ROWLAND, George
| Service Number: | 3902 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 28 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Balmain, New South Wales, Australia, June 1877 |
| Home Town: | Redfern, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Dssecting aneurysm of aorta, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 24 June 1958 |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld Anzac Portion 9 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 9th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 3902, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Itonus embarkation_ship_number: A50 public_note: '' | |
| 30 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 3902, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Itonus, Brisbane | |
| 30 Oct 1918: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 3902, 1st Pioneer Battalion, 1st MD, medically discharged (illness) |
Help us honour George Rowland's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian Remembrance Army
Over the past six years we have submitted the service records and causes of death of several hundred veterans to the Office of Australian War Graves for assessment for Official Commemoration. To date, more than 100 of these veterans interred at Lutwyche Cemetery have been accepted as Official Commemorations, and their graves are now being formally marked and will be maintained in perpetuity by the Office of Australian War Graves.
Australian World War One veteran Private George Rowland (Service No. 3902), is one of the previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery that has been accepted as an Official Commemoration by the Office of Australian War Graves.
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page
OAWG Official Commemoration: https://connect.dva.gov.au/.../viewCommemoration.html...
George Rowland (also recorded as George Arthur Rowland) was born in Balmain, New South Wales, the son of George Rowland and Mary Ann Rowland (nee McNally).
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Brisbane on 28 July 1915, stating his occupation as labourer and nominating his sister in Redfern Sydney as his next of kin. On 30 October 1915, he embarked for overseas service aboard HMAT Itonus from Brisbane.
Serving in France, Rowland took part in the heavy labour and support duties typical of pioneer units, working close to the front lines under hazardous conditions. On 20 July 1916 he was wounded in action by shrapnel but initially remained on duty, indicating the wound was not immediately incapacitating. He continued service with his unit until mid-1918, when his health declined; in July 1918 he was admitted to medical units in France suffering from what was recorded as “debility,” a term commonly used at the time for physical exhaustion or chronic illness resulting from prolonged service. He was evacuated through the medical system to England and subsequently returned to Australia in August 1918, and was discharged from the AIF on 30 October 1918.
Private George Rowland died on 24 June 1958, and was buried in Anzac Portion 9, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane. His cause of death was recorded as dissecting aneurysm of aorta. George was unmarried with no known children.
In July 2024, sixty-six years after his death, we received notification that the Office of Australian War Graves had accepted our application for an Official War Graves Commemoration.
After decades in an unmarked grave, his final resting place now bears a plaque commemorating his service to Australia, ensuring his name endures among those remembered for their duty and sacrifice. His identity and dignity have now been restored.
Lest We Forget
Click images to start slideshow.