LOWE, Horace Henry

LOWE, Horace Henry – A Southern Downs Veteran

CONFLICT : WWII
SERVICE NO : QX23831
RANK : Ptivate
UNIT : 2/12 Field Ambulance
ENLISTMENT DATE : 18/09/1941
AGE : 22
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT : Brisbane, Queensland
PLACE OF BIRTH : Toowoomba, Queensland
RELIGION : Church of England
PRE-WAR OCCUPATION : Labourer
DATE OF DEATH : 14/05/1943
PLACE OF BURIAL : At Sea

MEMORIALS : Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Sydney Memorial Rookwood, Keidelberg Repatriation Hospital Centaur Wing

View this person’s Service File : LOWE, Horace Henry

NOTES : Private LOWE, Horace Henry (Lofty) (QX23831) was just 23 years old when he lost his life with the sinking of the Australian Hospital Ship Centaur on the morning of 14 May 1943.

Born in Toowoomba on 11 November 1919, he was the son of Leslie and Minnie Lowe. After the family moved to Killarney, Lofty attend the Killarney State School. When he left school, he worked on some of the local farms before the family moved to Brisbane just prior to the start of the Second World War.

He enlisted in Brisbane on 22 September 1940 and was recruited into the 2/12 Field Ambulance. His various drafts saw him stationed in Tamworth, Sydney and Darwin before being assigned to the Centaur. The ship was being deployed from Sydney direct to Cairns and then onto Port Moresby.

In his book, A Salute to Our Fallen, the late Brian O’Grady recorded a conversation he had with Allan Pettiford, 2/12 Field Ambulance, who had been a mate of Lofty Lowe. The late Allan Pettiford was the last surviving Queenslander from the sinking of the Centaur and he recounted the following about his friend Lofty Lowe.

“I have long lasting memories of Lofty Lowe. He was a great character and his sense of humour always made him popular in the unit. He had a great interest in boxing and used to train the boys. If you wanted a mate for a party that might be rough, Lofty was your man. He would never let you down. He was issued with what we called ‘Bombay bloomers’ when he was drafted to Darwin. A funny sight was Lofty walking down George Street, Sydney in these. They came halfway between knees and feet and would have been 30 inches around the bottom. Lofty being over six feet certainly exaggerated the style of the bloomer and he enjoyed it.”

Of the one hundred and forty-nine members of the 2/12 Field Ambulance who were aboard the Centaur on the morning of the 14 May 1943 only eleven survived.

Percy Lewis Clegg of Pratten also lost his live on the downing of the Centaur. In 2023 This Story Australia produced the documentary “Centaur” commemorating 80 years since its sinking May 14th 1943. Visit their website www.thisstory.com.au for more details.

Read about Southern Downs Military History here.