Owen Raymond Matthews

Owen was born in 1894 at Tallangatta, Victoria. He was the eldest of eight children to George and Jane (née Walsh) Matthews. During his early years he attended the Bullioh State School in the north-east of Victoria.

Prior to enlisting in the 1st AIF, Owen spent two years in the Militia with the AFA. As he was underage in 1915 (enlistees needed to be over 21 years of age) he needed his parents permission to enlist. Although there is no such letter from one of his parents, there is one written by an Aunt who states that she is giving Owen permission to enlist in the absence of his father. There is no information as to where Owen’s parents where in September of 1914.

Owen had completed the details in his attestation papers on the 29th of August, 1914. Five days latter he had passed his medical and signed his oath. The latter taking place at the Royal Agricultural Showgrounds in Sydney. Owen was allocated the Regimental Number 2525 and placed on strength with the Divisional Ammunition Column as a driver. 

Owen’s service file is unusual in that it does not contain  Army Form B103, a form which lists all movements, promotions and penalties. It is known that he embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A8 Argyllshire on the 18th of October 1914.  The Divisional Train disembarked at Alexandria on the 3rd of December.

It is unsure when Owen became ill or when he was first admitted to hospital. His records indicate that on the 18th of March 1915, Gunner Owen Raymond Matthews died at Heliopolis, Egypt of measles and pnemonia. Although his religion was given as Roman Catholic, he was initially buried in the British Protestant Cemetery. At some stage after the war his remains were exhumed and re-interred in the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. 

Owen is  remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, and the Towong Shire Boer War and WW1 Roll of Honour at Tallangatta, Victoria. For his service he was awarded the 1914- 15 Star, the British War medal and the Victory Medal