John Bernard Gowman (1923 - 2013)

Australia

John Gowman migrated from England to New South Wales.

In 1960, John sighted an advertisement in the BB Gazette for an 'organising secretary' for BB in Australia. After consulting a map, and his wife, he successfully applied for the position, and the rest, as they say, is history. John and Doreen packed their belongings, gathered up their children and boarded the Fairsky for Australia, docking firstly at Fremantle, Western Australia (where they were presented with a silver teapot as a welcoming gift), then Mebourne, Victoria (where they dined at the exclusive RAC Club with BB leaders and met a BB-contingent from Nauru), and then on to Sydney where they docked on Sunday, 26th March 1961. New South Wales then being the strongest-base of BB in Australia, this would be their base. They were met by BB leaders including Australian secretary, Les Smith, Australian treasurer, Max Ellis, and BB 'forefather', Bob McEwan and 'young guns' including twins Bob and Bill Davies.^[2]

After being ensconced at Plessey, BB New South Wales' campsite in Sydney's south-west, John and Doreen purchased a house at Caringbah, in the Sutherland Shire. There they became active in the Caringbah Baptist Church; John founding the 89th NSW Caringbah BB Company in the church. In 1978, John and Doreen moved across to the northern suburbs of Sydney to Mount Colah, whereupon they immediately got involved in the Hornsby Heights Baptist Church and, yes, started the 192nd NSW Hornsby Heights BB Company. ^[3]

BB Australia held their first triennial national camp during the summer of 1962-63. John got right behind the initiative, an activity unique to Australia. Called Pan Australian Camps, or PAC, John helped make them ten days of ultimate adventure and excitement; the camps soon attracting 1,000 teenage Boys.

The Australian BB scene was certainly not the extent of John's BB vision. He actively pursued the development of the BB throughout the Pacific and eastern Asian hemisphere. He was instrumental in sub-dividing the original regional fellowship to produce both an oceanic BB culture and helping Singapore to become the 'hub' of an East Asia Regional Fellowship.

It fell to John to implement for 1967 the far-reaching changes of the Haines Report, including the merging of The Life Boys and The Boys' Brigade into a single entity with various age-related Sections. This he did with the minimum of 'fuss' and typical 'gusto'.

John's experience with BB in Britain and the military equipped him to undertake a project very needed in Australia – an Australian drill manual. The finished product combined all aspects of BB drill, from basic movements to complex Company drill to ceremonial and Colour drill. Since its publication in 1968 it has only undergone one revision, and that was minor.

Those who knew John B Gowman immediately recognised that his 'forte' was training. Almost single-handedly, he established professional-standard leadership training for teenage Boys, adult professional-development for officers, and high levels of skills for such as gymnastics, expedition, sports and Bible Class. John also 'read' people well and quickly co-ordinated training teams in each of the States.

One of John's early initiatives was to develop the then 'accoutrements over plain clothing' uniform to a full and smart uniform that would be unique to Australia. Of course, catering for the colder southern climate and the northern tropical climate would be problematic.

Conscious of former BB officers needing a social outlet, as well as being able to continue to support the BB ministry after retiring from active involvement, John promoted the Stedfast Association, a movement already operating in the London Battalion in England. The two largest States, New South Wales and Queensland opened branches; the former operating strongly for forty years and the latter still flourishing today.

On 30th June 1976, with the changing state of BB across the country, the federal secretariat and equipment store were 'phased down'. John would continue one day per week as the Australian executive officer and became employed by BB New South Wales as its four days per week state secretary. Other than less interstate travel, very little changed in his influence on the movement. ^[2]

Retirement

John retired from BB service in 1987 and enjoyed a healthy, active life until he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1998. He responded well to chemotherapy and resumed a normal life. ^[3]

Even in retirement his interest in the BB remained. He served as chairman of Stedfast Association NSW from 1993 until 2005 and was also elected the BB's Australian president in 1995, holding the position until 2007. ^[3]

In 2004, the couple moved to a retirement village, where John took on committee and other roles. At 82, he learned to play lawn bowls and snooker and joined the village choir. ^[3]

John passed away, aged ninety years, on 4th February 2013 in New South Wales. He was survived by his children, six grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. ^[3]

It is simply not possible to recognise John Gowman's full influence on The Boys' Brigade Australia in a biography such as this. Please, procure a copy of Boys Urchins Men and read more about this incredible servant. I have been very fortunate to have commenced my BB-vocation in 1963, to sit under John's training, serve as a peer on executives with him for ten years, and to succeed him as executive officer of BB New South Wales. Ken Evans.

Rest, John Gowman; until the resurrection

Sources

1. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Mar qtr 1923, vol 1d, page 266
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Hoare, Michael. Boys Urchins Men. Reed, Terry Hills NSW, 1976. ISBN 0-589-50076-7.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7} Sydney Morning Herald 29 Apr 2013: Brigade boy gave back to the cause; accessed 13 Sep 2019
4. ↑ Wikipedia: British Commando operations during the Second World War; accessed 13 Sep 2019
5. ↑ UK FreeBMD Marriage Index Jun qtr 1950, vol 5c, page 240; registered at neighbouring Bethnal Green
6. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Jun qtr 1951, vol 5c, page 797
7. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Jun qtr 1954, vol 5c, page 637
8. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Jun qtr 1958, vol 5a, page 474

See also

• Chappell, Mike. Army Commandos 1940–1945. Osprey Publishing, 1996. ISBN 1-85532-579-9.
• Hoare, Michael. Boys Urchins Men. Reed, Terry Hills NSW, 1976. ISBN 0-589-50076-7.
• Parker, John. Commandos: The Inside Story of Britain's Most Elite Fighting Force. Headline, 2000. ISBN 978-0-7472-7008-9.