Private, 1814, Ronald Cameron (23) -Killed in Action

5th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders,  31 July 1916

Gordon Highlanders Tartan.

Synopsis of Life and Military Service

Ronald Cameron was born on 2nd September 1892 at Lossiemouth, Moray, to his parents Alexander Cameron and Alexandrina Mcqueen. His father’s family worked as agricultural labourers and latterly for the railways across the north east of Scotland, at Lossiemouth, Rothes, and Monymusk. Ronald enlisted at Fraserburgh on 4th August 1914 when he was working as a sawyer at Monymusk. He was allocated to the 5th Gordon Highlanders and given the service number 1814. Following training he moved with his unit to France / Belgium on the 2 May 1915. He served in France with the 51st Division as noted by the Morayshire Roll of Honour, and was killed in action at High Wood, The Somme, France on either the 30th or 31st July 1916 when the Division, which included the 6th and 7th Black Watch and the 5th and 7th Gordon Highlander attacked well defended German positions. This was known as the Second Attack on High Wood. The Division suffered heavy losses throughout and were forced to retire.

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME, JULY-NOVEMBER 1916 (Q 4369) An ammunition wagon drawn by a 10 horse team gets into difficulties in the mud. Track leading to High Wood. October 1916. Copyright: © IWM.

His body was either never found or remains unidentified and as a result, he is honoured and remembered on the memorial to the missing of the Somme on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.

His mother Alexandra or Alexandrina was the sole ligate to his belongings and pension.

War Diary – 5th Gordon Highlanders

30th July 1916

Attached to Appendix 14 War Diary July

From O.C. 5th Gordon Hrs 2/8/16

Report on Operations 30th July 1916

Prior to the assault the Battalion was formed up on what was practically three lines. Two Companies, B and D. and Battalion Headquarters occupying the small trench on S.W. side of the road; the two assaulting companies A and C. were formed up in two lines. Two platoons from each Company occupied sap heads from main trench, and the remainder in the main trench ready to push forward on the commencement of the assault.

During the bombardment the Battalion suffered very heavy losses from shell fire, no less than 40 casualties occurring in one company before the assault began. During the latter phase of the artillery bombardment the leading platoons crept out and pushed up as close as possible under cover of our barrage the remaining platoons occupying the sap heads thus vacated.

At 6.10p,m. the whole of the two leading companies advanced. As they approached the German trenches they not only found that very slight damage had been done but that the trench was fully manned with Germans whose morale did not in the least seem to have been shaken. For example, a German officer stood up waving a hand grenade in the air shouted jeering remarks.

In spite of heavy machine gun fire which now opened on our men a gallant effort was made to reach the German trench, and it is believed that some did actually get in as the wire was not continuous. C. Company on the left gallantly led by Captain Lyon who, although wounded, continued to lead his Company forward till held up by wire entanglements, which appeared to have been quite recently much strengthened. He was killed actually on the entanglement. The survivors of the assault finding further advance was impossible, took cover in shell holes from which position they were unable to move till dark.

The second wave consisting of B and D Companies, who had now occupied the main trench immediately had two platoons each sapping forward either to communicate with German trench if gained, or to dig a forward trench if the attack proved unsuccessful. They worked with such vigour that they were actually about 250 yards from the road before it was conclusively ascertained that the attack had been held up.

I then stopped the work and ordered them to work later::ally (sic) and shortly after nightfall an entrenching platoon of the Royal Scots arrived and continued the work. I informed the Battalions on right and left what I was doing in the hope that a continuous trench might be dug along the front.

The casualties during the attack, which have already been reported to you, consist of 3 officers killed, 8 wounded and 212 other ranks.

I have already reported the behaviour of the R.A.M.C. stretcher bearers attached for the evacuation of the wounded; the fact that they did not return after their first journey left us very short of stretchers and stretcher bearers and many untrained men had to be utilised, men whose services might have been used elsewhere. It was owing to this fact that it was 10 hours before they could be evacuated and the difficulty of obtaining water made it specially hard on the wounded.

The enemy made no effort at counter attack during the night but merely put up barrages behind our trenches so as to prevent us from bringing up supports.

M McTaggart Lieut. Colonel,

Commanding Officer 1/5th Battalion, Gordon Highrs.

The Aberdeen Press and Journal

The following is an extract of the above newspaper dated 9 August 1916.

LANCE-CORPORAL R. CAMERON, ROTHES

Mr. Cameron, station agent, Rothes has received notice that his son, Lance-Corporal, Ronald Cameron, Gordon Highlanders, was killed in action on July 30. Lance-Corporal Cameron was 23 years of age, was called up on the outbreak of war. Previous to the war he was employed in a sawmill in Fraserburgh. His brother, William, was killed in action about five months ago, whilst another brother, Alister, has been a prisoner of war for a considerable time in Germany.

The Courant

Extract from the above publication dated 18 August 1916 :-

Acting LCpl Ronald Cameron

”oldest and dearly loved son of Mr & Mrs Cameron, stationmaster, Warleigh, Rothes.”

Family

Ronald Cameron was born 2nd Sep 1892 at Lossiemouth, Moray. The following family information is taken from the 1901 and 1911 Censuses, Register of Soldiers Effects, Morayshire Roll of Honour, and Ancestry family tree.

His family is shown as follows :-

  • Father: Alexander Cameron, born 28 Jan 1867 at Cromdale, Moray- Station master and goods clerk. On the 1911 census he is recorded as Station Master at Monymusk in Aberdeenshire. Died 29 September 1959 at 83 Balnagask Rd, Aberdeen. (92)
  • Mother: Alexandrina Mcqueen or Cameron, born 4 Jan 1868 at Lossiemouth, Moray – Nurse and Railwayman’s Wife. Died 13 Sep 1953 at 83 Balnagask Rd, Aberdeen. (85)
  • Sister: Annie Macadam, born c.1893 at Lossiemouth, Moray. Died 15 Oct 1918 at Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire, of influenza and pneumonia. (25)
  • Brother: Alastair Wilson, (1678), born 18 Sep 1894 at Lossiemouth, died 23 Dec 1918 at Lichenhorst, Germany.
  • Brother: William Robert, (4144), born 8 Mar 1896 at Lossiemouth, died 3 Mar 1916 at St Eloi, nr Ypres.
  • Brother: Thomas Brander, born 23 Dec 1897 at 58 High St, Lossiemouth, Moray.
  • Brother: Francis, born 2 May 1900 at 58 High St, Lossiemouth, Moray. Died 24 May 1973 at Brunswick, Melbourne, Australia. (73)
  • Sister: Margaret Wilson, born 14 Jul 1901 at 58 High St, Lossiemouth, Moray. Died 11 Mar 1996 at Inchmarlo Nursing Home, Banchory-Devenick, Kincardineshire. (94)
  • Brother: John, born 1903 at Lossiemouth, Moray. Died 13 Jan 1984 at 83 Balnagask Road, Aberdeen. (81)
  • Sister: Nina Mcqueen, born 2 Jul 1905 at Lossiemouth, Moray. Died 14 Feb 1986 at Malvern, Worcestershire. (80)
  • Brother: Alan, born 21 Jan 1909 at Monymusk, Aberdeenshire. Died 12 Oct 1997 at Stracathro Hospital, Brechin. (88)

Addresses

The following address has been ascertained for Ronald Cameron :-

  • 1901: 58 High St, Lossiemouth, Moray.
  • 1916: Warleigh, 1 Spey Street, Rothes, Moray.

Medals

Ronald Cameron was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the  Victory , and the  British War Medal  for his service in the Great War.

Memorials

Ronald Cameron is honoured and remembered on the following memorials :-

Remarks

The Morayshire Roll of Honour and newspaper article states that his rank at the time of his death was acting Lance-Corporal. This is the only reference currently to this rank with the official documentation marking his rank as a Private.

The date of death is shown as being the 31st July 1916 but it is likely it happened sometime between the 30th and the 31st during the attack on the German front line.

Links to Additional Information

References

  • 1901 Census.
  • Morayshire Roll of Honour (Ancestry)
  • Soldiers Died in the Great War (Ancestry).
  • Register of Soldiers Effects (Ancestry).
  • National War Memorial Index (Ancestry).
  • Pension Cards.
  • Medal Index Card.
  • Medal Roll for Victory and British War Medals: Gordon Highlanders (Ancestry).
  • Medal Roll for 1914-15 Star: Gordon Highlanders (Ancestry).
  • Births, Marriages and Deaths, Scotlands People.
  • The Courant Newspaper dated 18 August 1916.
  • Aberdeen Press and Journal dated 9 August 1916, page 3.

Groups

Contributors:-

  • Elaine Muir.