Names on memorial plaque:

Andrews, D C

Bowsher, S

Broad, C

Chissell, R

Crookes, C E

Davies, S

Donovan, W C

Gibbon, F W

Gronhaug, S

Harris, L H H

Hollyman, W

Howard, P H

Jenkins, W H

Jensen, J C

Jones, D O

Jutson, J N

Knapp, O R

Nicholas, J

Parker, W P

Pearn, W G

Rieple, L A

Roberts, T H

Robinson, R W

---

ARTHUR LESLIE ROWE

Chief Engineer, S.S.Bagdale

Authur Leslie Rowe was born in Cardiff on 2 Jul 1888 to Edwin Rowe, a steamship owner and broker, originally from Fowey, Cornwall and Mary Brayley Rowe née Stevens, originally from Swansea.  He was a grandson of Peter Rowe, who founded the Cardiff ship-owning firm of Peter Rowe and Sons. In 1891 the Rowe family were living at 160 Newport Road and in 1901 at 195 Newport Road.  Arthur attended Cardiff High School for Boys from 20 Jan 1899 until the spring of 1905.  He served in the Mercantile Marine for about six years.  Arthur Rowe drowned, aged 28, when his armed merchant transport was sunk in the English Channel by a submarine thirteen miles from Creac’h Point, Brittany on 1 May 1917.  SS Bagdale was on a voyage from the Clyde to Nantes with coal. Twenty-three lives were lost.  Arthur is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial to the Missing, London.  He is also commemorated on the Cardiff High School war memorial, Cardiff Masonic Lodge war memorial and on the Broadway Wesleyan Methodist Church war memorial (relocated to Trinity Methodist Church, Four Elms Road).  Commonwealth War Graves Commission record.

---

EDWIN VIVIAN ROWE

Second Lieutenant, 13^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment (Service Number 61566)

Edwin Vivian Rowe was born in Woodlands Terrace, Swansea in Mar 1881 to Edwin Rowe, a steamship owner and broker, originally from Fowey, Cornwall and Mary Brayley Rowe née Stevens, originally from Swansea.  Sometime in the next ten years they moved to Newport Road, Cardiff.  His father died in 1905 and Edwin himself became a steamship owner and broker.  In 1907 he married Elsie Baker Fox, at Roath Road Wesleyan Church.  They lived at 65 Richmond Road and went on to have two children, Charles Edwin Vivian b.1909 and Dorothy Mary Vivian b.1915.  It appears Edwin was a volunteer in the Glamorgan Imperial Yeomanry and qualified in musketry in 1902 and then took part in miniature rifle shooting competitions representing Cardiff Exchange in 1906.  In WWI he served with the 13^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment. He was killed in action on 1 Sep 1918 on the Western Front aged 37.  He has no known burial place.  He is remembered on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial in France. He is also remembered on the Broadway Methodist war memorial plaque, Cardiff Coal Exchange war memorial and the Cardiff Masonic Hall war memorial plaque.  Commonwealth War Graves Commission record.  His brother Arthur Leslie Rowe was also killed in WWI.  His son Charles Rowe studied law and went on to become the Town Clerk of Northampton.

---

Thomas, O T

Thomas, T C

Turner, G A

Wicklen, N

Wilkes, S A

---

JOHN LEWIS WILLIAMS

Captain, C Company. 16th ‘Cardiff City’ Battalion, Welsh Regiment

John ‘Johnny’ Lewis Williams was born on 3 Jan 1882 in Whitchurch, Cardiff to Edward Williams, a farmer/licensed victualler /rate collector, originally from Radyr and Mary Williams née Lewis, originally from Whitchurch. At the time of the 1891 census the Williams family were living at the Hollybush Inn where Edward was the licensed victualler.  In 1892 Johnny started attending  Cowbridge Grammar School.  By 1901 the family were living at 2 Rhiwbina Rd and Johnny, aged 19, was working as a clerk. By 1911 the family were living at ‘Llwyncelyn’, Pantmawr Road, Whitchurch and Johnny a partner in a coal-exporting firm Greenslade & Williams at the Cardiff Coal Exchange.  He was a brilliant rugby wing three-quarter and was one of the most distinguished of all the 135 international rugby players who lost their lives in the War.  He played initially for Whitchurch and Newport but spent most of his career with Cardiff, whom he captained in 1909-10. He won 17 international caps between 1906 and 1911, during one of the most successful periods ever for Welsh rugby.  He played in three Grand Slam teams and was also a member of the British (Anglo-Welsh) Team in Australia and New Zealand in 1908.  He enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers early in the War and was commissioned in the Cardiff City Battalion in Nov 1914. This battalion had a strong contingent of officers and men who were members of Cardiff Rugby Football Club and Johnny was one of four Welsh rugby internationals who joined at that time.  Shortly afterwards, in early 1915, he married Mabel Anne Morgan of ‘Caercady’, Archer Road, Penarth.  He went overseas with the 38th (Welsh) Division in the following Dec. During the Battles of the Somme, he was very badly wounded in the Cardiff City Battalion’s attack on the ‘Hammerhead’ in the Battle of Mametz Wood.  He succumbed to his wounds several days later on 12 Jul 1916 at a casualty clearing station, aged 34.  He is buried in Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension, France (plot 1. row C. grave 31). He is remembered on the following memorials:  Whitchurch War Memorial, St.Mary’s Church, Whitchurch, Welsh Rugby Union War Memorial, Cardiff, Cardiff Coal Exchange War Memorial, Cowbridge Grammar School Memorial, Cardiff Masonic Lodge War Memorial, Newport Athletic (Rugby) Club War Memorial, Penarth War Memorial, All Saints Church, Penarth.  Commonwealth War Graves Commission record. (Summary compiled with input from rugby historian Gwyn Prescott).

---

For more information on the fallen see The Masonic Great War Project