Thomas William Cowley (SN 18) born at Geelong, was a 25 year old labourer when he enlisted in Geelong on August 13th 1914. Assigned to the 8th Infantry Battalion he embarked in October aboard the Benalla with the first Anzac fleet. In May 1915 he was wounded at Gallipoli, gunshot wound to the thigh, and evacuated to Malta then Egypt before being returned to Australia aboard the Karoola. Once recovered he returned to England aboard the Ayrshire and crossed to France in October 1917. He suffered another minor wound in France before being transferred to the 1st Machine Gun Battalion. When the war ended he returned home aboard the Soudan, disembarked on June 29th 1919 and was discharged on August 28th.

Lucas’s Staffs Appreciation of Brave Men, the original Avenue register, records his name as Thos. W Cowley.