Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Helles Memorial | Panel 152 to 154. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.134 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 18C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | 1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal | ||
Family :
Geoffrey was born on 14 September 1877, the third son of Capt. Conwy Grenville Hercules Rowley-Conwy, J.P., D.L., of Bodrhyddan, Flintshire, High Sheriff of Flintshire 1876, and formerly a Captain in the Life Guards. The Conwy's have been associated with the area around Rhuddlan Castle for at least 600 years, when Sir Henry Conwy was Constable of Rhuddlan Castle. The family home is Bodrhyddan, Rhuddlan. Geoffrey was educated at Llandovery between 1889 and 1896, and played rugby at wing for the 2nd XV. On leaving Llandovery, Geoffrey entered Exeter College, Oxford, before embarking on a career in the Army, and in 1911 Geoffrey Rowley-Conwy married Bertha Gabrielle Cochran, daughter of Captain Alexander Cochran R.N. (Retired), of Ashkirk house, Ashkirk, Selkirkshire. They had two children, Geoffrey Alexander, born 8 March 1912 (Colonel The Lord Langford, O.B.E., D.L.), and Rosemary Marian, born 6 June 1915. The family lived in St. Asaph until Lord Langford inherited Bodrhyddan from his father's elder brother, Admiral Rowley-Conwy, in 1951.Married 1911, Bertha Gabrielle Cochran, daughter of Lt. Alexander Cochran, R.N.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 1st Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment |
1st Battalion August 1914 : in Aldershot. Part of 2nd Brigade in 1st Division. 13 August 1914 : landed at Le Havre. 7 February 1918: transferred to 1st Brigade in same Division. |
| Action : Gallipoli |
The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.
Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.
Detail :
Geoffrey Seymour Rowley-Conwy, Major, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Died 1915 Killed in action at Gallipoli.
On joining the Army, Geoffrey was commissioned in 1901 into the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. In 1912 he was promoted to Captain, and by the time he landed with the 6th Battalion on Gallipoli in July 1915, he was a Major. The Battalion was attached to 38 Brigade, 13th (Western) Division, and was designated to attack the Turkish stronghold of Chunuk Bair in August 1915.
On the night of 9 August 1915, the 6th Loyal's with the 5th Wiltshire's, replaced the New Zealand troops who had been fighting for The Pinnacle. The Senior General Staff Officer, 13th (Western) Division, advised Major Rowley-Conwy's Battalion to dig in on the reverse slope of their intended position of attack, fearing that they might be shelled off the forward slope of the position. However, to dig in on the reverse slope was not possible due to its rocky terrain and an angle of 45 degrees; therefore only a few observation posts were dug. The main positions were taken up on flatter ground known as The Farm, on Helles. The opposing Turkish commander, Mustapha Kemal, assembled two extra Brigades on the east side of the position, giving his troops a numerical superiority of 10 to 1 over the British troops facing him. Just before dawn the Turks swept over the crest of the position in fifteen lines, overwhelming the British defences. In the confusion which followed, Geoffrey was reported as missing only to be confirmed later that he had been killed.
He has no known grave, and so is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli. He is also commemorated on the Llandovery College War Memorial.
For his service he was awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
See also: West Wales War Memorial Projcet.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Royal Denbigh No. 1143 E.C. | North Wales |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
11th March 1909 | 22nd April 1909 | 20th May 1909 |
At his initiation and his becoming a Freemason in 1909, he was employed as a Lieutenant of the 1st Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. The final annotation is that he was "Killed in Action (no date of death)."
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley