Public Contributions:

Submitted by: Matakana War Memorial

Relationship to casualty: Researcher

Henry John Rowe was born 25th September 1894* on the family farm on the banks of the Kopuaranga River, Hastwell, Manawatu. He was the 11th and youngest child of Charles and Ann Rowe who farmed in Has...twell from the mid 1880s until 1911. After which they sold and purchased a farm in lower Matakana, opposite the Shark Factory. Henry John moved onto the farm with his parents who lived there until the 1920s when they retired to Auckland. In mid-1914 Henry was living in Devonport with his married sister Mrs Margaret Clara Spinley when on the 11th of August, a month before his 20th birthday, he enlisted with the NZ Army. Within days he was part of the approximately 1400 NZ soldiers of the Samoan expeditionary force who on the 29th of August 1914 marched though the streets of Samoa to annex German Samoa. After spending seven months there he returned and in August 1915 was shipped off to Egypt then onto Gallipoli. Surviving Gallipoli, he arrived on the battlefields of the Somme in April 1916 and was soon wounded. However, he was fit enough to rejoin his unit ten days later. For the next 12 months he fought on the Western Front, with a promotion to Sergeant in April 1917. However on 7th June 1917, he was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Messines Ridge, a three-day battle in which the New Zealand Division suffered 3700 casualties, including 700 dead. Henry still lies on that battlefield, his grave known only unto God. His older brother Rifleman William Charles Rowe of the Wellington Infantry Regiment was also killed in action on the 17th of October and also lies on a French battlefield. Sergeant Henry John Rowe is remembered on the Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial to the Missing in Belgium; the Devonport War Memorial and the Matakana War Memorial. Lest we forget. [* It appears Henry was born in 1896 and gave a false date of birth when he enlisted as he was under age - NZWGT] Read More

Submitted by: Steven McLaren

Relationship to casualty: Researcher

Henry Rowe was my Grandfather's (George McLaren) sergeant ... and they were good friends. Here is a photo of Sgt Rowe along with my Grandfather who was a corporal at the time. He was promoted to... sergeant from corporal after the death of Henry. Henry was killed during the Battle of Messines Ridge. Interesting that my Grandad's diary describes how Henry was killed .... but there is no grave for Henry. Interesting. RIP Henry Rowe and George McLaren Read More

Submitted by: Richard Coulam

Relationship to casualty: Frank Coulam my First Cousin, twice removed.

Standing behind Henry is Frank Coulam, my first cousin, twice removed. I've only recently come across the story of these guys (Steve MacLaren, the grandson of George, has been a wonderful source...), but everything I've discovered about them tells me that they were top men. Always remembered, never, ever forgotten. Read More