JOHN HAROLD ROWELL
JOHN HAROLD ROWELL was a Lockleys Primary School student who was killed during World War II. His name is included on a hand-made memorial cabinet held in the Lockleys Primary School Library.
John Harold Rowell served in the 2nd Australian Imperial Force (AIF).
His service number was SX19066.
He was born on April 16, 1915, at Kent Town, Adelaide. His father was Harold Edward Rowell and his mother Elsie Rowell (nee Hammer).
He lived at *Rowells Road, Lockleys, and before enlisting in the army worked as a contractor. Rowells Rd is named in honour of the members of John Harold Rowell’s extended family.
John Harold Rowell enlisted in the 2AIF at Wayville, Adelaide, on January 13, 1943.
He was serving with the 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion with the rank of Private in New Guinea when he was KILLED-IN- ACTION on Friday, November 26, 1943. He was aged 28.
He was buried at the Finschafen War Cemetery (plot H, row A, grave 4), New Guinea. The Australian War Memorial has a photograph of the February, 1944, opening ceremony of this cemetery.
Private John Rowell’s name appears on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour at Panel 60.
*(The information below is extracted from an article in the April 2009 (Volume 1, Number 1) edition of The West Torrens Historian, the newsletter of the West Torrens Historical Society.)
Rowells Rd, at Lockleys, commemorates one of the West Torrens district’s most distinguished families. From the arrival of John Rowell in Adelaide from Cambridgeshire in 1854, generations of the Rowell family were prominent fruit growers and market gardeners in the Reedbeds (in the West Torrens district generally used to refer to Lockleys and Fulham), became notable civic leaders, playing an important role in local government and even national politics.
But the Rowell family’s role in South Australia’s and Australia’s military history is particularly significant, spanning the Boer War and both World War I and II.
Many of the Rowell family saw military service, but among the most prominent were Colonel James Rowell, a son of John Rowell, who began his career with the Reedbeds Mounted Company which grew out of the volunteer Reedbeds Cavalry. Later he commanded the 4th Imperial Bushmen’s Contingent from South Australia during the Boer War. In 1897, he led the South Australian Contingent sent to London for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. For a time during World War I he acted as Commandant of South Australia.
John Rowell’s grandson Lt.-Col. Frank Milton Rowell, also served in the Boer War and was Commanding Officer of the 3rd Light Horse Regiment when it was formed at the outbreak of World War I. He died of illness at sea off Gallipoli in 1915.
Lt-Gen Sir Sydney Fairbairn Rowell, another grandson of John Rowell and son of Col. James Rowell, also served at Gallipoli with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. During World War II, he was on the general staff of the 1st Australian Corps in the Middle East, then in 1942 commanded the New Guinea Force until he was controversially sacked by General, later Field Marshall Sir Thomas Blamey. In 1950, Lt.-Gen. Sir Sydney Rowell became Chief of the General Staff.
John Harold Rowell was a great-grandson of the pioneer Reedbeds (Lockleys) resident John Rowell.
Colonel James Rowell was John Harold Rowell’s great-uncle.
Lt- Col Frank Milton Rowell was John Harold Rowell’s uncle.
Lt-Gen Sir Sydney Fairbairn Rowell was John Harold Rowell’s cousin.
Written by Chris Brice, WTHS
From information supplied by the West Torrens Historical Society