Not Forgotten, 6956 Private Stewart Arthur McDOWALL, 16 Battalion AIF, World War 1

Private Stewart McDowall, a farmer from Wyalkatchem, was born in Greymouth in New Zealand. In his time in Dowerin he was best man at the wedding of Arthur Maisey and Flora Campbell. As both his parents were deceased, Private McDowall’s next of kin was his brother William Cochrane Donald McDowall of Mount Lawley. Stewart McDowall had served for 9 months in the 25th Light Horse based in Northam, and was still serving at the time of enlistment, and also 6 months in the Scottish Regiment in Melbourne. The office commanding the 25th Light Horse Squadron, Lieutenant Oldham, wrote to the Camp Commandant saying that Private McDowall was an honest straight forward young man with the makings of a good soldier.
On 19 June 1916 Private McDowall enlisted at Perth at the age of 31 years, and he was placed in the 16th Battalion. Private McDowall was promoted to corporal on 16 October 1916 and embarked from Fremantle on HMAT A35 Berrima on 23 December 1916 and after arriving in England on 16 February 1917 was placed in the 4th Training Battalion. He was hospitalized with mumps from 9 until 24 April 1917 and proceeded to France via Southampton on 2 May 1917, being taken on strength with the 16th Battalion the next day.
The 16th Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF during the First World War and formed part of the 4th Brigade commanded by Colonel John Monash. The 4th Brigade landed at Gallipoli late in the afternoon of 25 April 1915. In June 1916 the Battalion sailed for France and the Western Front and until 1918 took part in trench warfare. The 16th Battalion spent much of 1917, when
Stewart McDowall arrived, in Belgium advancing to the Hindenburg Line and suffered heavy losses at Bullecourt in April when they attacked strong German positions without the promised tank support. The battle of Bullecourt involved two weeks of bitter trench fighting which eventually, at the cost of 2, 250 Australian casualties, cleared and held part of the Hindenburg Line. In June the battalion was involved in the assault on and occupation of the Messines Ridge on the Western Front. From July untilNovember 1917 the 16th Battalion was fighting in Belgium, and was awarded the battle honour of Ypres, 1917 to recognize involvement in the Third Battle of Ypres, the principal British offensive inFlanders in 1917 known unofficially as the Passchendaele Offensive.
From 26 September until 3 October 1917 the 16th Battalion participated in the battle of Polygon Wood, securing strongly defended German positions in the area of the wood and consolidating positions on the Menin Road Ridge, a battle characterized by bitter fighting and fierce German counter-attacks.
Stewart McDowall was killed in action on 26 September 1917 in Belgium, at Passchendaele according to his brother William McDowall in the Roll of Honour circular, but possibly in the action at Polygon Wood, and although his army records list that he was buried, he now has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium.
Private McDowall was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.