915

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Sapper

Unit:

19th Battalion / 8th Field Company Engineers

Company:

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

1914/1915 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Saturday, March 8, 1947

Place of Death:

Tamworth, NSW

Details:

Private Stephen Downes (Service no: 535) was born in Yorkshire England. He travelled to Australia and prior to enlistment he was working as a miner at the Mount Kembla mine.

He embarked on HMAT A40 Ceramic on 25th June, 1915 with the 19th Battalion.

In August 1915 he went to Gallipoli and saw action at Popes Post. He was wounded at Gallipoli and after the evacuation back in Egypt he was transferred to 8th Field Company Engineers. Sapper Downes went with the 8th Field Company Engineers to the Western Front and served in France until he was wounded in action on 9th February, 1917 with a shrapnel wound to his left thigh and right buttock. This must have been serious as he was returned to Australia in October 1917 and discharged medically unfit on 2nd November, 1917.

In 1919 he married Rosa Housman at Marrickville and they had 3 children. Stephen was a passionate Lawn bowler.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, DOWNES S

NAA: A2481, A1918/1830

NAA: MT1486/1, DOWNES/STEPHEN