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Jun 10, 1894
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Born in Meaford,
Ontario to Alexander and Annie Elizabeth (nee Davidson) Mowat
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Feb 1, 1916
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Shown on the pay
roll of the 93rd Battalion CEF in Peterborough,
Ontario with the rank of Lieutenant
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Apr 6, 1916
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Promoted to the
rank of Captain
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May 25, 1916
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Sworn into the
93rhd Battalion CEF in Peterborough, Ontario
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Rank on enlistment
Captain
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Next of kin given
as Alexander Mowat, father, 368 Brock St., Peterborough, Ontario
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Previous
occupation given as School Teacher
o
He had been a Law
Student in Toronto, Ontario
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Previous military
experience given as 2 years in the 57th
Regiment, Peterborough Rangers, Canadian Militia
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Religion given as
Presbyterian
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May 29, 1916
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The battalion
boarded a train to proceeded to Kingston, Ontario to continue training
at the Barriefield Camp
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Jul 15, 1916
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Embarked the
Empress of Britain in Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Jul 25, 1916
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Disembarked in
Liverpool, England
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Sep 20, 1916
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Posted to the
Officer’s General List but remained attached to the 93rd
Battalion
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Oct 6, 1916
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Attached to the 39th
Reserve Battalion in the West Sandling Camp
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Jan 4, 1917
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Transferred to the
newly formed 6th Reserve Battalion in East
Sandling. Shortly
after the formation of the battalion, it was moved to Seaford to
continue training soldiers for the front
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Feb 6, 1917
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Proceeded on
course at the School of Musketry
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Mar 3, 1917
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Qualified as 1st
Class Instructor at the Eastern Command School of Musketry in Musketry
and the use of the Lewis Gun and attached to the 12th
Reserve Battalion
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Mar 10, 1917
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Ceased to be
attached to the 12th Reserve Battalion
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Apr 27, 1917
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Reverted to the
rank of Lieutenant in order to proceed to France
Posted
to the 21st Battalion
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May 1, 1917
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Arrived at the CBD
(Canadian Base Depot) in the Rouelles Camp, Havre, France as part of a
draft of 166 reinforcements from England and TOS (Taken On Strength)
the 21st Battalion.
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May 2, 1917
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After leaving the
base depot, Lieut Mowat joined the 2nd
Entrenching Battalion in Hersin
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Jun 8, 1917
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Lieut Mowat left
the entrenching battalion and joined the 21st
Battalion in billets in the nearby Coupigny Huts and was assigned to
“C” Company.
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Aug 15, 1917
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The 21st
Battalion participated in the capture of Hill 70 near Lens, France. The fighting was fierce,
often hand to hand combat and the battalion suffered severe casualties. Lieut Mowat was killed
instantly by a sniper’s bullet while leading his company
forward during the attack. When
the battle had ended, his body was among those that could not be
identified at time of burial and he was buried nearby in a shallow
grave with 5 other soldiers. In
1924 the bodies were uncovered and moved to the Cabaret Rouge British
Cemetery and he was reburied as an Unknown Soldier.
His name is subsequently listed on the
Canadian National Vimy Memorial, Vimy Ridge, France for those killed
during the war with no known grave.
In 1994 Norm Christiewas
able to identify the unknown grave as that of Lieutenant Grant Mowat
and the headstone was replaced with an appropriate one with his name.
However it should be noted that the rank on the headstone is
incorrect. The CWGC has been notified and the marker will be
changed in due course.
Following
the war
the British War Medal, Victory Medal, Plaque (Dead Man’s
Penny) and Scroll were sent to his father, Alexander Mowat,
Peterborough, Ontario
The Memorial Cross
was sent to his mother, Mrs. Annie E. Mowat, at the same address
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