52 Charles Street

Private James Rowley

Jim Rowley was born in 1924 and lived all his life in Paris. His parents were Ernie and Charlotte Rowley. Jim had four sisters and a younger brother Bill and they grew up on Patterson Street. The family attended St. James Anglican Church where Jim was a choirboy. He delivered newspapers. Jim met Marion Girard while ice skating, an activity they enjoyed together into their 70s. They got married in April 1943 before Jim enlisted with the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) in May, 1943 when he was 18 years old. He had lied about his age. He spent some time training at Camp Borden before shipping out to England, and then on to serve in Italy.

Canadian troops, including the Princess Pats, played a significant role in the Italian Campaign, participating in the initial landings in Sicily and then the mainland campaign. The Germans heavily fortified the Italian terrain, including river valleys, which made the Allied advance challenging and costly. The Italian campaign resulted in substantial Canadian casualties, with over 25,000 soldiers wounded or killed, including more than 5,900 fatalities. 

In December 1943, the PPCLI was fighting in Italy as part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. They were heavily engaged in operations around the Villa Rogatti and the Gully, the name given to a fierce battle which was fought along the Moro River. It was a key objective before the assault on the town of Ortona and was one of the costliest engagements for Canadian forces in Italy. The regiment had previously landed in Sicily in July 1943 and then advanced into mainland Italy in September 1943, a campaign that was slowed by demolished bridges and German rear guards.

On December 12, 1943, Jim’s unit was attacked by the German forces and he was injured. He was removed to Malta to recover then sent back into service. On June 24, 1944, he was reported missing in action. By August 12, he was a Prisoner of War in Stalag 7A, the largest World War II Nazi POW camp, located north of Moosburg, Bavaria, about 35 kilometers northeast of Munich. He was released at the end of the war and in May, 1945 he was in the United Kingdom recouping in hospital before he was sent home to Paris.

While Jim was serving in Italy, Marion worked at Cockshutt in Brantford making airplane wings and in her spare time she sold war bonds. On his return to Paris, Jim worked for a time at Penman’s factory, then at Wabco. They worked hard to afford the house at 22 Charles Street where Jim lived from 1950 until his death. They adopted two daughters, Susan and Nancy. Jim rose through the ranks at Wabco to lead hand, then foreman, then plant manager. Even after he retired, he went back to work as a consultant.

Jim and Marion played golf and belonged to the Couples Club at St James. They travelled across Canada and frequently to Myrtle Beach. Jim was a longtime member of Paris Legion Branch 29 and the Paris Optimist Club. He served as a Town Councillor and County Councillor. Jim struggled with cancer over his last 10 years but passed away in November 1997. Marion passed away a year and a half later, as her daughter said, “from cancer and a broken heart.”