Bio / Text:
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Harold Rowland Rowlands was the son of a Welsh coal miner. The family moved to Australia in 1925. Harold joined the RAAF in 1940 while his brother, Arthur, joined the Army.
Harold left Australia to complete his training in Africa and joined his first squadron in August 1941 before quickly transferring to 451 Squadron where he stayed for 2 years. While with 451 he flew mostly Hurricanes. Following a conversion course to Spitfires in March 1943 he flew the special high flying Spitfires operated by the station flight at Aboukir while still flying operations for 451.
On 2 July 1943 he shared in the destruction of a Ju 86 with Harold Victor Freckelton and two Hurricane pilots of 80 Squadron, one of only two confirmed kills of this type of reconnaissance aircraft.
In September he joined 213 Squadron as a flight commander. Following completion of his tour of operations in March 1944 he joined the Aboukir Station Flight as a test pilot. A week later on 25 March 1944 he was killed in a flying accident in one of 213’s Spitfires.
A month after his death the award of a posthumous DFC was announced.
