A Proud Anzac with a Christian Brothers Education
Recently, I read the story of Herbert James Fowles (1889-1947). His family lived in Vancouver St. Albany, Western Australia. After his education at Christian Brothers’ College, Albany, he worked as Marine Ships Crew until 1910. He then joined the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service. While relieving at the Breaksea Lighthouse he enlisted in the newly formed Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in 1915.
With a nickname “Chook”, he served at Gallipoli before and after being wounded, then travelled to Lemnos. He was wounded at Pozieres and a third time at Flers. In April 1917 he was promoted to Company Sergeant Major. On the 15th April he was awarded the Military Medal for his courage and determination in holding a position until reinforcements arrived. In May he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for leading a successful counterattack during the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt. Then in June he captured a machine-gun post single-handed for which he received a bar to his Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM). He was also promoted to regimental sergeant major.
He returned to Australia in May 1919 and was head lighthouse keeper for 21 years at Cape Naturalise, then Cape Leeuwin and later Geraldton where he was drowned while fishing in a small dinghy. He had a son and two daughters.
~ Br Berkeley Fitzhardinge cfc
"His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to award the Military Medal for Bravery in the Field to Sergeant Herbert James Fowles"
~ Australian Department of Defence - 24 Oct, 1917
In 1898 Br Ambrose Treacy was in Albany to meet three Christian Brothers who had disembarked from Ireland. A school was opened on Serpentine Rd (Camfield) in 1899. With the booming population of Kalgoorlie, the school closed in 1903 and the Brothers moved to Kalgoorlie.
The Brothers in Albany (1898-1903) conducted both a parish school and a High School. The first was housed in a wooden building (now demolished) in Aberdeen St opposite the Presbytery (the Brothers’ residence on their later return); The fee-paying High School (Christian Brothers’ College) was housed at the former schoolhouse, attached to the Brothers’ residence, Camfield, on Serpentine Rd in Albany.
Royal Australian Navy Last Post & Reveille | Sergeant Major Herbert Fowles, “Chook” to his friends, retained close ties to the sea, serving as head lighthouse keeper for 21 years after his return from the war. The sea was to claim him in a boating accident in which he drowned in 1947.
