Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Lieutenant G. W. Rowley, Cape Corps and Cape Cyclist Corps, late Cape Town Highlanders

Cape of Good Hope General Service 1880-97, 1 clasp, Bechuanaland (435 Pte. G. W. Rowley. C.T. Highdrs.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Cape Colony (Lieut. G. W. Rowley. Cape Tn: Highrs:); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lt. G. W. Rowley, Cape Tn: Hdrs:); British War and Bilingual Victory Medals (Lt. G. W. Rowley.) good very fine (5) £400-£500

George William Rowley was born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, on 12 October 1876. He served as a Private in the Cape Town Highlanders in Bechuanaland in 1897, and as a Lieutenant in the same unit during the Second Boer War in South Africa 1899-1902. He resigned his commission after the cessation of hostilities, sometime between August and December 1902. However, he did attend a parade of those members of the Cape Town Highlanders to whom, on 26 March 1904, Queen’s and King’s South Africa medals were presented. on 20 December 1915 he attested as Private into the 9th South African Infantry (Sportsmen’s) Battalion. He was discharged as a Corporal to a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the Cape Corps on 28 May 1917, becoming Lieutenant in August 1917. He was appointed Press Photographer with 2nd Bn. Cape Corps in May 1918, and served briefly with the Cape Cyclist Corps, October to December 1918. He was finally discharged on 4 March 1919.

Prior to being commissioned, Rowley was granted a month’s recuperation leave from 28 February 1917, later extended for a further month. The use of the term ‘recuperation’ would seem to imply that he had either been wounded or that he had suffered an illness that necessitated his repatriation to South Africa. Sold with copied record of service.