Name
Hubert William Ransom
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/03/1918
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Flying Corps
70 Squadron
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MARTINSART BRITISH CEMETERY
I. A. 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial,
St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin
Pre War
He was the third son of Francis and Priscilla Maud Ransom of Newlands, Hitchin. A later address was given as The Chilterns’, Hitchin.
Wartime Service
He enlisted into the Royal Naval Air Service Armoured Cars as a despatch rider in October 1914 and served in the South West African and East African campaigns for two years. He returned to the U.K. in March 1917 when the R.N.A.S.A.C. was disbanded and he joined the Royal Flying Corps in May 1917. He trained at the R.F.C. Cadet School in Oxford and at Catterick and Montrose. He received his wings in December 1917 and was posted to France on the 24th February 1918.
He joined 70 Squadron Royal Flying Corps based at Marieux south east of Doullens in France from where the Squadron had been flying Sopwith Camels since the 15th March 1918.
On the day of his death the R.F.C. lost 39 aircraft over Albert. Thirteen of them were shot down by the famous J.G.I. commanded by Baron Manfred von Richthofen who accounted for three of them. It was on this day that 2/Lieut McLeod R.F.C. won his V.C. Hubert is thought to have been brought down by ground fire. His body was not recovered until August 1918 from where it had been buried in the German lines.
He was then buried in Martinsart British Cemetery near Albert in Plot 1, Row A, Grave 3.
Additional Information
A private inscription on the headstone reads “Willingly he went and bravely gave his all".
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
