ROWAN, Andrew George (1895-1917)Andrew George Rowan was born at ‘Ballater’, Werribee, Victoria the son of Andrew Dunbar Rowan (1865-1929) and Annie Catanach nee Troup, of Rickland, 12 Lambert Road, Toorak. He was educated at the Metropolitan Farm State School, and at Geelong College in 1912 and 1913, and on leaving took up pastoral pursuits.
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A G Rowan (War Service)
He enlisted (5749) on 23 February 1916, and embarked with the 18th Reinforcements to 7 Battalion AIF on
HMAT A33 Ayrshire on 3 July 1916. He served with his battalion in France, where he was killed in the Broodseinde advance on 4 October 1917, having been initially reported missing. This was confirmed at a Court of Enquiry on 5 July 1918. His battalion lost seventy-eight men that day, including two Lieutenants, five Sergeants, and seven Corporals.
‘The battle of Broodseinde Ridge was the third operation launched by British general Herbert Plummer as part of the Ypres offensive of 1917. It was a large operation, involving twelve divisions, include-ing those of both I and II Anzac. The attack was planned on the same basis as its predecessors - the attacking troops' objectives were approximately 1,500 metres deep, the advance would be preceded by a massive artillery bombardment; and a creeping barrage would lead the troops on to their objectives and then protect them while they consolidated their positions. The attack began before dawn on 4 October 1917. The Australian troops involved were shelled heavily on their start line and a seventh of their num-ber became casualties even before the attack began. When it did, the attacking troops were confronted by a line of troops advancing towards them; the Germans had chosen the same morning to launch an attack of their own. The Australians forged on through the German assault waves and gained all their objectives along the ridge. It was not without cost, however. German pillboxes were characteristically difficult to subdue, and the Australian divisions suffered 6,500 casualties.’ Andrew Rowan had been in No 1 Australian General Hospital in November 1916, suffering from tonsilitis. A few days before his death he passed well for promotion in an officers’ school of instruction, being next to top in his battalion, and would certainly have been promoted but for his untimely death. Pte A J Jeffress wrote to the Red Cross Information Bureau, telling of his death at Polygon Wood:
‘On the morning of the 4th when waiting for our barrage to move forward, I was informed that he was lying close by badly wounded, so a pal and I went across and found Rowan in a very bad way and sinking in the mud and water of a shell hole. We lifted him out and cut his equipment away, and found that a piece of shrapnel had penetrated through the haversack and was in his body from the back just below the left lung. It was a very dangerous wound and he was breathing with difficulty. I secured two stretcher bearers, and as our party had moved forward, left the S/B’s in charge. Late the following day I heard that Pte Rowan’s body was lying about fifty yards in the rear of where I had left him.' Pte P J Minogue told further of the death of Rowan and Pte N L Howe.
‘ I knew them. They were wounded during the advance at Anzac Ridge on that day. I was told by Pte A G Lea, a S/B of D Company that he had carried them out and have since been told by the D Company clerk, Cpl L Odlum (of Royal Park), that they had been reported to the Battalion as having D/W in a CCS. Rowan was tall dark, well built and was called 'Andy'. Howe was short, sturdy, about 19-20 and was called Norman.’ Andrew Rowan was buried by Sgt Arnold, of the 1st Divisional Burial Party at the Divisional Collecting Post Cemetery Extension, Ypres, West Vlaanderen, Flanders, Belgium - Grave II.H.10.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. pp102-103 (citing Pegasus August 1918; Australian War Memorial; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Photo Pegasus.)