Gordon Bryce Seymour Cousens, Major, M.C.

1885, 14 February - born at home - No. 11, Wanowrie Lines, Poona (now Pune), India - where his father was working for the Indian Government on the "Archaeological Survey of Western India" (as stated on his Birth Certificate, registered 17 February 1885 with the Cantonment Magistrate, Poona)

1901 Scottish Census - Cousen family were living at 33 University Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland. Mother Marion age 41, Henry age 17, Gordon age 16, Nell age 12 and Mysie age 9.

Gordon and his brother Henry attended Allan Glen's - a selective fee-paying independent secondary school for boys in Glasgow, Scotland.The school's emphasis on science and engineering led to it becoming, in effect, Glasgow's High School of Science.

After considering the Indian Police, he decided to go to work on Jan 1st 1903 at the Central Insurance Co. Ltd.'s head office on Regent Street in London ("they have branches in the colonies").

Later he left 'the Central' to take exams to become a government "Inspector of Factories". (reference letters to his father 1906)

1911 UK Census

• Gordon, 26,
• India Poona Resident
• Insurance Agent Also:
• Dorothy Cousens 28 born Billericay, Essex
• Alice Vero Servant F
• Record Type:Household
• Registration District:Kingston, Surrey
• Sub-district:Esher
• Parish:Thames Ditton

1910 Lewisham, Kent registration of marriage to

• (1) Dorothy Sparks - later divorced in the mid 1920's. (Dorothy later became Mrs Meyer - see below.)
• Son Bryce's newspaper engagement announcement to Diana Katherine English reads: "Cousens- English The engagement is announced between Bryce Cousens….R.A.F. son of Lieut-Col Gordon Cousens, M.C. of Georgetown, Ontario and Mrs "Meyer" of Nth Dela, Northern Rhodesia"

(Source: Letter from Gordon to his mother on engagement to Dorothy Sparks, 12 March 1906) "You will like her for she is a sweet girl - no nonsense about her whatsoever - and a good religious girl too........she is not what one would call pretty, but she has a very sweet expression in her face. She is at Nicholl's (where Gordon worked) also - she went there quite on her own as she wanted to do something for herself. She has some secretarial work to do and she seems to be awfully well liked. Her age is 24 what she has only just become."

After their honeymoon they began married life at 52 Dover Road, Lower Walmer, Kent (Source: letter July 7 1910 to Gordon's father).

PreWar 5 years in 'A' Battery, Royal Artillery

1914-1918 World War I

1914, Sept to 1919, Nov Served in Royal Field Artillery

1914 Star Medal

1915, May to 1916, July - As a Lieutenant, Gordon served under the command of Brig-General S. Metcalfe in the 18th Divisional Artillery.

General Service Medal

1916, 8 July - Wounded at the beginning of the BATTLE OF THE SOMME (1 July to 18 Nov 1916). This battle was a major Anglo-French offensive, and received more than 1.5 million casualties and was also one of the bloodiest military operations recorded.

1916 Convalesced July to Oct

1917, May: Promotion to Major

(unknown date) Promotion to Lieut-Colonel

1918, 23 Dec - Received the Military Cross at Buckingham Palace - Gordon was in the Royal Artillery XIII Corps 231

Jubilee Medal

1914 Duty Location: France & Flanders

Acting as Temporary Major.

Received M.C. (Military Cross)

for an act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy - action in France and Flanders. See London Gazette Info: 4326, Date: 02/04/1919

1919 Demobilization. Letter from War Office authorized Gordon the right to retain rank of 'Major'.

Gordon secured a (British) government job in Tientsin, Republic of China c.1920. He and first wife decided to place the older twin boys in boarding school in England, but took Alan with them, since he was around 6 at the time.

1922 Mobilization of North China British Volunteer Corps - Gordon was Adjutant. (International troops were mobilized for protection of 'foreigners')

Return to England, August 1922

(Source: ANCESTRY.COM INCOMING PASSENGER LISTS , Source Citation: Class: BT26; Piece: 721; Item: 4 )

• Name: Alan G S Cousens, Gordon, Dorothy
• Age: 8 1/2, 37, 36
• Occupation: Secretary
• Country of last permanent residence China
• Port of Departure: Shanghai, China
• Arrival Date: 23-Aug-22
• Port of Arrival: London, England
• Travelled 1st Class
• Ports of Voyage:Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Swettenham, Penang, Port Said
• Ship Name: Pyrrhus
• Shipping Line: Ocean Steamship Company Ltd
• Official Number: 137410
• Proposed Address: Winnington Rectory, Rainham, Essex, England

1922 September 30 Issued Medals from the War Office (addressed to him c/o Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp., Gracechurch Street, London EC3):

1 British War Medal, 1 Victory Medal,1 large and 1 small (oak-leaf) Emblem. (The larger size to be worn with the Victory Medal, the smaller to be worm on khaki uniform or 'out-of-uniform'.)

5/11/1923 Divorce obtained from first wife, who had met a Mr. Meyer while they were out in China. (She subsequently married him.)

1925, 12th August - Wandsworth Register Office, Wandsworth, London - Gordon (aged 40) married (2) Dorothy Emma Middleton, aged 25.

Both list 10 Mt Ephrain Rd, Streatham (home of Dorothy's father, Henry Middleton*) as their residence at the time of marriage. M. (Mysie) B. Cousens and Helen Shillingford, sisters of the groom and bride respectively, were witnesses. (source: Marriage Certificate No C 240912, Entry No 42 in Register)

(*Henry Middleton 1851-1932 was American - the son of Williams Middleton (signer in 1860 of the Ordnance of Secession which led to the U.S. Civil War), occupant of the Middleton Place estate in Charleston, South Carolina, USA - who had left for studies at Cambridge University and made England his permanent home. The estate passed to his sister, Lilly and then to a cousin, J.J. Pringle Smith.)

After leaving England, Gordon and wife, Dorothy Emma, owned and managed a silver fox farm in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. It was a struggle, since the Depression hit in the 1930s.

1928-1930, and 1939 President, Canadian Legion, Branch 120

1931 Halton Rifles

1932-1936 commanded the Lorne Rifles (Scottish) regiment.

1937-1938 Member Imperial Officers Ass. of Canada

1939 Canadian Cable Censor, Department of National Defence

1940 Postmaster, Georgetown, Ontario

1956, Nov.12 - Deceased at Guelph General Hospital. Funeral service Nov 14 at St. George's Anglican Church. Interment at Greenwood Cemetary, Georgetown, Ontario.

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Son Alan's award mentions Gordon as follows: COUSENS, S/L Alan George Seymour (44076) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.3 Group Headquarters - awarded as per London Gazette dated 30 January 1942. Public Record Office Air 2/9578 states that his date and place of birth not available, but his father, Lieutenant-Colonel G.B.S. Cousens, MC, was living in Georgetown, Alberta. (note error - should have been Georgetown, Ontario.)