Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Bernard Patrick Rowland was born 17 Mar 1911 at Dungog, New South Wales the second of five children of Joseph & Susan Rowland. The NSW electoral rolls show that he was working as a Labourer before he married Betsy Kent in 1935.
By 1941 Bernard was working at Wooroolin as a Farm Hand and he enlisted in the Australian Army at Kingaroy. The 1943 Electoral roll states that he lived at Memerambi and his brother Desmond at Corndale but both were in the Army by then.
Bernard’s Army Records are not yet available on the NAA website but the WW11 Nominal Roll shows that he was in the 1st Aust Armoured Division Tanks Corps. Information found about the Division from the AWM website and Wikipedia
The 1st Armoured Division was an armoured formation of the Australian Army, raised in 1941 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during World War II. While the Division was originally to be deployed to North Africa in late 1941, it was retained in Australia following the outbreak of the Pacific War. While 1st Armoured Division never saw action as a complete formation, three regiments which were part of the division saw action in the South West Pacific Area, either while assigned to the division, or later. In September 1942, the 2/6th Armoured Regiment, equipped with M3 Stuart light tanks, was deployed to New Guinea, and subsequently saw action during the Battle of Buna–Gona.
Serving in New Guinea as the 1st Tank Battalion (Australian Imperial Force) (AIF) in 1943 and 1944, and in Balikpapan in 1945 as the 1st Armoured Regiment (AIF), this regiment arguably saw more action in the Pacific theatre than any other Australian armoured unit.
Bernard was promoted to Corporal during his service and was discharged from the army on 15 Jul 1946. He did not return to Wooroolin after the War. He lived in Brisbane and was a Garage Proprietor in Bardon.
Bernard died in 1983 in Brisbane but I have not found a burial record for him or his wife. He is probably honoured at Queensland Garden of Remembrance at Bridgeman Downs.
Lest We Forget