 Rowell, as Chief of the General Staff, was Army's chief mourner at Blamey's funeral in 1951, also serving as one of the pallbearers along with Frank Berryman, William Bridgeford, Edmund Herring, Iven Mackay, Leslie Morshead, John Northcott, Stanley Savige, Vernon Sturdee, and Henry Wells.For his services as Chief of the General Staff, Rowell was created a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 1953.Rowell retired from the Army on 15 December 1954, following a ceremony at Duntroon, where his career had begun over 43 years before.