Please help ... William Henry Rowe, RFA died August 25 1915

[tobytucker]

As this forum was so fantastic at helping me find out information regarding my grandfather a short while ago I thought I'd ask for help again.

My wife's great aunt married William Henry Rowe just before he returned to action in July 1915. He was part of RFA, service number 86539, B Bty, 69th Brigade and died on 25 Aug 1915 and buried in Alexandria. She was therefore married for only one month and never married again.

We're trying to find out how he died (or an idea of how he might have died) and any background informatuion about his and his regimenmts history at his time of death.

Can anyone help? I'd be extremely gratful (once again!!)

many thanks

Neil Hursthouse

[Rockdoc]

The War Diary for 69th Brigade RFA has survived and is at the National Archives under WO 95/4301. It only covers a short period but it includes when Rowe was killed. I'm no expert but, if it follows the lines of 35 Brigade's Diary, it won't say more than "Casualties: 1 Sergeant wounded. 2 Gunners wounded one remaining at action" but it will give basic information about what they were up to at the time.

Keith

[tobytucker]

The War Diary for 69th Brigade RFA has survived and is at the National Archives under WO 95/4301. It only covers a short period but it includes when Rowe was killed. I'm no expert but, if it follows the lines of 35 Brigade's Diary, it won't say more than "Casualties: 1 Sergeant wounded. 2 Gunners wounded one remaining at action" but it will give basic information about what they were up to at the time.

Keith

Hi Keith, thanks for this. Could it be safe to say that, as he was buried in Alexandria, he died at Gallipoli? (the family always believed this was the case but had no proof)

Cheers

Neil

[MelPack]

Neil

Here is William's SDGW entry:

Name: William Henry Rowe

Birth Place: Stoke-On-Trent

Residence: Stoke-On-Trent, Staffs

Death Date: 25 Aug 1915

Rank: Gunner

Regiment: Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery

Number: 86539

Type of Casualty: Died

The 'Died' suggests that it was sickness or an accident that killed him and not wounds.

Regards

Mel

[MelPack]

Neil

The 69th Bde were part of the 13th (Western) Division that left Alexandria on 4th July and arrived at Gallipoli via Mudros on 3-5 August 1915. So unless the illness was contracted in Mudros or Alexandria then William would have seen brief service in Gallipoli.

http://www.1914-1918.net/13div.htm

Regards

Mel

[Rockdoc]

The Diary falls only within the group GALLIPOLI, DARDANELLES so that is undoubtedly where they were in action. It was practically unheard of for bodies to be moved far from where the men fell so the fact that he's buried at Alexandria, in Egypt, suggests he died of wounds and/or complications at a Base Hospital. With no antibiotics as we know them, an infected wound could be fatal some time after the actual incident.

Web-browsing futher, he's buried at Chatby, the site of several hospitals established for the Gallipoli Campaign (see this) so it does look like he died in a hospital.

Keith

[tobytucker]

The Diary falls only within the group GALLIPOLI, DARDANELLES so that is undoubtedly where they were in action. It was practically unheard of for bodies to be moved far from where the men fell so the fact that he's buried at Alexandria, in Egypt, suggests he died of wounds and/or complications at a Base Hospital. With no antibiotics as we know them, an infected wound could be fatal some time after the actual incident.

Web-browsing futher, he's buried at Chatby, the site of several hospitals established for the Gallipoli Campaign (see this) so it does look like he died in a hospital.

Keith

Thanks very much for all your help, really grateful to everyone who has contributed.