Joseph Rowles was born on Friday, 31st December 1880 at Wernddu Cottages, McCarthy Row, Cwm Avon, Michaelstone, Glamorgan the eldest son of John and Ann Rowles (née Owens), a
‘Coal Miner’.
In the 1911 census he is age 29, single, and his occupation is as a ‘Coal Miner Hewer’.
He is living with his brother Jenkin Rees and his widowed mother Ann at Station Terrace, Pontrhydyfen, Port Talbot, Glamorganshire.
He enlisted in WW1 on 9th September 1914 and entered a War Zone on 2nd February 1915.
On 24th February 1915 he was hospitalised for dental work for 2 days and then sent to Convalescent Camp. He need more dental work of 4 December 1915 and was sent to 4th Stationary Hospital. At that time he was serving with ‘B’ Company, 2nd Battalion, Devons.
As the Germans launched their Spring Offensive on 21st March 1918 the 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment was rushed up to St. Christ to the east of Amiens to hold back the
advance, whilst the engineers detonated the bridge. The fighting was brutal as wave after
wave of Germans tried to dislodge them. Unable to do so the German Storm Troopers pushed
on around the bridge by crossing elsewhere and threatening to cut off the Devons. Forced to make a fighting withdrawal the battalion retired until the German advance petered out.
In the space of a week the battalion had lost a third of its effective strength.
In the ‘1939 register’ he is living at 22 Elba Avenue, Port Talbot, Glamorgan.
His occupation is given as ‘Coal Miner (Haulier)’.
His death cerrtificate states he died 24.1.1962 at 5 Leslie Street, Port Talbot, Neath, age 81.
CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHERE HE WAS BURIED/CREMATED
