RANKIN, Ronald Alister
| Service Number: | 3372 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 16 February 1917 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 37th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, 1897 |
| Home Town: | Bendigo, Greater Bendigo, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Bendigo High School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Solicitor's clerk |
| Died: | Pneumonia, St Neots, Huntingdonshire, UK, United Kingdom, 21 October 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
St. Neots Cemetery, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom Row K, Grave No. 1288, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bendigo Great War Roll of Honor, Bendigo St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Honor Roll, Bendigo St. Andrews Presbyterian Church "They Died That We May Live" Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 16 Feb 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 3372, 37th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1917: | Involvement Sergeant, 3372, 37th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ulysses embarkation_ship_number: A38 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1917: | Embarked Sergeant, 3372, 37th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ulysses, Melbourne | |
| 8 Aug 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 3372, 37th Infantry Battalion, The Battle of Amiens | |
| 25 Aug 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 3372, 37th Infantry Battalion, "The Last Hundred Days", GSW to legs sustained during the advance at Chuignes, France. Evacuated to UK. Discharged from hospital 11 October 1918. Contracted pneumonia and influenza while convalescing at a private home in St Neots, UK and died there on 21 October 1918. |
Help us honour Ronald Alister Rankin's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Ronald Alister Rankin was born at Sandhurst, Bendigo, Victoria in 1897.
According to information provided by his father for the Roll of Honour – Ronald Alister Rankin was on Home Service – Instructional Staff, Victoria & was Acting Sergeant Major before being accepted in the A.I.F.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 16th February, 1917 as a 19 year old, single, Solicitor’s Clerk (as listed on Attestation Papers but listed as a Soldier on the Embarkation Roll) from Bendigo, Victoria.
Sergeant Ronald Alister Rankin, Service number 3372, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Ulysses (A38) on 22nd December, 1917 with the 37th Infantry Battalion, 8th Reinforcements. He disembarked at Suez on 16th January, 1918 & was posted to A.I.F. Camp at Suez from 16th January, 1918 to 24th January, 1918.
On 24th January, 1918 Sergeant Ronald Alister Rankin embarked from Port Said on HMT Leasowe Castle & disembarked at Taranto on 2nd February, 1918. He later disembarked at Southampton, England on 14th February, 1918.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
Sergeant Rankin was marched in to 10th Training Battalion at Sutton Mandeville, Wiltshire, England from Australia on 14th February, 1918.
A note was made of Sergeant Rankin’s Casualty Form – Active Service: “Enlisted with substantive rank of Sergeant – previously acting Staff Sergeant Major, Instruction Staff (Australia).”
He was marched in to 10th Training Battalion at Sutton Mandeville on 16th March, 1918 from Drill School at Jellalabad, Tidworth, Wiltshire.
On 15th April, 1918 Sergeant Rankin proceeded overseas to France from Fovant, Wiltshire. He was marched in to N.Z.B.D. (New Zealand Base Depot) at Rouelles, France on 17th April, 1918 then marched out the same day to the Front. Sergeant Rankin was taken on strength of 37th Battalion in the Field on 18th April, 1918.
Sergeant Ronald Alister Rankin was wounded in action on 25th August, 1918. He was admitted to 55th Field Ambulance on 25th August, 1918 with shrapnel wounds to legs then transferred & admitted the same day to 37th Casualty Clearing Station. Sergeant Rankin was transferred & admitted to 5th General Hospital at Rouen, France on 26th August, 1918 with “GSW 1 x (1) R + L.” He embarked for England on Hospital Ship Gloucester Castle on 28th August, 1918.
He was admitted to Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, England on 30th August, 1918 with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) legs – right & left. He was discharged to furlo from 11th October, 1918 to 25th October, 1918 & was then to report to No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire.
Sergeant Ronald Alister Rankin died on 21st October, 1918 at the residence of Mr Harding, King’s Road, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, England from Pneumonia.
He was buried in St. Neots Cemetery, Cambridgeshire, England – Plot number K. 1288 and has a Private Headstone. His death is still acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/st-neots.html
Click images to start slideshow.