Part 166

=ROSE, RONALD HUGH WALROND=, Capt., 1st. Battn. The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), yst. _s._ of the late Frederick William Rose, of Kensington, and grandson of Major Hugh Monro St. Vincent Rose, of Tarlogie, co. Ross, 12th Lancers; _b._ London, 11 July, 1880; educ. Scott’s Preparatory School, Kensington, and St. Paul’s; gazetted 2nd Lieut., Royal Warwickshire Regt. from the Militia, 4 Jan. 1899; and promoted Lieut., 17 March, 1900, and Capt. 4 May, 1905, transferring to the Scottish Rifles, 20 May, 1900; was Adjutant of Volunteers, 10 Oct. 1906, to 31 March, 1908, and Adjutant Territorial Force, 1 April, 1908, to Jan. 1910; joined his regt. at Bloemfontein in 1910, and nine months later was made Commandant of the South African School of Signalling at Pretoria; returned to Scotland in 1912, and was stationed at Glasgow when war broke out in Aug. 1914; went to France with the Expeditionary Force the same month; took part in the Retreat from Mons, the Battles of the Marne and the Aisne; was wounded in the ankle during the German rush for Calais, when he was in command of a covering party to the regt., but went on leading his men until he was killed at Fromelles in the same action, 22 Oct. 1914. He was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French’s Despatch of 14 Jan. 1915. He _m._ at Eastham, 29 March, 1910, Hetty (The Paddock, Heston, Cheshire), yst. dau. of the late George Fletcher, of Liverpool, and had two children: Audrey, _b._ 13 April, 1912; and Jean Diana, _b._ 1 May, 1914.

=ROSE, THOMAS=, Private, No 1466, 1/4th Battn. The Royal Scots (T.F.), elder _s._ of Lewis Rose, Caretaker, Edinburgh Public Library, by his wife, Hughina, dau. of John McIntosh, Farmer, Tonque; _b._ Edinburgh, 20 July, 1896; educ. Broughton Public School (Junior and Higher Grade), Edinburgh; was an apprenticed clerk in the North British and Mercantile Insurance Co., 64, Princes Street, Edinburgh; joined the 4th Royal Scots (T.F.) in March, 1913; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914; went to the Dardanelles, 13 June, 1915, and was killed in action there, 13 July following. His Sergt. wrote: “I always found him a good soldier and a willing and consistent worker. He never shirked anything either while we were at home or since we have been out here, and we all feel deeply the loss of one of our most steady, reliable, and hard-working comrades.” The Manager of his firm writing, said: “He was a boy of promise, and would probably have had a successful career here.”

=ROSE, TOM ALFRED=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 1751), 200364. H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=ROSEVEARE, HAROLD WILLIAM=, 2nd Lieut., 1st Battn. The Wiltshire Regt., eldest _s._ of the Rev. Richard Polgreen Roseveare, Rector of St. Paul’s, Deptford, and Rural Dean of Greenwich, by his wife, Mary Isabel, dau. of Thomas Martin Skinner, of Monmouth. J.P.; _b._ Monmouth, 18 March, 1895; educ. Little Appley School, Ryde (1902–8), Marlborough College (Scholar, 1908–July 1914), and had won a classical scholarship at St. John’s College, Cambridge, where he was to have gone into residence in Oct. 1914. He had received a commission as 2nd Lieut., in the Wiltshire Regt. (Special Reserve), 18 April, 1914; and on the outbreak of war joined his regt. direct from his O.T.C. annual training camp, 4 Aug. 1914; went to France with the Expeditionary Force on the 13th, and died 20 Sept, following, of wounds received in action at the Battle of the Aisne the same day, while leading a section of his men to locate and take a machine gun. Buried at Vailly. While at Marlborough he was senior prefect, a member of the Rugby football fifteen, and Cadet Captain of the O.T.C.

=ROSIER, FREDERICK=, Sergt., No. 9623, 7th (Service) Battn. The Suffolk Regt., eldest _s._ of Brad Rosier, of Walsham-le-Willows, by his wife, Rebecca, dau. of Frederick Price; _b._ Pakenham, co. Suffolk, 5 June, 1875; educ. Rickinghall village school; enlisted in the 2nd Northamptonshire Regt., 15 March, 1894; served in the South African War, 1899–1902; receiving the Queen’s medal with four clasps (“Belmont,” “Modder River,” “Orange Free State,” “Transvaal”), and King’s medal with two clasps (South Africa, “1901,” “1902”); took his discharge, 14 March, 1903, and then joined the Reserve for six years. After the outbreak of war he re-enlisted in the 7th Suffolks, 7 Sept. 1914, with his former rank of Sergt., and after acting as Drill Sergt. for some time at Shorncliffe, went to France, 30 May, 1915, and died in the Stationary Hospital, Boulogne, 25 July, 1915, of wounds received in action. Buried in Boulogne Cemetery (Grave No. 2582). His commanding officer wrote: “He was not only a very efficient sergt., but also a good keen man on whom I knew I could always rely to carry out the most dangerous of our duties. His pluck when in pain from his wound was magnificent.” He was for ten years a bellringer at St. Mary’s Church, Walsham-le-Willows, and was also secretary of the local branch of his Trade Union. Sergt. Rosier _m._ at Walsham-le-Willows, 13 Dec. 1902, Ellen (Walsham-le-Willows, Bury St. Edmunds), yst. dau. of the late William Knott, of Stanton, and had three children: Frederick Arthur William, _b._ 26 July, 1903; Winifred Dorothy, _b._ 22 May, 1906, and Florence Lucy, _b._ 23 Aug. 1908.

=ROSS, ARCHIBALD SEYMOUR=, 2nd Lieut., 1st Battn. Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, 3rd and yst. _s._ of the late Edward Charles Russell Ross, Barrister (first winner of the Queen’s prize at Wimbledon), by his wife, Margaret Seymour (Callands, North Berwick), yst. dau. of Capt. John Osborne, of 67, Eton Place, S.W., 6th Inniskilling Dragoons; and gdson. of Horatio Ross, of Rossie Castle, Montrose; _b._ The Rounds, Wimbledon Common, co. Surrey, 26 Nov. 1889; educ. Ardoreck, Crieff; and Glen Almond, Perth; joined the 3rd Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, 18 Aug. 1914, and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. 26 Aug. 1914, afterwards being transferred to the 1st Battn. and joined them at the front, 11 Feb. 1915; was reported missing after the action at Richebourg L’Avoué, 9 May, 1915, and was later ascertained to have been killed that day while leading his men in a charge; _unm._ His Commanding Officer wrote: “I cannot speak too highly of Ross. He was brave to the extreme, and liked by all ranks. I shall never forget his splendid coolness under very heavy shell fire on Neuve Chapelle day, 10 March, 1915, an example, not only to the men, but to myself as well”; and another: “if he died, he died splendidly. I have never met anyone who I admired more. His character was great and noble, his personality charming, his mind pure and simple. As he ran forward to that fatal charge, he shook hands with a brother officer, left in reserve, saying ‘Good-bye--if I don’t come through, anyway, it’s a glorious death to die.’” 2nd Lieut. Ross was a good all-round sportsman and expert with rod, rifle and gun, and a keen yachtsman.

=ROSS, CECIL JOHN=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., Ch. B. 7241). S.S. 102193, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=ROSS, COLIN JOHN=, Ch. E.R.A., 2nd Class, 270035, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=ROSS, GEORGE ALEXANDER SINCLAIR=, M.A., Capt., 1/4th Battn. The Royal Scots (T.F.), elder _s._ of the late William Sinclair Ross, of Marchmont Road. Edinburgh, by his wife, Isabella, dau. of James Nilson; _b._ Edinburgh, 8 March, 1870; educ. Edinburgh University, where he graduated M.A. in 1894, and became a teacher of mathematics in Broughton Higher Grade School, Edinburgh; joined the 6th Royal Scots (T.F.) in 1902, as Lieut. in the College Coy. (recruited from students attending the Training Colleges of the Scottish Churches studying in Edinburgh); promoted Capt. 22 March, 1908; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914, and was transferred to the 4th Battn. with the bulk of his Company, 19 Nov. following; went to the Dardanelles, and was killed in action there, 28 June, 1915, leading his Coy. in a charge on the enemy’s trenches; _unm._ He was a keen golfer, being well known on several of the golf courses near Edinburgh.

=ROSS, JAMES JOHN (ERIC)=, Private, No. 11208, 2nd Battn. Royal Scots; _b._ Ireland, 6 Dec. 1888; educ. South African University; went to South Africa with his parents in infancy, but returned to England after their deaths; enlisted in the Royal Scots, 3 Aug. 1912; served with the Expeditionary Force in France from Aug. 1914, and was killed in action at Vierstraat, 22 March, 1915, being shot by a sniper while on sentry duty; _unm._ Buried there.

=ROSS, JAMES OSWALD=, Private, No. 8/846, 14th Otago Battn. New Zealand Expeditionary Force, _s._ of Duncan Ross, of Mandeville, Southland, New Zealand, Farmer; _b._ Mandeville aforesaid, 7 Dec. 1891; educ. there; joined the Otago Regt., 1 April, 1911; volunteered for Imperial service on the outbreak of the European War, at Dunedin, 22 Aug. 1914; left for Egypt with the main body in Oct.; took part in the landing at the Dardanelles, 25 April, 1915, and was killed in action there, 2 May following; _unm._ Buried at Walker’s Ridge.

=ROSS, WILLIAM JAMES=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 10808), S.S. 2905, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=ROSS, WILLIAM MUNRO=, Lieut., 2nd Battn. Gordon Highlanders, only _s._ of William Edmond Ross, and his wife, Gertrude Maud, dau. of the late Thomas Bevan, of Stone Park, Greenhithe, co. Kent; _b._ Bishops Stortford, co. Herts, 22 March, 1892; educ. St. Andrew’s, Eastbourne, Eton (J. H. M. Hare’s House), and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the Pitt Club and took a Tripos degree in 1914. In Oct. 1914 he received a commission (dated 14 Aug.) as University Candidate in the 2nd Battn. Gordon Highlanders, being given a year’s seniority in respect of his university degree, was promoted Temp. Lieut. (commission ante-dated, 25 Oct. 1914) and confirmed in rank of Lieut. Dec. following. In Jan. 1915, he took out a draft to the 2nd Battn. (formerly the 92nd) and was killed close to the German trenches in the attack on Neuve Chapelle, 11 March. A brother officer wrote: “He was leading his platoon in splendid style when he was hit by several bullets.” He was very keen on hunting, shooting and cricket, and was very musical.

=ROSSER, JOHN=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 4251), 207934, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=ROSSITER, PHILIP=, 2nd Lieut., 3rd Battn. Royal Berkshire Regt., elder _s._ of Sydney Rossiter, 11, Cumberland Road, Brighton, Assistant Inspector of Schools for East Sussex, formerly Headmaster (1904–14) of Fairfields School, Basingstoke, by his wife, Ada, dau. of John Cooper, of High Street, Cheltenham; _b._ South Hackney, London, 15 March, 1894; educ. Fairfields School and Queen Mary’s Grammar School, Basingstoke and University College, Reading, where he was a member of the O.T.C.; gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 3rd Battn. of the Berkshires, 22 July, 1914, joined in August, sailed from Southampton on 19 Dec. following and was attached on landing to the 2nd Queen’s Royal West Surreys; killed in action near Armentières, 19 Jan. 1915; _unm._ Buried at Fleurbaix. Philip Rossiter won a Hants County Junior Scholarship in 1906 and a Senior in 1910. He held the latter for four years at Reading University College. He was an undergraduate of London University and passed the B.Sc. Intermediate examination in 1912. At college he was Secretary and Treasurer of the Sports Club and a member of the Student’s Representative Council. He obtained his Colours for Rowing and was a member of the 2nd Four in 1913 and 1914. He, however, showed most interest in the O.T.C., in which he attained the rank of Colour-Sergt. and passed the examinations for both the “A” and “B” Certificates. He was also a keen swimmer, and at Basingstoke Grammar School he won the Senior Cup for two years in succession. His younger brother, Sydney, Leading Seaman, Nelson Battn. R.N.D., was severely wounded at Gallipoli, 4 June, 1915.

=ROSSON, WILLIAM HAROLD=, Private, No. 3782, 9th, attd. 1/7th, Battn. Middlesex Regt. (T.F.), eldest _s._ of Joseph Rosson, of The Cottage, Kestrel Grove, Bushey Heath, Butler to Mr. W. B. Gair, of Kestrel Grove, by his wife, Kate, dau. of John Cato, of Kirtlington, near Oxford; _b._ Bushey Heath, 14 Nov. 1896; educ. Stanmore, Middlesex; was a Groom; joined 9th Middlesex, 8 Aug. 1914; transferred to the 1/7th Battn. and left for France, 13 March, 1915, and died at Merville Hospital, 18 June, 1915, of wounds received on the 15th. Buried in Military Cemetery, Merville; _unm._ His Company Commander, Capt. I. M. Cossar, wrote: “he was seriously wounded on the 15th of this month, as we were coming into the trenches. The Germans turned a machine-gun over the ground behind the trenches for some long distance back, and caught the company, wounding two of my best men. Your son received a bullet wound in his back, injuring the spinal column. He was at once taken to the dressing station where a motor was waiting to take him to Merville Hospital. His wound was very serious.”

=ROSTRON, JOHN=, Private, No. 6/928, D Westland Coy., Canterbury Infantry Battn. New Zealand Expeditionary Force; _b._ about 1872; educ. Peel School, Little Hulton; was for some time in the mechanic’s shop at Lord Ellesmere’s Wharton Hall Colliery; went to New Zealand in 1903, and took up work in the coal pit at Ronango; volunteered for Imperial service on the outbreak of war, and joined the Canterbury Infantry Regt.; served in Egypt; took part in the landing at the Dardanelles, and was killed in action there, 8 May, 1915. He _m._ at Peel Church, Little Hulton, 20 Feb. 1901, Clara, dau. of Thomas Boardman, and had a dau., Ethel (63, Manchester Road West, Bottom Lane, Little Hulton), _b._ 4 April, 1902.

=DE ROUGEMONT, MAURICE HENRY=, 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regt., only _s._ of Arthur Francis de Rougemont, of 5, Gloucester Terrace, Hyde Park, W., by his wife, Janet Emma, dau. of Henry Goodenough Hayter, of Winterbourne, Sidmouth, South Devon; _b._ Westbourne Gardens, London, W., 13 June, 1889; educ. Charterhouse (Gown boys), 1903–07, and Lausanne, 1908; was at Lloyd’s; joined the Artists’ Rifles, 1909; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914; went to France as Sergt. in the 1st Battn. Oct. 1914, and, after passing through the School of Instruction at Bailleul, received a commission in the 2nd Queen’s Royal West Surreys, 27 Jan. 1915, and was killed in action at the Battle of Festubert, 16 May, 1915. According to the statement made by his servant they and two other men got separated from the rest of the Coy., and after attending to some of our wounded in the trench near which they found themselves, they came across another Coy. of the Queen’s, which had lost all its officers. It was whilst leading his own men and this Coy. that he was shot, as they were climbing the parapet of a German trench; _unm._ Buried near Festubert. An officer wrote, “He was an excellent officer, and very much liked by his men. His loss is a great trouble to them”; and another: “If there is one thing that can help you in your loss, it will be knowing that he died doing his duty like a man, and leading his platoon over the German trenches. He was shot when on the top of the parapet.”

=ROURKE, THOMAS=, A.B., No. 234175, 1st Class Gunner, H.M.S. Tiger, only _s._ of the late Edward Rourke, by his wife, Lucy (5, Stand Street, London Road, Manchester), dau. of Dennis Kennedy; _b._ Ashton-under-Lyne, 11 April, 1890; educ. St. Michael’s School, George Lee Street, Ancoates; entered the Navy about 1906 and was killed in action in the North Sea, 24 Jan. 1915; _unm._

=ROUST, JOSIAH ROBERT=, Stoker, Petty Officer, 307023, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=ROUTH, HAROLD=, Rifleman, No. 1959, 12th Battn. (The Rangers) The London Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of John Routh, of 189, Rosebury Avenue, E.C.; _b._ Birmingham, 28 Aug. 1897; educ. there and L.C.C. School; joined The Rangers in May, 1914; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in Aug. following; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, and died in the General Hospital, Boulogne, 2 May, 1915, of wounds received in action at Hill 60, on 27 April. Buried at Boulogne. He was the youngest in the regt.

=ROW, HARRY AKERS=, 2nd Lieut., 4th Battn. The Suffolk Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of William Benjamin Row, of North Lodge, Saxmundham, Corn, Seed and Coal Merchant, by his wife, Emily, dau. of Thomas Woodward, of Old Newton, Suffolk; _b._ Saxmundham, co. Suffolk, 22 March, 1886; educ. Ipswich Grammar School; gazetted 2nd Lieut., 4th Suffolks, 29 May, 1913, and was in command of the half company of Territorials in Saxmundham; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914; went to France, 8 Nov., and was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle, 11 March, 1915; _unm._ Col. H. W. Crinddas wrote: “As commanding officer of your son’s regt. I am writing to offer you and your family my sincerest sympathy in this great loss. It may be some consolation to you to know that he died well, at the head of his men, leading them most gallantly in the face of a murderous fire. I saw him shortly after he was killed lying in a trench, shot through the head. His end must have been quite instantaneous; so it will be a relief to you to know that he died without pain, just passing from life to death without knowing it. He was buried to-day at Vielle Chapelle. I have not been long with this regt., but quite long enough to appreciate your son’s work at its true value, and I feel that by his early (though glorious) death I have lost a most valuable officer and good friend.” He was a keen sportsman, and particularly fond of shooting and fishing.

=ROW, JAMES EDWARD=, Acting Leading Stoker, K. 1012, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914.

=ROWAN, ANDREW PERCIVAL=, Capt., 10th Battn. (Western Australia) Australian Light Horse, 3rd Brigade, Australian Imperial Force, _s._ of the late Andrew Rowan, of Arranmore. St. Kilda, Melbourne, and St. Hubert’s Vineyard, Victoria; _b._ Melbourne, 31 Aug. 1876; educ. Queen’s College, St. Kilda, and Melbourne Grammar School; served as a Lieut. in the Australian Force in the South African War, 1901–02; took part in the operations in the Transvaal, Orange River Colony and Cape Colony, and received the Queen’s medal with three clasps. He was appointed Lieut., Australian Field Artillery, in July, 1903, but retired in 1910 and joined the Reserve of Officers. He then went to Western Australia and took up farming at Murgarrin, and on the outbreak of the European War immediately offered his services and was gazetted Lieut., 10th (Western Australia) Light Horse, 28 Oct. 1914. He took part in the operations at the Dardanelles, was promoted Capt. at the end of July for good work done in the field, and fell in action there, 7 Aug. 1915; _unm._ He was killed instantly by a bullet in the head and chest as he sprang over the edge of the trench to lead his men in the great charge at Walker’s Ridge, when the Australian Light Horse were almost wiped out. Brig.-Gen. F. Hughes, Commanding 3rd Light Horse Brigade, wrote to Mrs. Rowan: “I trust you will forgive me for writing, but I desire not only to express my deepest sympathy with you in your sorrow, but also to bear testimony to the excellent work your son did while he was with us. He led his men with great skill and determination when the Turks attacked them at Quinn’s Post soon after our arrival here, and although twice wounded he stuck to his post and directed the men with the effect that the enemy were driven back with considerable loss. I have no doubt you have already received full particulars of the engagement on the 7th, when he and his comrades so bravely attempted to take the Turks trenches. It was one of those heroic acts that failed through want of proper support. He truly did his best for his King and Empire.”

=ROWAN, JOHN LECK=, Lieut., 5th Battn. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (T.F.), eldest _s._ of John Rowan, of Dardenne, Kilmalcolm, co. Renfrew, by his wife, Isabella Gordon, dau. of James Shearer; _b._ Greenock, co. Renfrew, 27 Jan. 1890; educ. Greenock Collegiate School and Academy, and Glasgow Technical College; was an Engineer in the service of the P. & O. Co.; gazetted 2nd Lieut., in the 5th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (T.F.), 13 May, 1911, and promoted Lieut. 1 July, 1914; volunteered for Imperial service on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914; went to the Dardanelles, 31 May, 1915, and was killed in action at Achi Baba, 12 July following, while leading his platoon; _unm._ Buried there. His Col. wrote: “I can testify he was a fine fellow, and as brave as they are made, and no one regrets his loss to the Battn. more than I do”; and his Capt., writing to express his sympathy, stated that he had lost both an officer and a friend, one that could not be replaced. Private Ferns also wrote: “The corner of the trench which I was holding had been under a heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, so that the sand bags and parapet started to fall in on top of me. I could not look over the trench to see what was going on in the enemy lines, so I passed along word to your son, Lieut. Rowan, to come along as I got suspicious of the constant fire being trained on the one corner of the trench, as it was opposite to the entrance of the communicating trench. Your son came and fired a night searchlight. At great personal risk he had a look over the top of the trench. He located three Turkish bomb throwers between 20 and 30 yards off our trench, so he gave us the word to open fire. We did so, and must have riddled the three of them with bullets. After that he came back to where I was standing, and before he would ask anybody else he gave me a hand to rebuild the corner of the trench, while the bullets were whirring over our heads, so close that we could feel the air of them.” Private Martin, in speaking of the bravery of Lieut. Rowan, said: “He was ahead of everybody when the shell struck him. While lying on the ground he shouted, ‘Go on, boys, I’m done.’ Two of us rushed to his assistance and helped him into a sitting position, where he emptied his revolver at the Turks in front. Then, shaking hands with each of us, he lay down as if he were asleep.”

=ROWBERRY, ALFRED CHARLES=, Stoker, Petty Officer (R.F.R., Ch. B. 8046), 293134, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=ROWE, ARTHUR=, Petty Officer, 212807, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=ROWE, FRANK CHARLES=, Leading Stoker, 227513, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=ROWE, JOHN=, Leading Seaman, 232049, Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=ROWE, JOSEPH FRANK=, Petty Officer, 179707, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=ROWE, JOSEPH JAMES=, Private, No. 5415, 1st Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of Francis Fuick Rowe, of Borningham Green, near Aldborough; _b._ Baconthorpe, near Holt, co. Norfolk; enlisted 11 Feb. 1904; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 30 Aug. 1914, and was killed in action, 25 Oct. following; _unm._