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Corporal Rowland Francis Mulholland
Description
TitleCorporal Rowland Francis MulhollandAlternative NameName spelt Rowland or RolandSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionRowland was born at Darfield on 29 May 1889, second son of Daniel and Frances Mulholland, Darfield. He was educated at Darfield School and after leaving school was farming for himself at Darfield and Hororata. He was 5ft 8in tall with a dark complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He also had a scar on his left thumb.
Rowland enlisted at Featherston on 22nd August 1916 and was assigned to New Zealand Rifle Brigade Reinforcements, G Company. He embarked from Wellington on 30th December 1916 on board the Athenic and arrived in Devonport and marched into Sling camp on 3rd March 1917. A month later he marched out to Codford on 3rd April and was taken on the strength of 3rd Battalion Auckland Regiment on 15th April. He left with them for France on 28th May and on 1st January 1918 was appointed Lance Corporal. Two weeks later he was detached to the School of Instruction, re-joining the battalion on 1st February. He was then sent on ten days leave to Paris returning on 13th February. Upon his return he was attached to the XXII CRC on 8th February. In January 1918, II Anzac Corps had been renamed XXII Corps to reflect the changing composition of the force. Then he was posted to D Company of the 1st Battalion, 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade in the field on 23rd February. The following month he was once again granted leave this time to England from 13 March to 4th April. Three months later on 10th July he was promoted to corporal. He was killed in action on 30th August during the fighting in the Bancourt part of the battle to gain control of the Bapaume area. The 1st Battalion came under heavy rifle and machinegun fire, suffering many casualties. He was buried in Bancourt British Cemetery along with David McGill. In New Zealand Rowland is remembered on the Malvern County War Memorial.
Bancourt was occupied by Commonwealth forces in March 1917. It was lost a year later during the German offensive in the spring of 1918, but recaptured by the New Zealand Division (in particular, the 2nd Auckland Battalion) on 30 August 1918. The cemetery was begun by the New Zealand Division in September 1918; the original cemetery is now Plot I, Rows A and B. The remainder of the cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields east and south of Bancourt and from certain Allied and German cemeteries, including:- Bapaume Reservior German Cemetery, on the Bapaume Beaulencourt road, containing the graves of twelve soldiers from the United Kingdom buried by a German Field Ambulance in March and April, 1918, and of seven others and three from New Zealand who fell at the end of August, 1918. Bapaume Road Cemetery, Beaulencourt, 500 metres South of the Beaulencourt-Gueudecourt road, containing the graves of 20 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in October, 1916. Bealencourt Road Cemeteries, three in number, on the North-East side of Gueudecourt, containing the graves of 88 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in the autumn of 1916 or in April, 1917. Cloudy Trench Cemetery, Gueudecourt, containing the graves of 40 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in October or November, 1916. The five cemeteries last named were made by the 5th Australian Division in April, 1917. Fremicourt Communal Cemetery Extension. This Extension was begun by the Germans, who buried in it 1,346 of their own soldiers and 136 officers and men from the United Kingdom who fell in March, 1918. It was taken over in September, 1918, by British and Dominion units, who used it for clearing the battlefields and for fresh burials, and added 94 graves. All the graves have now been removed to other cemeteries. Sunken Road Cemetery, Lesboeufs, between Gueudecourt and Le Transloy, made by the 5th Australian Division in April, 1917. It contained the graves of 49 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Australia who fell in October, 1916. The great majority of these graves dated from the winter of 1916-1917, the retreat of March 1918, or the advance of August-September 1918. Bancourt British Cemetery now contains 2,480 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,462 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 43 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to one soldier buried in Bapaume Reservoir German Cemetery, whose grave could not be found on concentration. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.First NameRowland FrancisLast NameMulhollandFamilySingleSecond son of Daniel and Frances Mulholland, DarfieldDate of Birth29 May 1889Place of BirthDarfieldDate of Death30 August 1918Place of DeathFranceCause of DeathKilled in action
Rowland enlisted at Featherston on 22nd August 1916 and was assigned to New Zealand Rifle Brigade Reinforcements, G Company. He embarked from Wellington on 30th December 1916 on board the Athenic and arrived in Devonport and marched into Sling camp on 3rd March 1917. A month later he marched out to Codford on 3rd April and was taken on the strength of 3rd Battalion Auckland Regiment on 15th April. He left with them for France on 28th May and on 1st January 1918 was appointed Lance Corporal. Two weeks later he was detached to the School of Instruction, re-joining the battalion on 1st February. He was then sent on ten days leave to Paris returning on 13th February. Upon his return he was attached to the XXII CRC on 8th February. In January 1918, II Anzac Corps had been renamed XXII Corps to reflect the changing composition of the force. Then he was posted to D Company of the 1st Battalion, 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade in the field on 23rd February. The following month he was once again granted leave this time to England from 13 March to 4th April. Three months later on 10th July he was promoted to corporal. He was killed in action on 30th August during the fighting in the Bancourt part of the battle to gain control of the Bapaume area. The 1st Battalion came under heavy rifle and machinegun fire, suffering many casualties. He was buried in Bancourt British Cemetery along with David McGill. In New Zealand Rowland is remembered on the Malvern County War Memorial.
Bancourt was occupied by Commonwealth forces in March 1917. It was lost a year later during the German offensive in the spring of 1918, but recaptured by the New Zealand Division (in particular, the 2nd Auckland Battalion) on 30 August 1918. The cemetery was begun by the New Zealand Division in September 1918; the original cemetery is now Plot I, Rows A and B. The remainder of the cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields east and south of Bancourt and from certain Allied and German cemeteries, including:- Bapaume Reservior German Cemetery, on the Bapaume Beaulencourt road, containing the graves of twelve soldiers from the United Kingdom buried by a German Field Ambulance in March and April, 1918, and of seven others and three from New Zealand who fell at the end of August, 1918. Bapaume Road Cemetery, Beaulencourt, 500 metres South of the Beaulencourt-Gueudecourt road, containing the graves of 20 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in October, 1916. Bealencourt Road Cemeteries, three in number, on the North-East side of Gueudecourt, containing the graves of 88 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in the autumn of 1916 or in April, 1917. Cloudy Trench Cemetery, Gueudecourt, containing the graves of 40 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in October or November, 1916. The five cemeteries last named were made by the 5th Australian Division in April, 1917. Fremicourt Communal Cemetery Extension. This Extension was begun by the Germans, who buried in it 1,346 of their own soldiers and 136 officers and men from the United Kingdom who fell in March, 1918. It was taken over in September, 1918, by British and Dominion units, who used it for clearing the battlefields and for fresh burials, and added 94 graves. All the graves have now been removed to other cemeteries. Sunken Road Cemetery, Lesboeufs, between Gueudecourt and Le Transloy, made by the 5th Australian Division in April, 1917. It contained the graves of 49 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Australia who fell in October, 1916. The great majority of these graves dated from the winter of 1916-1917, the retreat of March 1918, or the advance of August-September 1918. Bancourt British Cemetery now contains 2,480 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,462 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 43 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to one soldier buried in Bapaume Reservoir German Cemetery, whose grave could not be found on concentration. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.First NameRowland FrancisLast NameMulhollandFamilySingleSecond son of Daniel and Frances Mulholland, DarfieldDate of Birth29 May 1889Place of BirthDarfieldDate of Death30 August 1918Place of DeathFranceCause of DeathKilled in action
Connections
CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OnePersonDaniel MulhollandSergeant Arthur Henry MulhollandImageMalvern War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph
Military Service
Memorial or CemeteryMalvern County War MemorialBancourt British CemeteryOccupation before EnlistingFarmerRegiment or ServiceNew Zealand Rifle BrigadeEnlistment Details22nd August 1916 at Featherston Service Number30968Embarkation30th December 1916Place of EmbarkationWellingtonTransportAthenic
Attribution
Researched ByL. M. Seaton
Corporal Rowland Francis Mulholland. Selwyn Stories, accessed 08/12/2025, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/270
