b. 04/11/1890 Birmingham, Warwickshire. d. 09/12/1953 Toronto, Canada.
DATE OF AM ACTION: 02/05/1916 Hesdin, France.
Sidney was the second of five children of Edward R and Louisa Rowlandson. He grew up living at 11 Benton Road, Sparkhill. His father died when he was young, and he was brought up by his mother. On the outbreak of WWI, he enlisted with the Army Service Corps as a Private, and was commissioned as a Lieutenant on 14th April 1915. He was later promoted to Temporary Captain. In 1919, he emigrated to Montreal, Canada, and on 25th June 1920 he married Marion Cecil Gibson in York, Ontario. He died on 9th December 1953 in Toronto General Hospital.
AM CITATION:
On 2nd May last, whilst a German 21-centimetre shell, in which several holes had been bored, was being “steamed” in a laboratory for the purpose of investigation, thebox of shavings in which it was packed caught fire. The officer in charge of the laboratory at once sent for help to the nearest Army Service Corps fire station, ordered all persons to leave the building, and warned the inhabitants of the neighbouring houses that a serious explosion was imminent. On receipt of the request for help, Lieutenant Rowlandson, with Walton, Anderson and Lawrence, at once collected fire extinguishers and proceeded by motor to thelaboratory. They entered the building, played on the fire (which had spread considerably), and after about two minutes were able to reach the burning shell, which they dragged into the yard and extinguished there. At any moment after the fire broke out the shell might have exploded with disastrous results.
BURIAL LOCATION: MOUNT PLEASANT CEMETERY, TORONTO, CANADA.
PLOT 14 SECTION 19 GRAVE 7N.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: ROYAL LOGISTIC CORPS MUSEUM, CAMBERLEY, SURREY.
Acknowledgement:
Terry Hissey – Image of Rowlandson’s medals at the RLC Museum.