Contributed by Ron Inglis, October 2021:
Horace John Towers, 30, was a farm labourer working in Stockinbingal in the central west of New South Wales when he enlisted in the town of Cootamundra on 12 July 1916. Born in Cootamundra, Towers himself may not have been connected with Auburn but his parents, John and Catherine Towers, lived at 27 Dartbrooke Road, Auburn.
Private Towers served in the AIF for more than two years. This included one year and seven months on the Western Front, though this was broken up with several periods in hospital and 11 days leave in Britain. Towers embarked on the Port Napier on 17 November 1916. During the 10-week voyage to Devonport, United Kingdom, he was in hospital for 11 days with mumps.
Towers crossed to France and was taken on strength of 29th Battalion on 15 April 1917. In June, he spent a month in hospital with Trench Fever, then in September he received a gunshot wound to the head. He was in hospital for one month recovering, returning to his unit on 2 November 1917.
After having leave in Britain, Towers survived the Australian advance up the valley of the Somme, until the withdrawal of the AIF on 9 October 1918. As the AIF numbers were depleted, several battalions were collapsed and Towers was transferred to the 32nd Battalion.
Towers was with his battalion west of Amiens when he contracted ‘Broncho Pnemonia/influenza’ on 9 November 1918. He was admitted to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at Abbeville, where he died two days later, the day of the Armistice. Towers was the second last Auburn Memorial man to die in the First World War.
Towers was buried in the Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension. For his grave his parents chose the inscription: O SACRED HEART OF JESUS HAVE MERCY ON OUR DEAR SON RIP
In 1923, his mother received his medals, as his father had passed away in June 1922. The name Towers H J was one added to the Auburn War Memorial after unveiling day, 30 April 1922.
Horace Towers is honoured on the following memorials in Australia:
- Auburn War Memorial
- Municipality of Auburn 1914-1919 Honour Roll
- Stockinbingal and District First & Second World War Remembrance Wall
- Springdale First World War Memorial Roll of Honour
- Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial Canberra
His decorations:
- British War Medal 1914-20
- Victory Medal
