ROWNTREE, Alfred Nathan
| Service Number: | QX15211 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 30 July 1940, Cairns, QLD |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/26th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Maitland, South Australia, 25 May 1910 |
| Home Town: | Cairns, Cairns, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Road Worker |
| Died: | Died of Illness (POW of Japan), Burma, 25 October 1943, aged 33 years |
| Cemetery: |
Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, (Burma) A16. C. 6 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Cardross Primary School War Memorial, Pinnaroo War Memorial, Red Cliffs War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 30 Jul 1940: | Involvement Private, QX15211, 2nd/26th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Jul 1940: | Enlisted Cairns, QLD | |
| 30 Jul 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, QX15211, 2nd/26th Infantry Battalion | |
| 25 Oct 1943: | Involvement Private, QX15211, 2nd/26th Infantry Battalion, Prisoners of War |
Help us honour Alfred Nathan Rowntree's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Nathan Kirk Rowntree and Harriett (nee Henderson) Rowntree; husband of Margaret Mary (nee Vaughan)Rowntree, of Cardross via Redcliffe, Victoria, Australia.
DUTY NOBLY DONE
Married to Margaret Mary Rita Vaughan in 1935. Had a daughter Mary Claire born 1935.
Was taken prisoner in Singapore 15/2/1942.
He was a member of Pinnaroo Rifle Club and took part in competions.
Two brothers also served WW2 - Ernest Irving Rowntree SX27959 and Norman Keith Rowntree SX33734
Survived by his wife and daughter, parents, sisters Pearl Day, Ida Schiller, Freda Lomman, Kathleen and Gwen, brothers Ernest, Norman and Stanley
After several years of anxious waiting for news of their eldest son who was taken prisoner by the Japanese, Mr. and Mrs. N. K. Rowntree, of Pinnaroo, have received word that Pte A. N. Rowntree died of illness in Burma on October 25, 1943. The deceased enlisted in Queensland soon after the out break of war and sailed for Malaya where he was captured.
For a long time no news was received of his wellbeing until a card arrived in May, 1943, stating that he was alive and well.
No further word was received until last week when news of his death came from official sources. Pte Rowntree was well-known in Pinnaroo where he lived with his parents for several years. He later left this State and eventually settled in Queensland. He is survived by his wife and one daughter. Widespread sympathy is felt for the bereaved relatives
A comrade of the late Pte A.N. Rowntree, who died whilst a prisoner in Japanese hands, wrote to the deceased’s relatives, giving the circumstances of Pte Rowntree’s death. The deceased was a son of Mr. & Mrs. N. K. Rowntree, of Pinnaroo.
Extracts from the letter are as follows— I had been with Alf (known here as Nat.) since we enlisted. He was the best cobber I ever had, and I was with him until the last. We were both suffering from the same complaints. I was not as sick as Alf and did all that I could for him but it was a losing battle. Food was scarce, and medical supplies were unobtainable. Alf was a chap who feared nothing, always maintained that he was the best soldier in the unit. The railway job was the darkest days in our lives. Conditions were awful and hard to describe. Alf lost all his papers, etc. in a house which was burnt to the ground after being struck by a shell. He was sharing a dug-out with me whilst the barrage was in progress.
The writer, Pte F. Duncan, is an inmate of a Brisbane Military Hospital, recovering from a disease which was one of the causes of Pte Rountree’s death.