The Times/1924/Obituary/General Sir J. F. Owen

General Sir J. F. Owen

General Sir John Fletcher Owen, K.C.B., Colonel-Commandant, R.A., died at Henley-on-Thames on Tuesday at the age of 85.

The third son of Canon Owen, of Hendrevinws, rector of Llaniestyn, he was born on April 9, 1839, obtained his commission in the Royal Artillery from Woolwich in 1857, and in 1877 was appointed Assistant Superintendent of the Royal Gun Factories His only experience of active service was with Wood's column in the Zulu War of 1879, when he commanded a mounted Gatling battery at the Battle of Ulundi. For this service he was mentioned in dispatches and received a brevet lieutenant-colonelcy. From 1885 to 1888 he was commandant of the camp and school coast defence forces of Queensland. From 1895 to 1899 he was major-general on the staff commanding artillery brigade at Malta, and was promoted to lieutenant-general and received the reward for distinguished service. After serving as President of the Ordnance Committee, he was promoted to general in 1904 and Colonel-Commandent, R.A., in 1906 when he retired. He had been made C.B in 1902 and was advanced to K.C.B. in 1906. Sir John Owen was unmarried He had lived at Henley-on-Thames for the last 14 years In his younger days he was fond of shooting and fishing. The cremation will be at Woking at noon to-morrow.