Lance Corporal 4521 Rowland Josiah Jones of “C” Company, 4th AIF, was born at The Hollies, Upper Beech, More and was baptised by Arthur Male at the parish church on the 17th of January 1886 the son of Josiah Jones (1846 to 1923) and Elizabeth Jones (1852 to 1930).

The 1891 census finds him with his family at Hollies, Upper Beach, More. Josiah aged 44 is a farmer born at More. Elizabeth aged 39 was born at Fordern, Montgomeryshire. Children recorded, all born in the parish are Lillie aged 18, Gertrude aged 13, Herbert aged 11, Dora aged 9, JW aged 6, Rowland aged 5, Lloyd aged 3, and May aged 1. “Farm servants” recorded are John Stakes and brother Jessie aged 18 born at Middleton as was Thomas Elles aged 16 and Richard Maunde aged 15 born Bitterley, Shropshire.

The 1901 census finds the family still at The Hollies. To note the changes, children recorded are Herbert aged 21, Dora aged 19, Rowland aged 15, Lloyd aged 13, and May aged 11. Servants are Richard Francis aged 29, a carter “agricultural horse” on farm, Herman Lewis aged 16, a cattleman, both born at Shelve, Edward Evans aged 15, a cattleman born ….(?), John Francis aged 15, a house boy, born at More.

Rowland was educated at Betton House, Shrewsbury. Rowland emigrated to Australia and after the outbreak of war enlisted on the 15th of October 1915 at Carsula, New South Wales into the 4th Battalion, 14th Australian Infantry. His occupation is given as a shop assistant resident at 'The Curn', Macpherson Street, North Sydney, New South Wales. His father is named as his next of kin, resident at Linlay Villa, Bishops Castle.

On the 3rd of February 1916 his unit embarked on HMAT A62 “Wandilla” at Sydney. On the 13th he refused to re-join a fatigue party on the ship and was given twenty four hours in the cells. He disembarked at Alexandria on the on the 7th of March.

On the 29th of March the unit embarked on the troopship Sylvania for Marseilles where the troops disembarked on the 4th of April. After arriving in France he contracted mumps and was admitted to Etaples Hospital on the 8th of May, 1916. He re-joined his unit on the 13th.

On the 4th of August he reported wounded sick with shell shock, returning on the 8th of September. He contracted scabies and had several spells in hospital with this complaint. On the 29th he was again admitted as sick in the field until the 7th of October. On the 19th of November he was admitted to hospital, sick until the 26th of January 1917. From the 28th of March till the 5th of June he was again in hospital, this time with Pediculosis (severe lice infestation). His health problems continued with septic sores on the legs.

On the 28th of July 1917 he was appointed Lance Corporal and went to the Lewis gun school on the 18th of August. On the 21st of September, Rowland received gunshot wounds to the left forearm but returned to his unit on the 14th of November. Some well earned leave was granted from the 16th of March 1918 to the 2nd of April when he returned to France.

After all his trials and tribulations he was killed in action on the 16th of April 1918 in an attack on Strazeele.

Lance Corporal Rowland Jones has no known grave and is remembered on the Australian National Memorial, Villers Bretonneux, France upon which is commemorated 10,719 Australian casualties who died in France and who have no known grave.

Rowland is also remembered in the church at More, Shropshire.