Saturday 5th October 1940
A Soldier And An All-Round Athlete
Steeple Langford Burial. October 5th [1940]. Aubrey Osler Dowson, aged 65. We all regret the death of Mr. Dowson after a long and painful illness. His stay in this village was only too short, but in that time he made many friends. Below is a notice which appeared in The Times – Mr. A.O. Dowson: An appreciation. A correspondent writes:- The death of Mr. Aubrey Osler Dowson, which took place at Manor House Farm, Hanging Langford, Salisbury, on October 5th at the age of 65, will have brought back to many Rugbeians and Oxford men of the middle nineties memories of his great athletic feats. At Rugby his strength and his all-round athletic record passed into something of a legend and at Oxford his mighty feats of strength and throwing the hammer against Cambridge, while he was one of the outstanding forwards in Leslie-Jones’ victorious Rugby XV and only missed a place in the University boat through a strain in training. As it was he was a tower of strength in the fine New College crew which “went Head” in 1896 and of the ever famous 1897 crew which, besides easily remaining Head, went on to beat Leander in a historic Grand. After going down he played for years for the strong Moseley side and in 1899 played against Scotland at Blackheath. Early in 1915, though already 40, he insisted on joining up and served in France for nearly three years with the 12th Rifle Brigade, gaining the M.C. and a “mention” partly for particularly good work as Brigade Transport Officer. Big in heart as in frame, whimsical, unassuming, the soul of generosity and full of shrewdness and common sense, he fully deserved his widespread popularity, and the world will be an emptier place for many now that he has gone after a long and painful illness bravely borne.