5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
It is believed that Robert William Rowell was born in 1889 in Cheltenham and was the son of Robert and Louisa Rowell, née Elliott. If this is correct then it is known that his father died in 1898 and shortly after his mother re-married to become Louisa Etheridge.
According to the 1911 Census, Thomas and Louisa Etheridge lived at 2 Warwick Place, Cheltenham and Robert’s occupation was a cycle agent and repairer. He appeared to operate a business with his brother George.
The Gloucestershire Journal of 26 September 1914 published the names of those men who had joined the 5th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment and 2707 Private R W Rowell was one, who had ‘joined after mobilisation’.
His brother George was also shown as enlisting in the same battalion. It appears likely that both were Territorial soldiers, prior to the Great War (the 5th Gloucesters were a Territorial force unit) and mobilised as soon as war broke out.
No evidence of Private Rowell’s military service has come to light, however, it must have been short as the Cheltenham Chronicle of 6 February 1915 states that he died at home, Lower Barton Street, Gloucester (on 31 January 1915), after a short illness, aged 25.
A recently released Pension Record Card states that the cause of death was double pneumonia.
His funeral, held on 5 February was with full military honours and he was laid to rest in Gloucester Old Cemetery, where a CWGC headstone now marks his grave.
According to the Pension Record Card Robert had married Cassandra Matthews (probably in 1909) and the couple had five children.
Research by Graham Adams 20 April 2014 (Revised 6 August 2021)