TROWER, Norman Edward
| Service Number: | 921 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Glasgow, Scotland, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Motor Engineer |
| Memorials: | Cardwell Roll of Honour, Tully RSL Honor Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 921, 3rd Pioneer Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Wandilla embarkation_ship_number: A62 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 921, 3rd Pioneer Battalion, HMAT Wandilla, Melbourne |
Norman Edward Trower 921
Norman Edward Trower (921)
Norman Edward Trower of the 3rd Pioneers, was resident at “Cardwell Banyan” at the time of enlisting. He was born on 7 January 1889 at Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire near Glasgow, Scotland. His parents were George Trower, a draper by trade, and Elizabeth (née Lye).
Norman came to Australia on the Runic at the age of 23 in 1912; he left Liverpool on 17 October and arrived at Sydney on 4 December. His brother Ernest followed him out to Queensland, arriving on 21 April 1914 on the Afric. Norman went to Cloncurry but then came to the Tully district after his brother Ernest took up a selection. Norman chose to enlist and took his oath at Townsville on 6 March, 1916. He gave his occupation as motor engineer as he had completed an apprenticeship in Scotland.
After some training, he was assigned to ‘C’ Company, 3rd Pioneer Battalion. He left Melbourne on 6 June 1916 aboard the HMAT Wandilla, arriving at Plymouth in July. He was transferred to the 3rd Division Ammunition Sub Park, and embarked for France on 25 November. He served as Motor Driver and was promoted, eventually becoming Mechanic Staff Sergeant (Foreman Artificer) in the 3rd Mechanical Transport Company.
He was demobilized with effect from 24 October 1919 at Sinford, Sussex, in England but his intended place of residence was 46 Kersland Street, Glasgow. Norman became a partner in West Renfrew Motors, in Greenock where he worked as a motor engineer. He married Grace Foreman Kidd, a school teacher, in the district of St Giles, Edinburgh City on 28 May 1921.
Norman and Grace, together with their young son Norman George, returned to Queensland in 1926 to operate a banana plantation north of Tully but it proved unprofitable. They returned to Scotland in 1929 briefly before emigrating to Canada. Norman arrived from Liverpool at Quebec on 20 May 1929 on the Metagama and his wife and son arrived on 8 November the same year on the Duchess of Richmond. Norman commenced a garage and restaurant business at Orangeville, Ontario. He died on 8 August 1966.
Norman Trowers story was researched by The Cardwell Historical Society, Cardwell Queensland, submitted by Lyn Turner
Submitted 23 December 2020 by Lynette Turner
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