Arthur Herbert Rowles

No / Rank: 124198 Gunner
Regiment: Royal Garrison Artillery
Battalion: 200 Siege Battery
Born: Swindon, Wilts.
Enlisted: Caerphilly, Glam.
Residence: Bedwas.
Date Died: 23.08.1918
How Died: Died of Wounds
Theatre of War: France and Flanders

Brigade: 5th Heavy Artillery Group Third Army

Awarded the Military Medal

Gunner Arthur Herbert Rowles M.M. Died on Friday 23rd August 1918. Aged 30, Son of Herbert John and Edith Amelia Rowles, of Trethomas, Bedwas, Cardiff.

Until April 2011 the Machen Memorial recorded A. Rolls, neither Soldiers Died nor the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have a record of a casualty of that name. The Roll of honour in Machen church records Arthur Rowles R.G.A. and service records held by the Public Records Office confirm that Arthur Rowles lived on Commercial Road, Machen and worked as an annealer at the Waterloo Tinplate Works. Although he was born in Swindon, his family lived in Glyn Gwyn Street, Trethomas. As a result of research undertaken for this website, A. Rolls was corrected to A. Rowles and the memorial was rededicated in the presence of two of Arthur Rowles' great nieces.

Rector for Machen, Reverend Peter Crocker conducting the service.

Arhur Rowles' niece, Jean Davies, places a cross at the War Memorial.

Arthur Rowles was awarded his Military Medal for his action in saving the life of another member of his gun crew. His gun battery had been located by the German artillery and was under fire, the unit received orders to withdraw to a place of safety. One of the gun crew entered a dugout that was almost immediately hit by a shell, burying the soldier. Gunner Rowles, rather than going to the rear with the other men, grabbed a shovel and worked franticly until he uncovered the buried man. The task of rescuing the man was made more difficult as he was trapped by debris that had gone through his arm. Gunner Rowles eventually freed the trapped man and helped him back to the rear and safety.

A presentation evening was held in Adullam Church, Lewis Street Machen when Gunner Rowles was home on leave. Mr Moseley the manager of the Waterloo Tinplate Works, where Arthur Rowles had worked before the war, presented him with a watch to mark his ‘heroic action’ on behalf of the reception committee. In his remarks to the congregation Mr Moseley said that although Arthur Rowles was not a native of Machen he was a “good natured, straightforward, jolly good fellow” and a very popular “adopted son of the village”.

Gunner Rowles continued to serve with the 5th Heavy Artillery Group, a part of the British Third Army, and was wounded on two occasions spending periods of weeks in Etaples Military Hospital, France, before returning to duty.
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On the 21st August 1918 the Third Army was in the right centre of the British Expeditionary Force, holding a seventeen mile section of the front from Albert to Neuville Vitasse (near Arras). The Battles now known collectively as the Second Battle of the Somme began on the 21st and lasted until 3rd September. The battle of Albert 21st to 23rd August may have been the action where Gunner Rowles was wounded.

Gunner Arthur Herbert Rowles M.M. died, due to the affects of poison gas, at Mont Huon hospital and convalescent centre and is buried at the Military Cemetery, Le Trouport, Dieppe. The official records contain a touching letter from Gunner Rowles’ mother to his unit.

November 4th 1918

To Regiment Officer of R.G.A. Records

Dear Sir

I have return form with receipt of dice that belonged to my son Gunner Arthur Rowles 124198 and hope you will kindly forward on at any time anything belonging to him and hope some time you will send me a pass to visit his grave at Le Trepot you can do no greater honour for me than to grant my request do favour me with the same for my son did all that was honorable for his King and Country and it is my greatest wish to go there to see his grave. (SIC)

From Yours sincerely

Edith A. Rowles

‘God will bind the broken chain closer when we meet again, Mother’

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