The beach team at St Cast

The British expedition combined Anson's covering force with Howe's landing fleet and a large army contingent. Howe's command included warships and bomb vessels, roughly one hundred transports, plus tenders, store ships, and cutters carrying thousands of sailors, marines, merchant seamen, and soldiers. Rowley was detached from Anson to help Howe as a senior captain and worked ashore organizing troops, marines, loads, and boats - the equivalent of a modern beach team. Wounded and captured with three other captains during the failed withdrawal, he was exchanged within months. The scale of the force shows why detailed organization and interservice coordination were as important to the operation as front-line leadership.