Pathfinder, 'Kriegie' and Gumboot Governor
The Adventurous Life of Sir James Rowland AC, KBE, DFC, AFC
Sir James Rowland ; Dr Peter Yule
- A
- descendant
- of
- early
- pioneers
- of
- New
- South
- Wales,
- James
- Rowland
- combined
- a
- thirst
- for
- adventure
- with
- a
- strong
- sense
- of
- duty.
- Aged
- just
- 22,
- he
- became
- a
- Lancaster
- pilot
- in
- the
- elite
- Pathfinder
- force,
- flying
- 34
- missions
- over
- occupied
- Europe
- and
- being
- awarded
- the
- Distinguished
- Flying
- Cross.
- In
- January
- 1945,
- he
- was
- the
- only
- survivor
- of
- a
- collision
- with
- a
- Canadian
- aircraft
- over
- Germany.
- After
- narrowly
- escaping
- being
- shot
- as
- a
- spy,
- he
- spent
- the
- rest
- of
- the
- war
- as
- a
- POW.Returning
- to
- the
- RAAF
- in
- 1947,
- Rowland
- was
- a
- test
- pilot
- during
- the
- early
- years
- of
- the
- supersonic
- era,
- and
- played
- a
- leading
- role
- in
- the
- Mirage
- procurement.
- His
- leadership
- qualities
- and
- technical
- expertise
- saw
- him
- become
- head
- of
- RAAF
- engineering
- in
- 1972,
- and,
- in
- a
- controversial
- appointment,
- Chief
- of
- the
- Air
- Staff
- in
- 1975,
- the
- first
- and
- still
- the
- only
- engineer
- to
- head
- the
- RAAF.In
- 1981,
- Rowland
- was
- appointed
- Governor
- of
- New
- South
- Wales,
- a
- position
- he
- held
- with
- distinction
- for
- eight
- years.
- A
- brilliant
- pilot
- and
- aeronautical
- engineer,
- who
- combined
- a
- strong
- commitment
- to
- duty
- with
- a
- great
- sense
- of
- fun,
- Rowland
- has
- a
- well-earned
- place
- among
- the
- great
- leaders
- of
- the RAAF.
