Herbert Butler Cowl (1887-1971)
Wesleyan Methodist Army Chaplain to 12th & 13th Battalions Durham Light Infantry
Rev Herbert Butler Cowl was a Wesleyan Army Chaplain to the 23rd Infantry Division, 68th Brigade, in the British Army during the First World War. Attached to the 68th Brigade were the 12th and 13th Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry and two Northumberland Fusilier battalions.
Herbert Cowl arrived in Boulogne the day before 12DLI and 13DLI landed on 26 August 1915. He ministered to the battalions until severely wounded during an enemy bombardment and was repatriated to England for the remainder of the war.
He was one of the first Wesleyan Army Chaplains to receive the Military Cross for exemplary gallantry.
His story has now been published as ‘The Half-Shilling Curate’ by Sarah Reay (2016):
http://www.halfshillingcurate.com/home
Gender: Male
Contributed by Sarah Reay | Durham County Record Office
