Ronald Forrester Addis (abt. 1896 - 1916)

Ancestors

Died 3 Sep 1916 at about age 20 in Somme, France

Biography

RONALD FORRESTER ADDIS (Addis-228)

PARENTS. David Foulis Addis & Emily (Malcolm) Addis

BIRTH. Abt. 1896, possibly Edinburgh, Scotland

WORLD WAR ONE SERVICE

Second Lieutenant Ronald Forrester Addis

Date of Birth: not yet known – Date of Death: not yet known

British Army, King's Own Scottish Borderers

Undated Military Unit & Rank

British Army, King's Own Scottish Borderers, Second Lieutenant

Lieutenant Ronald Forrester ADDIS. The King's Own Scottish Borderers:

Reference: WO 339/23618

Description: Lieutenant Ronald Forrester ADDIS.

The King's Own Scottish Borderers.

Date: 1914-1920

Held by: The National Archives, Kew

The King's Own Scottish Borderers:

Ronald Forrester Addis.

DEATH. 3 Sep 1916, Battle of the Somme

BURIAL. Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval, Departement de la Somme, Picardie, France

R F Addis

Plot: XXVI. B. 9.

Birth: unknown

Death: Sep. 3, 1916

Note: Captain, King's Own Scottish Borderers. Age: 20.

Ronald Forrester Addis was killed in action during WWI. He was serving with the King's Own Scottish Borderers, as 2nd Lt. and acting Captain of the 1st and 2d battalions, at the Battle of Delville Wood during the Battle of the Somme. He was killed on the last day of fighting at Delville Wood and is buried at the Delville Wood Cemetery, one of the largest cemeteries in the Somme battlefield area. He is also memorialized on his father's tombstone in Edinburgh^[1].

BATTLE OF THE SOMME. ROLL OF HONOUR

Number / Rank / Surname / First Name / Unit / Date of death / Age / Cemetery or Memorial

-- / Cpt / ADDIS / Ronald Forrester / 2nd K.O.S.B. / 3rd September / 20 / Delville Wood Cemetery

Remembered at his father's grave: Dean 1d cemetery, Edinburgh

David Foulis Addis grave monument in Dean 1d cemetery, Edinburgh

David Foulis Addis / 1924 / 75 / 1849 / first name on monument / b. 26/04/1849 at 18, Buckingham Terrace, Edinburgh / d. 26/11/1924

David Malcolm Addis / 1917 / son of David Foulis Addis / b. 10/2/1882 / d. 7/6/1916 / Eldest of 6 children of David Foulis Addis and Emily, nee Malcolm.

Ronald Forrester Addis / 1916 / son of David Foulis Addis / b.1896 d.1917 / 5th child of David Foulis Addis

SCOTTISH CLAYMORE SWORD, CAPTAIN ADDIS, K.O.S.B, KIA

The sword made by Henry Wilkinson 1st February 1915 for a[n] R.F.Addis, Kings Own Scottish Borderers, and listed as a Claymore.

Lt Ronald Forrester Addis, acting Captain 1st & 2nd Bn K.O.S.B, attached to the 3rd Bn 1915, and joined The Machine Gun Corps 1916, took part in the action at Delville-Wood in the Somme and was killed in action 03-09-1916 age 20, buried in Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval Somme France

About Delville Wood Cemetery:

Delville Wood Cemetery is east of the village of Longueval, a village 11 kilometres east of Albert, on the south side of the road from Longueval to Ginchy.

Delville Wood was a tract of woodland, nearly 1 kilometre square, the western edge of which touched the village of Longueval in the department of the Somme. On 14 July 1916 the greater part of Longueval village was taken by the 9th (Scottish) Division and on the 15th the South African Brigade of that Division captured most of Delville Wood. The wood now formed a salient in the line, with Waterlot Farm and Mons Wood on the south flank still in German hands, and, owing to the height of the trees, no close artillery support was possible for defence. The three South African battalions fought continuously for six days and suffered heavy casualties. On 18 July they were forced back and on the evening of the 20th the survivors, a mere handful of men, were relieved. On 27 July, the 2nd Division retook the wood and held it until 4 August when the 17th Division took it over. On 18 and 25 August it was finally cleared of all German resistance by the 14th (Light) Division. The wood was then held until the end of April 1918 when it was lost during the German advance, but was retaken by the 38th (Welsh) Division on the following 28 August.

Delville Wood Cemetery was made after the Armistice, when graves were brought in from a few small cemeteries and isolated sites and from the battlefields. Almost all of the burials date from July, August and September 1916. There are now 5523 burials and commemorations of the First World War in this cemetery. 3593 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 27 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of three soldiers buried in Courcelette Communal Cemetery German Extension, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker

Sources

1. ↑ Research by Anne Field Healey, annefield.net, www.annefield.net : 1 Dec 2019

• World War One Service: https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/197513

• Lieutenant Ronald Forrester ADDIS. The King's Own Scottish Borderers: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1077533?descriptiontype=Full&ref=WO+339/23618

• The King's Own Scottish Borderers. THE LONDON GAZETTE, 15 DECEMBER, 1914. p10696: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29007/page/10696/data.pdf

• Burial: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Addis&GSiman=1&GScid=639106&GRid=56584438&

• Battle of the Somme: Roll of Honour: http://somme-roll-of-honour.com/Alphabet/ac.htm

• Remembered at his father's grave: http://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/gravedetails.php?grave=70903&scrwidth=1466

• Scottish Claymore Sword: http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/scottish-claymore-sword-captain-addis-155240123

• About Delville Wood Cemetery: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=639106