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Percy Edward (Pat) Rowe (1889–1916)

Bugler Alf Cohen writing from France on Dec. 10 last, to Mr J. Sharp, President of the Collingwood Football Club, gives a full account of how 'Paddy Rowan' met his death. By the way (writes Mr Gerald Brosnan) few people connected with football, had any idea that this famous player's name was really Percy Rowe, and that he simply adopted 'Paddy Rowan' as a boxing 'nom de plume' and it stuck to him throughout his football career. In this way when his death was reported and advertised, few outside his own relations connected it with the Collingwood footballer. Bugler Cohen says, 'I am enclosing details of how Pat Rowe 'Rowan' Collingwood's crack follower got fatally wounded. I was with Pat and some more chaps in a bombing post in one of the hottest corners of the Somme firing line. It rained shells and bullets here, and we had some miraculous escapes, but fortunately no one was seriously hit till about half an hour before we got relieved, when Pat got it. It was about 6 p.m. on the evening of Monday Dec. 4. Pat was stooping down doing up his equipment, preparatory to leaving the line, when a shrapnel shell burst on the parapet about three feet above our heads. Pat gripped his sides and fell. Turning to us he exclaimed, "I'm gone, good bye lads, shake hands.' He held out his hand, I gripped it, when he turned over and rolled in pain. I immediately sent for stretcher bearers, and with the aid of another lad, undid Pat's clothes, and dressed his wound, which was a jagged one, about three inches long, in the small of the back near the left kidney. He complained of a dull pain in the stomach, and said he felt himself running away there. I expect he had internal hemmorhage. The stretcher bearers took him to the dressing station, but I believe the doctor held out no hope from the first look. He died that night, and is buried near 'Trones Wood' in a soldier's battle field cemetery. Pat was our Platoon Sergeant, and the boys of the 11th Platoon felt his death keenly, as he was an honest, straight-forward sport, a good, game soldier, and had the fullest confidence of his men. I may say he was calm and collected right through, and seemed to know as soon as he was hit that he was fatally wounded.'

Original publication

Additional Resources and Scholarship

Citation details

'Rowe, Percy Edward (Pat) (1889–1916)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/rowe-percy-edward-pat-34741/text43722, accessed 12 November 2024.

© Copyright Obituaries Australia, 2010-2024

Life Summary [details]

Alternative Names
  • Rowan, Paddy
Birth

1889
St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia

Death

5 December, 1916 (aged ~ 27)
France

Cause of Death

war wounds

Religious Influence

Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included.

Occupation or Descriptor
Military Service
Key Organisations