Rank:

Lieutenant

Unit:

16th Army Troops Company

Awarded on:

October 29th, 1935

Lieutenant Cowley and his party were the first to start relief work at the Civil Hospital where the walls of all the wards had collapsed bringing down the roofs intact on the inmates on whom the debris of the walls had already fallen. At first the men were too few in number to tear off the roofs, so they raised them up for short periods whilst Lieutenant Cowley crawled under them and dragged out survivors from their beds. The survivors were pre-earthquake hospital patients and mostly quite helpless. Lieutenant Cowley lifted many men in his arms regardless of the warning that they were suffering from all manner of diseases. Had it not been for the work of this officer and the excellent example shown by him to his men, very many less men would have been saved alive."

Replaced by the George Cross

Rank:

Lieutenant

Unit:

16th Army Troops Company

Awarded on:

October 29th, 1935

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Temporary Major

Awarded on:

February 18th, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Temporary Brigadier

Awarded on:

January 1st, 1946

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Temporary Brigadier

Awarded on:

July 18th, 1947

Royal Decree no. 29, dd. 24-4-1946.

Rank:

Temporary Major-General

Awarded on:

January 1st, 1954

Rank:

Lieutenant-general

Awarded on:

June 12th, 1958