Name
Ramah Swallow
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/04/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Rifleman
S/23394
Rifle Brigade
9th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
NAMPS-AU-VAL BRITISH CEMETERY
I. G. 15.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Standon War Memorial, St Mary’s Church Memorial, Standon, Puckeridge Memorial Plaque, Standon Village Hall, Standon
Biography
Ramah Swallow was Rifleman No. S/23394 of the 9th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. He died of wounds, 5th April 1918 at the age of 38.
He is buried in the Namps-Au-Val British Cemetery, Somme, France. His grave reference is: I. G. 15.
Additional information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission says: Husband of M. Swallow of 73 Paul Street, Stratford, London.
Ramah (usually pronounced Raymer) Swallow was the son of William and Caroline Swallow (nee Reed) and was baptised at St Mary’s Church 11th January 1880. Both the Swallow and the Reed families were long established in Standon. They had 12 children of whom eight had survived up to the 1911 census being taken. On that census, for the first time, the length of the marriage was requested, and William and Caroline had been married for an incredible 54 years.
William and Caroline had married in about 1856 and soon after the children started to arrive. The family lived in Standon St (now the High Street?) for a while, then, in 1871 they resided in a cottage in New Street, near the farm and the vicarage. By 1881 they were in Paper Mill Lane, where they stayed for over 20 years.
Ramah’s service record has survived so we have some facts about him. He signed up 24th November 1915 in Stratford, as he was living at the time in West Ham Lane, Stratford with his wife, Maud (nee Chapman) and their two children, Alfred Ernest, born 1912 and Florence Maud, born 1914. He was 35 years old at that point and gave his occupation as a cable labourer. He was not medically examined until 21st June 1916, when his physical characteristics were described: He was 5’ 6 ½” tall, 140 lbs with a 37 in chest and his teeth were described as ‘defective’.
A few months training must have followed because the next date of note is embarkation for France, arriving there 15th November 1916.
On 4th April 1918 he sustained a gunshot wound to his side and was taken initially to the 41st Casualty Clearing Station then to 55th Field Ambulance for treatment where he died the next day from his injury.
The action in which he was injured was likely to have been the Battle of the Avre (4th/5th April 1918). This action marked the beginning of the end of the German March Offensive when they attempted to take the village of Villers-Bretonneux, their aim being to secure the town and surrounding high ground from which to bombard and systematically destroy Amiens, in particular the railway and bridges, so they would be no further use to the Allies.
The subsequent fighting was remarkable on two counts, it being the first use of tanks, simultaneously by both sides and the night time counter-attack hastily organised by Australian and British units which dramatically re-captured Villers-Bretonneux and halted the German onslaught. Allied casualties were very heavy, to the extent that the 14th Division, of which Ramah’s battalion were a part, was withdrawn from the front line following this action.
A letter to Ramah’s widow in September 1918 listed his personal effects: a matchbox case, purse, pipe, badge, letters and photographs.
Maud was awarded a pension of 25/5 per week for herself and 2 children.
Ramah’s mother, Caroline was the subject of a newspaper article when she died in 1932. She was the oldest inhabitant of Standon and had reached the age of 97.
Officially recorded as born in Standon and living in Stratford, Essex, when he enlisted there.
Acknowledgments
Di Vanderson, Jonty Wild
