Lieutenant John Leslie ROWBOTHAM (261480)
Royal Artillery attached to 2nd Battery, 24th Mountain Regiment, Indian Artillery

Date of birth: 23rd September 1921
Date of death: 13th January 1944

Killed in action aged 22
Buried at Taukkyan War Cemetery Plot 4 Row A Grave 23
He was born at Wimbledon on the 23rd of September 1921 the son of George Leonard Rowbotham, purchasing manager, and Elizabeth (nee Roberts) of 43, Home Park Road, Wimbledon.

He was educated at the Choir School, All Saints, Margaret Street, London and at the King’s School Canterbury from September 1936 to July 1941 where he was in Meister Omers. He achieved his School Certificate in 1938. He was appointed as a school monitor in 1940, played in the Rugby XV in 1940/41, was Captain of PT from September 1940 until 1941, was editor of the Canturian and was Company Sergeant Major in the Officer Training Corps. He was awarded his 2nd Athletics and 2nd XI Cricket colours in 1941. He went into the army and sent his Officer Cadet Training Unit certificate to the King's headmaster for signature when only four days into his training.

He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on the 13th of December 1942 and was posted to 2 Battery, 24th Mountain Regiment , Indian Artillery in Burma. On the 5th of January 1944 the unit was placed under the command of 161st Brigade and went into action with them that afternoon.

On the 13th of January 1944 he was acting as Forward Observation Officer in what was his first action. 2 Battery, 24th Mountain Regiment was firing in support of the 4th Battalion Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), where he directed his battery’s guns with great effect throughout the morning. At about 2.50pm he was shot and killed by a sniper.

He was buried in a service which was led by the Reverend P.B. Randolph, Chaplain to the 4th Battalion Royal West Kents, and was attended by the Commanding Officer of the 24th Mountain Regiment. A small white cross was later erected over the grave by the regiment.

His Commanding Officer wrote:-

"He was killed in his first action, whilst in charge of an observation post with the foremost infantry. He had just brought the guns of his battery to bear with great effect, and was on the point of doing so again when he was shot in the head by a sniper as he was changing his position. We can ill afford to lose such a grand lad whom we and his men loved and will sadly miss."

Meister Omers

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