Private James Cowan
James Cowan was born around 1887 in Glasgow, Scotland, the second of three children of Irish-born shipyard labourer Robert Cowan and his Scottish-born wife Jane (née McDonald). The family moved to Belfast around 1890, where Jane died in November 1991 at the age of just 24. By the time of the 1911 Census James was living at 79 Convention Street, Belfast, with his step-mother (his father having died weeks earlier) and five of his half-siblings, and working as a general labourer.
On 1 March 1915 Cowan married Agnes Gray in St Anne's Church of Ireland Parish Church in Belfast. She died, however, within two years, and on 12 September 1917 he married Harriett Magowan (née Fleming) in the same church.
Cowan enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 20 and 27 April 1916 (No.2155). Soon after, however, he transferred to the Royal Irish Rifles (No.9161). Posted to the 2nd Battalion, he embarked for France around August 1916. He spent almost a month in the 2nd General Hospital at Le Havre from 21 October 1916, having fallen ill. Within months he was returned to the United Kingdom.
Around March 1917 Cowan was transferred to the Royal Engineers with the rank of sapper (No.309462 – later No. WR/276997), and was posted to the Inland Waterways and Railways Section. He remained with that regiment until the end of the war.