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L/Cpl. Kenneth Edward "Roly" Rowland
Canadian Army Signals, B Coy. 4th Division
from:St Catharines, On, Canada
Ken Rowland joined the Lincoln and Welland militia at the age of 13 with some of his neighbourhood friends. The militia disbanded when war was declared in 1939 but he was called back when the regiment was mobilized to help train new recruits. Ken is officially listed as taken on strength with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment in 1939 at the age of 19 but was in fact 15 years old.
Ken served as signaller with the Canadian 4th Division from Normandy through to Germany during World War 2. He was wounded by a concussion in Normandy and subsequently lost his hearing. Ken continued to fight on the front lines, initially as the Colonel's radio operator, and later as signaller for B Company.
He lost two close neighbourhood friends during this time. Harry Newhouse was killed in a motorcycle accident during the blackout in England. Billy Roscoe was killed in action during the liberation of Bergen op Zoom and died in Ken's arms.
Ken fought non-stop for nine months when he contracted the mumps in April 1945. He was awarded the Bronze Cross by the Netherlands for behaving gallantly and tactfully opposite the enemy, and showing an outstanding devotion to duty during the operations of the liberation of the Netherlands-enemy occupied territories. Ken was 20 years old when Victory in Europe was declared.
He returned home to Canada in the fall of 1945 and married his childhood sweetheart Geraldine in 1947. They had three daughters. Ken passed away in December 2014.
