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Charles Ramsay
Private
Royal Irish Rifles
Victory medal named to “42118 PTE. C.RAMSAY. R.I.RIF.”
Medal index card confirms his battalion: Regimental number 10/42118. Pte, Charles Ramsay served with the 10th (Service) Battalion (East South Belfast).
Victory Medal medal role B/104//319/2924
BWM medal role B/104//319/2924
SWB medal role B or R/941
Charles Ramsay
The 10th Battalion of Royal Irish Rifles was formed by men from Ulster Volunteer Force in September 1914. The main formation and training took place in a new camp at Donard Lodge near Newcastle, Co. Down. The new battalion was attached to the 107th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division. The division's insignia was the Red Hand of Ulster (in Irish: Lámh Dhearg Uladh) (2).
July 1915 battalion was moved to Seaford, Sussex, to complete training before their embarkation to France. The troops travelled by train to Dublin where they boarded a ship bound for Holyhead in Wales (5).
10th Battalion landed in Boulogne in October 1915 (1). At this time, 107th Brigade was short period attached to the 4th Division (5th November 1915 until 3rd February 1916), but moved back to 36th (Ulster) Division (4).
Charles Ramsay enlisted was to service on the 4th of December 1915, as one of the 31 men who start service in colors at this month from Belfast (3). His regimental number was 42118.
One of the biggest battles, what 10th Battalion took part in, was the first day of the Somme Offensive, Battle of Albert (1st – 13th July 1916) in Thiepval Wood area. Their objective, the Grand court Line, was only 600 meters away but many fell in no man's land. Notwithstanding this, they were also hit by friendly fire when the British barrage caught up with them, causing heavy casualties. They were forced to lie in the grass without cover until the barrage moved on, which enabled the Germans time to man the lines at Beaucourt Redoubt and Grand court and open fire on them, causing even more casualties (5).
The whole 36th Division on the 1st of July alone had around 5,550 casualties (with as many as 2,000 dead) (3).
New drafts were added to the Ulster Division to replace the losses incurred on the Somme, and by late July the Division was positioned in Messines in Belgium.
The next large battle, where Private Charles Ramsay’s battalion fiought took place on the 7th June – 14th June 1917 – The Battle of Messines. This battle became famous because of the mining operation, where Royal Engineers laid 22 mines in tunnels under German trenches, which had in total 445 tones of explosive. The evening before the attack, General Plumer remarked to his staff, "Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography." (6).
The 36th Division objective was a line from Lumm Farm to a rail cutting on the Wytschaete-Oosttaverne road, involving the complete 107th and 109th Brigades with the 11th and 12th Royal Irish Rifles from the 108th in support. This battle became decisive British victory.
10th Battalion (South Belfast) Royal Irish Rifles was amalgamated with the 9th Battalion to form 8/9th Battalion on the 29th August 1917. When the Ulster Division reorganized in January and February 1918, several regular battalions joined, and the 8/9th Royal Irish Rifles Battalion were disbanded on the 7th February 1918. Most of the men from 10th Battalion went to newly formed 21st Entrenching Battalion (3).
It is impossible to say when Private Charles Ramsay got wounded and which unit he was in before war ended for him. Silver War Badge role input confirms only that he was discharged due to wounds 14th September 1918.
Source:
(1) The Long, Long Trail – The Royal Irish Rifles 1914-1918
http://www.1914-1918.net/ririfles.htm
(2) 36th (Ulster) Division – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/36th_(Ulster)_Division
(3) Belfast Boys, Richard S.Grayson
How unionists and nationalists fought and died together in the first world war
(4) 36th (Ulster) Division
http://www.warpath.orbat.com/divs/36_div.htm
(5) History of the Royal Irish Rangers
http://www.royalirishrangers.co.uk/read.html
(6) Battle of Messines – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Messines
Charles Ramsay
Private
Royal Irish Rifles
Victory medal named to “42118 PTE. C.RAMSAY. R.I.RIF.”
Medal index card confirms his battalion: Regimental number 10/42118. Pte, Charles Ramsay served with the 10th (Service) Battalion (East South Belfast).
Victory Medal medal role B/104//319/2924
BWM medal role B/104//319/2924
SWB medal role B or R/941
Charles Ramsay
The 10th Battalion of Royal Irish Rifles was formed by men from Ulster Volunteer Force in September 1914. The main formation and training took place in a new camp at Donard Lodge near Newcastle, Co. Down. The new battalion was attached to the 107th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division. The division's insignia was the Red Hand of Ulster (in Irish: Lámh Dhearg Uladh) (2).
July 1915 battalion was moved to Seaford, Sussex, to complete training before their embarkation to France. The troops travelled by train to Dublin where they boarded a ship bound for Holyhead in Wales (5).
10th Battalion landed in Boulogne in October 1915 (1). At this time, 107th Brigade was short period attached to the 4th Division (5th November 1915 until 3rd February 1916), but moved back to 36th (Ulster) Division (4).
Charles Ramsay enlisted was to service on the 4th of December 1915, as one of the 31 men who start service in colors at this month from Belfast (3). His regimental number was 42118.
One of the biggest battles, what 10th Battalion took part in, was the first day of the Somme Offensive, Battle of Albert (1st – 13th July 1916) in Thiepval Wood area. Their objective, the Grand court Line, was only 600 meters away but many fell in no man's land. Notwithstanding this, they were also hit by friendly fire when the British barrage caught up with them, causing heavy casualties. They were forced to lie in the grass without cover until the barrage moved on, which enabled the Germans time to man the lines at Beaucourt Redoubt and Grand court and open fire on them, causing even more casualties (5).
The whole 36th Division on the 1st of July alone had around 5,550 casualties (with as many as 2,000 dead) (3).
New drafts were added to the Ulster Division to replace the losses incurred on the Somme, and by late July the Division was positioned in Messines in Belgium.
The next large battle, where Private Charles Ramsay’s battalion fiought took place on the 7th June – 14th June 1917 – The Battle of Messines. This battle became famous because of the mining operation, where Royal Engineers laid 22 mines in tunnels under German trenches, which had in total 445 tones of explosive. The evening before the attack, General Plumer remarked to his staff, "Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography." (6).
The 36th Division objective was a line from Lumm Farm to a rail cutting on the Wytschaete-Oosttaverne road, involving the complete 107th and 109th Brigades with the 11th and 12th Royal Irish Rifles from the 108th in support. This battle became decisive British victory.
10th Battalion (South Belfast) Royal Irish Rifles was amalgamated with the 9th Battalion to form 8/9th Battalion on the 29th August 1917. When the Ulster Division reorganized in January and February 1918, several regular battalions joined, and the 8/9th Royal Irish Rifles Battalion were disbanded on the 7th February 1918. Most of the men from 10th Battalion went to newly formed 21st Entrenching Battalion (3).
It is impossible to say when Private Charles Ramsay got wounded and which unit he was in before war ended for him. Silver War Badge role input confirms only that he was discharged due to wounds 14th September 1918.
Source:
(1) The Long, Long Trail – The Royal Irish Rifles 1914-1918
http://www.1914-1918.net/ririfles.htm
(2) 36th (Ulster) Division – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/36th_(Ulster)_Division
(3) Belfast Boys, Richard S.Grayson
How unionists and nationalists fought and died together in the first world war
(4) 36th (Ulster) Division
http://www.warpath.orbat.com/divs/36_div.htm
(5) History of the Royal Irish Rangers
http://www.royalirishrangers.co.uk/read.html
(6) Battle of Messines – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Messines