William H. Rowlands

Normandy Medal
1939-1945 Star
Africa Star
Italy Star
France and Germany Star
1939-1945 War Medal
British Army Defence Medal

On D-Day 6 June 1944, the 6th, 8th and 9th Battalions DLI – the same three battalions that had landed in Sicily – waded ashore on Gold Beach as part of the Allied invasion of Normandy as part of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division.

William was a member of the 9th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry and attained the rank of Sergeant in 1945 receiving his pay for this on March 8th. His diary only accounts for 1945 and the push village by village to Berlin, where he took part in the allied parade on Friday August 3rd. He served under Montgomery and was a Desert Rat so down through Africa then over to Scilly and Italy, and then advanced back to Germany. He landed on Gold Beach for D Day, believed not to be in the first waves.

He was a wonderful Husband to Annie (Nance) Parsons, and a loving father to Julia Francis Nee Rowlands and Lynne Searle nee Rowlands. 

William is shown on the back row, 5th in from the right on the group photo.