Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Montague Fritz Rowland, known as Montie, was born on 20 July 1893 at Christchurch, Otago, the second surviving son of George Edwin and Mary Ellen (née Osmond) Rowland. George and Mary Ellen married in 1879 in Devon, England, and came to New Zealand soon after. Settling in Christchurch, they had a family of ten, although two died in infancy. Montie joined his older siblings at Riccarton School. Montague, an older sister and a younger brother left Riccarton in December 1900 and in January 1901 they started at Hilton (or Kakahu) School in South Canterbury, joined by the youngest of the family, Laurie. Montie, Leta and Jack all featured in the 1903 Hilton School prize list, Montie then in Standard III.

In May 1904, they moved again but not far – to Albury School. At Albury, Montague again made his mark, receiving a Standard VI award in 1905. He took part in the Pleasant Point Road Race – 35 miles from Pleasant to Albury and back, in April 1909. Montie had a handicap of 10 minutes. “A match that occasioned a good deal of local interest” was played in early September 1910 between past and present players of the Albury Football Club. One who represented the club was M. Rowland. He may have been one who “did yeoman service in the front division” for Albury in the first round of the Mackenzie Sub-Union matches in June 1913, though this may have been a young brother.

By 1914, Montague Rowland had moved to Island Bay, Wellington, where he was a labourer. He married Emily Yates on 10 January 1917 at Island Bay. On 22 June 1917 at the Town Hall, Wellington, he enlisted. A butcher and of Church of England affiliation, he named his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs E. Rowland, 142 The Parade, Island Bay, Wellington. A daughter was born to Montie and Emily on 11 January 1918 at Wellington – Joyce Emily Rowland. Corporal M. F. Rowland embarked with the 38th Reinforcements, leaving for Liverpool, England, on 5 June 1918. Returning Draft No. 261, the “Tahiti” which was due at Auckland on 2 July 1919, brought home M. F. Rowland, 65453. He was discharged on 3 August 1919.

For the most part Montague and Emily lived in the Wellington area. Montague and Emily did spend some time in South Canterbury. At the Albury School picnic and prize distribution in December 1919, Mrs M. Rowland won the married ladies’ race. A large field had assembled at the starting post but only four finished. Their eldest son, Montague James Rowland was born on 20 February 1920 at Timaru. A clerk with the railways, Montague junior enlisted in 1940 as a pilot under training. In March 1941, Pilot-Officer M. J. Rowland was one of three airmen who suffered injuries when their aeroplane crashed in the old Waimakariri river-bed. At the Christchurch Hospital he was found to be only slightly injured and was sent back to the station hospital at Wigram. In July 1943, Flight Lieutenant Montague J. Rowland was lost on air operations in the sea off Sicily, and believed killed.

Montague Fritz Rowland died on 1 February 1966 at Wellington, aged 72 years. He was interred in the Soldiers section of Karori Cemetery, Wellington, where a services plaque marks his grave. Emily died in 1983. She was cremated at Whenua Tapu, her ashes interred with Montague at Karori. There a plaque remembers Emily Rowland, Montague James Rowland, and Andrew James Rowland, a grandson who died in infancy. M. Rowland’s name is inscribed on the Albury Football Club’s Roll of Honour for the Great War 1914-1919 in the column headed "Returned". At least 69 members of the Albury football Club served in the war, 17 being killed in action. His second son, Herbert Frederick Rowland, also served in World War Two. Jack Victor Rowland, a younger brother of Montie, registered for active service and was medically examined in August 1916. A year later his name was drawn in the 10th Ballot. In August 1918, the name of Leo Lorraine Rowland (Laurie), a railway cadet at Albury and the youngest of the family, was selected by lot from the First Division. Laurie, as he was known, had just turned twenty.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [11 December 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [11 December 2022]; School Admission records (Canterbury & South Canterbury branches NZSG) [12 December 2022]; Timaru Herald, 29 December 1903, 18 December 1905, 21 April 1909, 7 September 1910, 13 June 1913, 21 August 1918, 30 December 1919, Ashburton Guardian, 24 March 1941, Evening Post, 9 September 1943 (Papers Past) [14 December 2022]; Karori Cemetery burial record (Wellington City Council) [15 December 2022]; Karori Cemetery headstone image (Find A Grave) [15 December 2022]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.