Life story told by Paul Beecroft. With thanks to the Australian War Memorial.
John ROWE was born on 6th April 1891 at Kinchela, Macleay River, New South Wales, Australia to Thomas James and Harriet Francis ROWE. He attended school at Summer Island, Macleay River in New South Wales and then later went to Leigh College in Enfield Sydney. He also attended an evangelistic course at the Central Methodist Mission in Sydney and became a Methodist Minister.
In 1914 when WWI broke out, Australia pledged full support for Britain and many young men joined up. John did not believe in violence and did not immediately join up but after receiving several white feathers, which is a traditional symbol to shame men who were not in uniform, he felt compelled to join up. It was then assumed that he would hide behind his collar, so he made the decision to enlist as an ordinary soldier.
He joined the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 8th January 1918. His enlistment paper shows his occupation as that of Cheese Maker. His brother Tom ROWE was a well-known cheese manufacturer and John had previously worked with him. Tom had set up the cheese factory ‘behind the family home at the junction of the Macleay River and Kinchela
Creek’ (Kempsey Shire Libraries).
John was initially attached to the 19th Infantry Division and was sent to the Recruit Depot in Liverpool, Sydney. On 9th February he was transferred to ‘A’ Company 1st Infantry Battalion and then on the 25th of February he was transferred again to 21st Reinforcements, 19th Battalion, Australian Infantry.
On 28th February, John boarded HMAT Nestor and sailed to England arriving in Liverpool on 20th April.
Reinforcements from Australia were only given basic training. Further training then took place in England and John went to the 5th Training Battalion at Fovant in Wiltshire.
On the 8th July, with training complete, he was sent to France arriving on the 12th. He joined up with the 19th Battalion and the following day he was on the battle field.
The War Diary of the 19th Battalion for the 11th of August records the following:-
Framerville – 11th August 4am. Zero hour. Barrage opens. Weather fine and ground firm. Troops go forward against active enemy machine-gun fire, hostile artillery fire going further back. Enemy’s resistance at close quarters negligible but MG’s kept very active appearing to fall back before our advance. . . .Enemy severely and continuously bombarded Framerville and surroundings during the morning with large calibres, while enemy MG’s were very active from the main road sweeping the gully over which the Bn. had passed. A thick fog lasted from 6 am till 10 am. When the air cleared, and the weather became fine and bright our troops sniped at enemy seen moving about wood and used captured MG’s against same targets.
Officers of 22nd & 24th Bns. arrived in afternoon to reconnoitre for relief. Companies of these BNS. moved up 10 pm – 12 midnt being guided to position in line and 19th Bn. moved out.
During the course of the action on the 11th of August John was shot and wounded. He was removed from the battle field and admitted to the 5th Australian Field Ambulance and then moved to the 55th Casualty Clearing Station. On the 13th he was transferred by Ambulance Train and admitted to 2nd Canadian General Hospital at Le Treport. On the 17th he left France on the Hospital Ship Carisbrooke Castle to England where he was admitted to Reading War Hospital the following day.
At 10 am on 24th August John died from his wounds. His cause of death was given as Bullet wound to left buttock and gas gangrene.
The newspapers of the time reported his death:
PRIVATE JOHN ROWE DEAD
That “ill news flies apace” was confirmed to Mrs Rowe of Kinchela, when the rather reassuring cable message, dated 23rd August, from her son in France saying “wounded in left buttock, not serious” arrived a week later than the officially imparted news of his death of wounds on the 24th August. Deceased soldier, Private John Rowe, son of the late Thomas Rowe of Kinchela, was aged 27, and beyond this river was well known in Methodist Church circles: for he had gone through the evangelistic course at the Central Methodist Mission, Sydney, was an ex-student of Leigh College, had assisted in Circuit work at Hamilton, and had relieved in a number of charges in the western district. Private Rowe, who went into camp 8th January last, sailed for Europe 28th February, and arrived in England 20th April, was brother to Mr Tom Rowe, the well known cheese manufacturer on the lower river.
(The Macleay Chronicle, Kempsey, NSW, 4 September, 1918)
John was buried at 2 pm on 28th August in Reading Old Cemetery. His coffin was good, polished Elm. He was accorded a Military funeral, Firing Party, Bugler and Pallbearers. The coffin was draped with the Union Jack and surmounted by a beautiful floral tribute. A number of patients from the hospital attended along with representatives of A.I.F. London. The Rev. John Carter officiated and the “Last Post” was sounded by a Bugler from the Royal Berkshire Regiment.
John is commemorated on the Wall Memorial in Reading Old Cemetery and buried in Plot 72.
He is further commemorated on the Roll of Honour in the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, the War Memorial located in The Triangle, corner Lord Street and Pacific Highway, East Kempsey, NSW.
Information about John can also b found in Cathy Sedgwick’s research (2016). According to her research, John “requested in his Will, dated 11th February, 1918, that the whole of his property and effects be given to his mother – Harriett France Rowe, Kinchela Creek, Macleay River, NSW”.
Division 72, War plot- Plot 20