Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Rangoon War Cemetery | 4. F. 10. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.124 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 45A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
Ronald Grist was born in 1868 in Stroud, Gloucestershire, to Richard and Lucy Grist (née Smith). Ronald’s father was a manufacturer of shoddy and lived at Bourne House, Brimscombe. Ronald was educated in Cheltenham.He was know as Ronny.
Education & Career :
In the 1891 Census Ronald, aged 22 years, is recorded as a bank clerk and living in Finsbury, London with his brother Lawrence, a solicitor.
As a young man he is said to have spent time in South Africa where he took part in the Boer War.
Ten years later he was Manager of the Capital & Counties Bank in Amersham and living next to the Post Office in the High Street, Amersham.
Although he styles himself ‘Acting Bank Manager’ the 1899 Kelly’s Directory listed him simply as ‘Manager’. During this time he gained the respect and confidence of an extensive circle of friends.
Ronald was a keen sportsman and supported the local cricket, football and tennis clubs and was captain of the highly successful cricket club. The Buckinghamshire Herald elsewhere records that he tied for first place for the Ellesborough Golf Club’s monthly gold medal and took part in a concert at The Lee to raise funds for the Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital.
His sporting prowess was recalled in the obituary which appeared in the Gloucester Journal on 25 May 1918 under the headline “Old Gloucester Footballer and Sprinter: The death is announced in hospital at Rangoon, Burma, of Lieut. Ronald Grist, Rifle Brigade, youngest son of the late Mr. Richard Grist, Bourne House, Brimscombe. The deceased officer, who prior to joining the Army was manager of the Amersham (Bucks) branch of the Capital and Counties Bank, will be well remembered in Gloucester as a brilliant Rugby footballer. He represented Gloucester City and County, and scored the try for Gloucestershire against the Maoris in the match at the Spa on February 2nd. 1889, when the tourists won by 1 goal, 1 try to 1 try. Ronald Grist was a three-quarter back with speed and rare dodging powers, and he scored some marvellous tries on the old Spa ground. The gallant officer also distinguished himself on the track, and won numerous sprint races at Gloucester, the R.A.C. (Cirencester), and other meetings.”
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 18th (London) Battalion The Rifle Brigade |
18th (London); 19th (Western), 20th (Northern), 21st (Midland), 22nd (Wessex & Welsh), 23rd (North Western) and 24th (Home Counties) Battalions Formed in accordance with an Army Council Instruction on 29 November 1915. The Bns were made up of supernumary TF Companies, formed from National Reservists who were used for guarding vulnerable points in Great Britain. The Bns were posted for Garrison duty overseas in 1916. The 18th, 23rd and 24th went to India; 19th and 20th to Egypt. The 21st went to India via Egypt, and the 22nd Salonika via Egypt. The latter was attached to the 228th Brigade in 28th Division. |
| Action : India & Imperial Policing |
At the start of the war it was important to bring Regular Battalions back from their 'Imperial Policing' role in India and the FarEast. These troops were replaced by Territorial and other Garisson troops.
On 16 July 1915, Ronald, then aged about 47, received a commission in the Territorial Force5 and became a Lieutenant of the 18th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade. He embarked for India with his battalion on 26 November 1915 en route to Burma. On 5 January 1916, after arriving in Rangoon, Ronald was appointed Assistant Adjutant to the Battalion and was stationed at Port Blair, Andaman Islands.
Later that year he attended a course in musketry at Satara, and was then appointed Adjutant of the Staff course at Battalion Headquarters, Rangoon. After being appointed musketry officer to the battalion he was sent on a further course in Kashmir.
Detail :
Upon his return to Burma, Christmas 1917, he was appointed Station Staff Officer to the Rangoon Brigade under Major General Young, until he was suddenly taken ill.
On 11 May 1918 Ronald was ordered to the Station Hospital in Rangoon. After being unconscious for 12 hours he died from ptomaine (food) poisoning.
In the Buckinghamshire Examiner of 12 July 1918, Lieutenant P W Heanly, a fellow officer and friend, wrote a letter to the editor stating the following:
“‘Ronny’, as he was known by all his brother officers, was most popular in the regiment. His geniality and willingness always to assist and help others was most striking and I should like to add that the papers promoting him to Captain were already in the Burma Divisional Office”.
In contrast to many other Amersham casualties, he was buried with full military honours. His coffin was taken to the cemetery on a gun-carriage drawn by bullocks and was accompanied by 300 other ranks; a firing party of 40 was mustered and the last Post sounded. As seems only fitting for such a sociable man there were many handsome wreaths.
The Bucks Herald article ended with the sombre reflection that “the whole of the staff serving in the Amersham branch [of the Capital and Counties Bank] at the outbreak of hostilities have now died in the struggle for freedom.”
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Carrington No. 2421 E.C. | Buckinghamshire |
| Joined : | Capital and Counties No. 2809 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
27th May 1899 | 23rd September 1899 | 24th February 1899 |
Joining member of Capital and Counties Lodge No. 2809 on 28th February 1901, coming from Carrington Lodge No. 2421, Amersham.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley