1902 Born Slough.
1911 census at 2 Nashes Coattages, Slough
1920 Feb 2, Enlisted aged 18. He was a Carter
1922 May 13. Gunner J Rolfe was shot dead in Dublin when he and another Gunner, Alfred Porter, both of Marlborough Barracks, were walking along Bachelor’s Walk Dublin when two civilians, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, one brandishing a Webley revolver, ordered the two soldiers to put their hands up. The two civilians requested Gunner Porter to remove his bandolier, Gunner Rolfe requested a receipt for the bandolier explaining that the two soldiers would get into trouble when they returned to Barracks without it. After making the request for the receipt one of the assailants said “what did you say” and not waiting for a reply fired at Gunner Rolfe. Both soldiers were unarmed when the incident happened. First aid was rendered to Rolfe at the scene by a member of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and a Free State Army officer.
The jury in his inquest in Jervis Street Hospital Dublin refused to return a verdict of wilful murder as the coroner had suggested, instead returning a verdict of death from shock and haemorrhage as a result of wounds inflicted by a person or persons unknown.