Name
Ronald Fauntleroy Copland
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/06/1915
18
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
2005
London Regiment (London Scottish)
14th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CAMBRIN CHURCHYARD EXTENSION
E.33
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Rickmansworth Urban District Memorial, St. Peter’s Church Memorial, Mill End, Nr Rickmansworth, St. John's Church Memorial, Heronsgate, nr Rickmansworth
Pre War
Ronald was born in 1897 in Sydney, Australia the son of James Beattie and Elizabeth Copland. In 1911 age 13 and at school, he was living at 26 Old Deer Park Gardens, Richmond with his mother, her aunt Elizabeth Smith, and two siblings also born in Australia. His father was still in Australia.
Recorded as enlisting in London.
Wartime Service
As a Territorial unit the Battalion was mobilised on the outbreak of war and moved to Abbots Langley for training attached to 4th London Brigade 2nd London Division.
They landed at Le Havre on the 16th of September 1914, seeing their first action at Messines under the command of the Cavalry Corps. On the 7th of November 1914 the Battalion joined 1st Brigade 1st Division and were in action during the winter operations of 1914/15 and later at the battle of Aubers on the 9th and 10th of May.
On the 13th of June 1915 London Scottish had taken over trenches in front of Cambrin with their right on the Vermelles road. Their objective was to prevent the enemy from establishing themselves firmly in the craters and linking them up with the new front line.
Ronald is recorded as killed in action that day although no casualties were reported in the War Diary. On the 15th there was an accident in which a bomb exploded prematurely killing two men.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, U3A Our Village in the Great War, Mike Collins
