Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Ypres Town Cemetery Extension | III. AA. 6. Flanders | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.131 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 46B GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
He was born on the 27th April 1878, the son of Francis Metcalfe Ommanney and Honoria Deasey.Education & Career :
He was the co-founder of the Chatham Dining Club (best known for operating under 'Chatham House Rules") with Guy Dawnay as students at the Army Staff College in Camberley in 1909. The following May The Club was founded in London with a Committee of five, being: Lieutenant Colonel N. Malcolm D.S.O. (Chairman), Captain Rupert Ommanney R.E., Captain Guy Dawnay M.V.O. D.S.O., Cuthbert Headlam and E. C. Lister. The objectives of The Club were:
a) To bring together for the exchange of ideas of men of various professions and political creeds, who are anxious to overcome the obstacles in the way of the effective consolidation of the British Empire.
b) To seek and examine the means by which such consolidation may be brought about.
He was a member of RUSI.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: GSO3 2nd Div. Staff |
| Action : The Battles of Ypres 1914 (First Ypres) |
19 October - 22 November 1914. Following the failure of the German Schlieffen Plan in August and September 1914, both sides engaged in a series of linked battles as they sought to outflank each other. The climax of these manouvres was at Ypres in November 1914 when the might of the German Army attempted to break the much outnumbered British Expeditionary Force. The political importance of Ypres, being the last town of any size in Belgium that remained in allied hands, established its importance for both sides and ensured a series of battles over four years.
The First Battle of Ypres in 1914 is characterised by a series of linked heroic stands by outnumbered British soldiers in conditions of confusion and weary endurance. The Germans never knew how close they had come to winning - at one point just the clerks and cooks were the last line of defence for the BEF. By the end of the battle the magnificent original BEF, composed of professional regular soldiers, had been all but destroyed and already the Territorial battalions were called into battle. From the end of 1914 a 'Regular' battalion was in terms of its compostion little different to a Teritorial or later Service Battalion. The professional soldiers had all but vanished.
He served in the South African War, being present at the relief of Ladysmith, including the action at Colenso: at operations and actions at Spion Kop, Vaal Krans, Tugela Heights, and Pieter's Hill.
He was mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette, 8th February, 1901), and received the Queen's medal with three clasps.
From October, 1903, to March, 1904, he was specially employed in the Intelligence Branch at headquarters of the Army, and from April 1904, to January 1908, as Staff Captain, and General Staff Officer 3rd Grade at headquarters.
In December, 1909, he passed the final examination Staff College, and, from March, 1910, to June. 1914, he was again at the War Office on special employment, and as General Staff Officer (3rd Grade).
He was promoted Captain in January, 1903, and Major from the 30th October, 1914, the latter promotion having been gazetted after his death. He was mentioned in Sir John French's Despatch of the 14th January, 1915.
Detail :
He was killed by a shell burst at Hooge Chateau near Ypres which killed many of the senior officers at a crucial moment in the defence of the city.
On 31 October 1914, the staff of the 1st and 2nd Divisions were wiped out by shell fire falling on the chateau at Hooge near Ypres.
The Official History Page 324 describes the circumstances:
"About 1.15pm shortly after a low flying enemy aeroplane has passed over, a shell fell into the chateau grounds some 20-30 yards in front of the coach house. A minute later another burst immediately outside General Monroe's room followed by a third which struck the glass roof of the studio, and a fourth which dropped in the grounds. The second shell fell on the assembled staffs. Major Gen Lomax was severely wounded and died some months later in England. There were killed on the spot Col F W Kerr and Major G Paley of the General Staff of 1st Div.
This unfortunate incident could not have happened at a worse moment. The meeting of the senior staff officers happened at the height of the German assaults along the Menin Road at Gheluvelt, and arguably the loss of the senior staff officers disrupted the command structure."
Citations & Commemorations :
He was posthumously gazetted to Major and mentioned in dispatches.Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Lodge of Erin No. 2895 E.C. | London |
| Joined : | Wellesley No. 1899 E.C. | Berkshire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
15th May 1907 | 16th November 1907 | 26th March 1908 |
Two Freemasons were killed by the shell that landed outside of General Monroe's office - Major George PALEY the GSO2 of 1st Division and Captain Rupert OMMANNEY the GSO3 of 2nd Division.
OMMANNEY was also a member of Wellesley Lodge No 1899, having 6th February, 1908, but resigned 31st December, 1910.
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