Ernest John Rowe was born to John William and Mary Rowe on September 1st, 1883 in England. After immigrating to Canada, Ernest fell in love and married a woman named Emma from London, Ontario. They lived together in Galt (Cambridge) while Ernest worked as a machinist and was a member of the 29th Waterloo Regiment militia.
Upon the declaration of war in August 1914, Ernest as a member of the militia joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force where he was quickly promoted up the ranks to Sergeant. Ernest fought in No. 2 Company of the 1st Battalion in Belgium. Ernest was killed in action on April 22nd, 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres. While it is not known for sure how Ernest died, April 22nd, 1915 was the day on which the Germans first employed the use of chlorine gas as form of chemical warfare, and it is possible Ernest was one of its casualties. Sergeant Ernest John Rowe is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium.
Service number: 7001
“Canadian Virtual War Memorial: Ernest John Rowe,” Veterans Affairs Canada, accessed March 21, 2015, memorial/detail/1595729?Ernest%20John%20Rowe
