On this day in 1918, Saddler Ernest Henry Rowland died.

Saddler 966507

Ernest Henry Rowland

 53^rd Brigade

Royal Field Artillery

Died 28th October 1918

Age 29

Ernest Henry Rowland was born in Treskinnick Cross village, near Poundstock in 1889, one of the six surviving children of Richard and Elizabeth. Richard was an agricultural labourer and the family seemed to have moved with his work. In 1901 he was employed as a horseman in Dinnacoomb, Jacobstow and in 1911, he was living at Old Mill in Stoke Climsland and employed again as a farm labourer. At this time, Ernest was staying at Dannett farm near Quethiock and working as a waggoner for Joseph Wenmoth.

The marriage certificate of Ernest Rowland and Lily Wills in 1916

We know that Ernest enlisted into the army in Callington but do not know exactly when. But it must have been before 1916 as, when he was married on 15th January 1916 at the Registry Office in Launceston, his profession is given as ‘Saddler, Territorial Royal Field Artillery’ and his address as Barrack Lane, Exeter. He was married to Lily Wills from Luckett, whose brother, Edward John Wills, sadly died in a Prison of War camp in Germany on 24th October 1918, just four days before her husband. At this point, Ernest’s Service Number was 2269 but this changed to 966507 when all Territorial Service Numbers were reassigned to 6 digit format on 1st March 1917.

At some subsequent point, Ernest joined the 53rd Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and travelled to the Middle East, probably disembarking in Alexandria. His Brigade would have been formed of three battalions, responsible for medium calibre guns and howitzers deployed close the front line. The armaments were reasonably mobile and, as they were horse-drawn, the skills of Edward and other saddlers were very much needed. The 53rd Brigade was involved, as part of the 3rd (Lahore) Division in activities against the Ottoman Empire Eight Army, culminating in the Battle of Tabsor in modern-day Palestine on 19th and 20th September 1918, an engagement that effectively neutralised the enemy threat. During this battle, the 3rd (Lahore), together with the 7th (Meerut) and 75th Divisions attacked the entrenched Ottoman positions defending the Tabsor defences. These defences were located in the middle section of the front line, assigned to the XXI Corps. On their left the Battle of Tulkarm was being fought, with the Battle of Arara fought on their right. Together with the cavalry phase, these battles make up the Battle of Sharon, which, with the Battle of Nablus, fought by the XX Corps and Chaytor’s Force, have become known as the Battle of Megiddo. Megiddo developed into a major set piece offensive, when large formations of the Allied Egyptian Expeditionary Force, attacked and responded to the reactions of three Ottoman armies, each time following a predetermined plan. The offensive resulted in defeat for Ottoman forces in Palestine, Syria and the Transjordan.

After this action, the 53rd Brigade was involved in general clean up operations around Jiljulieh in Gaza and the unit’s war diary does not mention any activity with the enemy.

War debris in the aftermath of the Battle of Tabsor

What caused Ernest’s death a month after the last reporting of any fighting was not wounds received but pneumonia, as his death certificate records. Another victim of a virulent epidemic that killed millions towards the end of the conflict and beyond. He is buried in the Gaza Military Cemetery, just outside of Gaza City, where many men from various Casualty Clearing Stations and General and Stationary hospitals are also buried. It contains 3,217 Commonwealth burials from WW1, 781 of them unidentified.

The Gaza Military Cemetery at the end of WW1 and before the work of the CWGC

 

Ernest Rowland's headstone in the Gaza Military Cemetery

Ernest’s outstanding wages of £13 14s 3p and War Gratuity of £18 10s were sent to his widow, Lily, after the war.

Details of the personal effects left to Lily Wills