NEW ZEALAND CASUALTIES
PERSONAL NOTES
Private Thomas Pycroft Rowlatt, who is reported wounded, is the youngest son of Mr G. F. Rowlatt, barrister and solicitor, and was born at Naseby, Otago, in February, 1882. He was educated at the High Street School, Dunedin, and afterwards was employed in various commercial pursuits in Dunedin. Of late years he has been assisting his brother-in-law, Mr B. K. Bennett, of “Bucklands,” Awahuri, Manawatu, in the working of his farm. He came to Dunedin in November, 1914, and enlisted in the Third Reinforcements of the 4th Regiment of Otago Infantry, and sailed for Egypt on the 10th February last. -Evening Star, 4/9/1915.
MR T. P. ROWLATT.
A personality well-known in the Awahuri district, Mr Thomas Pycroft Rowlatt, passed away on March 10 at Dunedin after an illness which had been brought on by war injuries. Born in Dunedin 52 years ago, Mr Rowlatt was the youngest son of Mr and Mrs G. F. Rowlatt, and for the last 25 years he had made his home with his sister, Mrs B. K. Bennett, Awahuri. In the early part of the war Mr Rowlatt left for Dunedin on a holiday and eventually enlisted with the 3rd Reinforcements at Dunedin. During heavy fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula he was severely wounded, a bullet striking him on the right side of the neck and coming out on the other side, just missing the jugular vein. For a long time the doctors in the Cairo Hospital were puzzled by his survival, and later he was placed on a hospital ship and sent back to New Zealand. On several occasions Mr Rowlatt suffered a breakdown in health through his war injuries and it was while he was on holiday in Dunedin that he suffered severely from his war disabilities, resulting in his death.
Of a quiet and kind disposition, Mr Rowlatt was a member of the Awahuri Church Committee.
The funeral, which took place on March 12, left the residence of Mr E. P. Rowlatt, of South Dunedin, a brother of deceased. Other members of the family were Messrs J. C, Rowlatt, St. Clair, Dunedin; G. C. Rowlatt, Bondi, Sydney; E. Rowlatt, Levin; A. Rowlatt, Ponsonby, Auckland; and a sister, Mrs B. K. Bennett, Awahuri. Mr Rowlatt was a cousin of Rt. Hon. Sir Sidney Arthur Rowlatt, K.C., P.C., who is at present sitting on the Indian Commission. Several beautiful wreaths were sent, including one from the Awahuri Church, and one from Mrs Stephens, Awahuri. -Manawatu Standard, 23/3/1935.
On August 8, 1915, the Otago Infantry Regiment was being held in reserve while the Wellingtons, under Major Malone, and other troops, assaulted the legendary height of Chunuk Bair. It was a final attempt to make the sacrifices of the previous months worthwhile. It was the last offensive of the campaign.
At the end of a long and deadly day, the Otagos were sent up to relieve the Wellingtons. There were not many left.
"A day remarkable for the fierceness of the struggle was succeeded by a night perhaps even more desperate. No food or water reached the garrison; there was no possible chance of getting the wounded away; and the already exhausted defenders, though constantly menaced by the enemy, were forced to exert themselves throughout the night in an endeavour to deepen the shallow trenches — a difficult business owing to the hard formation. Shortly after 4th Company had taken up the position which formed a defensive right flank, movement was observed to the front, but there was some doubt as to its origin. Lieut. J. E. Cuthill accordingly moved out to the front and was able to convince himself that the Turks were massing for attack. This assault was eventually delivered in considerable force; but our men withheld their fire until the enemy had advanced to within 15 yards of the line, when it was so well and truly delivered that the enemy was most sanguinarily repulsed. When beaten off they retired behind the ridge and reformed for a further effort." -Official History of the Otago Regiment in the Great War.
The above volume describes the casualties of that night as "exceedingly heavy."
Six days after receiving his life-threatening bullet wound, Thomas was admitted to the Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis, Egypt. He was there for a month before being sent home on the troopship SS Tofua. He was discharged as medically unfit on June 30, 1916, but it can be imagined that leaving the army was only the beginning of Thomas' journey of pain.
His cause of death in his military files held by Archives NZ is described in three words - one of them long and illegible. The other two are plain enough though. "Septic ulcer." From that, it can be concluded that his wound never healed. It would have been a very visible one, a constant and painful reminder of his time in the hills of Gallipoli.
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