Lt T M Ragg - Part II

Further to the September post regarding ‘2 Lt T Ragg’ further information has come to light regarding Thomas Murray Ragg.

In November the museum was given 3 letters written by Lt Ragg. These were written to a school friend of his from Hereford Cathedral School where his father (Revd Preb William Henry Murray Ragg was a master and headmaster (1898-1912)) and were donated by the friend’s son.

The handwritten letters have been transcribed and are reproduced in full below, the first when he is en route to Gallipoli as a reinforcement arriving on 26th October, his letter of January 1916 written from hospital in Egypt well illustrates his time at Suvla and ‘the storm’, and the 3rd letter is written in December 1917 when he has been medically discharged from the Army.

Letter dated 17 October 1915 written on board the RMS Scotian somewhere in the Mediterranean

My dear Thompson.

Here I am at last, while on the way to see something of the war. I'm afraid I can't tell you any very interesting news; though I have plenty, on account of the censor.

I left home last Monday. I could hardly believe it is not a week ago I went to Bedford and then up to town for a farewell dinner. We had a great dinner at the Groc (?) and then went to a theatre afterwards. Amongst those present were George and Tom Millyard and the Colonel. They all gave us a fine send off. We stayed the night at the Paddington Hotel but had not time to go to bed.

We left Paddington for Devonport by a special at 8:15 and got down to the docks right by the ship at 2:00 in the afternoon. And went straight on board but didn't sail till 6:00 the next morning. There was a fine show of men of war in the harbour and the whole scene was a very grand one, but the rather sad. Two torpedo boat destroyers accompanied us for the first 160 miles, one on each side a little in advance. Since then, we have been without escort. Our course has been very strange - but more I may not say. We did not go into the Bay of Biscay at all, but we had a pretty enough time of it for a day or two out in the Atlantic however I have proved a very good sailor and have enjoyed the voyage very much so far.

We first sighted land after our departure last night. The land being first Morocco and then the Spanish coast; this was about 11:30pm. Our entrance to ‘Gib’ by night was very impressive, though it was a pity it was dark. There were simply hundreds of searchlights playing about, and warships nosing from one to another and enquiring who we were. We ought not really to have stopped there at all, but we were told in morse by a destroyer to go into the harbour and receive further orders and have papers examined. Thereupon we slowly made our way in, running the gauntlet of hundreds of glaring searchlights, and at last, at 2:00am this morning, dropped anchor in the harbour, from which glared forth rows of searchlights. Almost immediately a pinnace came along with a naval officer on board to enquire who we were and to examine us. The result of his examination being satisfactory, we had our orders signalled to us, from the Governor's headquarters on the top of the rock, whereupon we started off again at about 3:30am, again being thoroughly examined by searchlight.

At 6:00 this morning there was no land insight but this afternoon we sighted the Balearic islands on the port side and the North Coast of Africa on our starboard side, the Mediterranean is like a duck pond. The weather is simply grilling. We hope to reach Malta on Wednesday and have a day ashore, and I expect this letter will be posted from there. Then we expect to go to Alexandria and from there to Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, but we do not really know where we're going.

My address will probably be:

Lieutenant TM Ragg, 1st Herefordshire Regiment, 105 Infantry Brigade, 53rd Welsh Division, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.

Do write if you can, for you have no idea what letters mean to us and how often and carefully they will be ??? nothing is too triffling.

Now goodbye and good luck

Till we meet again

Yours ever

Tom Ragg

Letter dated 6 January 1916 written from 17th General Hospital Alexandria. He had been evacuated from Suvla Bay on 30 November.

Dear Thompson,

Thank you so much for all your letters and the photo of yourself which I believe I never thanked you for before. I'm afraid I have been very slack in writing to you. Especially as you have been so good in writing to me. I wrote to you for Christmas but I’m afraid you will never get it for with many others it is probably now at the bottom of the Mediterranean having gone down in the ????.

Well, I have been having a very slack time of it lately, having been in this hospital since December  4th, suffering from frostbitten feet. Since I wrote to you last from the trenches at Suvla in November, many things have happened and I have had. such an experience as I never wish to have again. Up to November 28th things went fairly well. Though we were all feeling pretty done up having been in the front line trenches a month without being relieved. Through our section of the trenches there cut at right angles. A dry bed of the stream which all passed through the Turk trenches 100 yards further up. Both we and the Turks had us strong sandbag barricades built across it from one bank to the other about 9 feet high, so that our parapet line should be unbroken.

Now, on the 29th November, soon after it was dark, we had a terrific thunderstorm, lasting for about two hours; a real tropical thunderstorm and all of a sudden at about 8 o clock we heard a sort of raucous noise which grew gradually louder and louder and then we saw that the stream was coming down, but that the water had been held up by the Turks’ barricade and was now rushed along in a wave about 6 feet high. It came straight against our barricade, broke it down and gushed on, carrying away two bridges that the engineers had built further down. The stream rose 9 feet high and all the trenches were six feet deep in water and slime. I, like many others, was up to my trunk in this lovely slime and had to be pulled out by the more fortunate ones who had got out of the trench.

The rest of the night we spent lying down outside the trenches, in the open and not feeling very safe or happy. For many. All our rifles were wet and useless, and many had been swept away, and to make matters worse, none of us having our overcoats it began to hail. When at dawn, the next morning the water had gone down a bit - only 4 feet high now. We went back into the trenches again, but we were surprised to see the Turks still sitting on the top of their parapets. But we soon taught them that it would be safer for them down in the trenches.

That day was the most miserable I have ever spent; it snowed hard all day. There was a bitter cold northerly wind. We were up to our thighs in water all day all we had to eat was 2 biscuits each. The rest of the ??? all our kit and belongings having been washed away. Dead bodies of Turkish men and mules came floating down and got between our legs. It made an awful stench. That evening, our Battalion was relieved by the Lovat Scouts, but I with the Machine Gun had to stay behind another night while the relief took place.

That night it snowed continuously. I was bitterly cold. Almost worse than the night before, but we managed to get through it alright and were relieved the following morning. I found, however, that I couldn't walk because my feet were so bad and had to be carried to the hospital on the beach of Suvla Bay near the Salt Lake where I found many of our regiment; both officers and men, and hearing from them that our Brigade, which had been 3000 strong, now only mustered 150 men and 4 officers. Our regiment numbering only 80. Of the rest many had been drowned or had died of exposure, and many were in hospital.

After four days I was taken aboard a hospital ship, then sailed for Alexandria where I was put in this hospital and still I am here.  I find that it is very awkward to be without clothes. ??? in a strange town but I am gradually overcoming such difficulties. Yesterday I was allowed out for the first time, dressed in clothes borrowed from 5 different people in my ward! I must have looked a funny object. This ward I am in holds 40 beds, but there are only 10 of us in it at present and we are very happy. The whole hospital is a huge building holding 1600 patients. Well, I must stop now, so cheerio and best of luck for the coming term.

Yours ever

from Ragg.

PS. I have just heard that there is just a chance that I shall be invalided home and that very soon. And so hardly know what to do with myself. For excitement. I don't know what I should do if they finally decide that it would be better for us to stop here.

PS. 9th January 16. I now hear that it is certain that I am coming home and by the next boat, which will probably leave some day this week. Hurray.

Letter dated 18 December 1917 written from home in Tenbury Wells.

My dear Thompson,

Very Many thanks for your letters and heartiest congratulations on your football colours. Please excuse the writing, for I'm sitting out in the garden in about 4° of frost, wrapped up in countless rugs, overcoats and hot water bottles, and with a thick pair of gloves on. Awfully difficult to write with thick gloves on and with frozen hands. However, if you can't read this, burn it.

You would have broken up now I expect and be at home or on your way home. I hope your singing at the end of term went off successfully. No doubt you are glad it is over.

I had a letter from Hodson this morning. He has left the RAMC and is attached to the 26 Training Reserve Battalion till he joins a ?? Battalion with a view to getting a Commission. He is stationed at Pirbright near Bisley. If it's anything like Bisley. I don't envy him.

If I'm well enough I hope to pay a visit to your island next month I should be staying with an aunt who has taken a house at Ventnor, and I'll probably be going on or about the 10th of January 18. If you're at home, then I hope you will come over and see me, unless you have got too many other things to do. I have never yet been on the island and am very keen to get there if possible for a visit. Though my limit for walking being half a mile a day; I'm afraid I shall not be able to explore its beauties as I would like to. It's such a devil of a long journey from here too. I was awfully glad to hear such good news of Hopewell, he seemed to be getting on wonderfully well.

I can't remember whether I have told you before, I don't think so, that I had to go over to Worcester for a pension medical board about a month ago and saw Mr Hughes, who is a master at King's School now, and Minor Canon in the cathedral he came to dinner with me at the hotel where I was staying and we afterwards went to his digs which are very cosy and comfortable. At the board they gave me a pension of £175 for the next year, the maximum for a Lieutenant which is not too dusty. Poor old WL Carver; I was awfully sorry to see that he had been killed. He was a fine fellow and officer. We shared a dugout for some time on the peninsula, and afterwards were in the same tent at the Beach Hospital sharing rum and milk, the only food available for 3 days. We also shared the same bunk on the hospital ship to Alexandria and were in the same ward at the hospital there, but he was only there for a week with slight frostbite and dysentery. I've only seen him once since when he came to visit me a month after he had left the hospital, he was in the same company as I when I first joined at Hereford in September 1914.

My mother heard from Miss Martin the other day. Do you remember her at school at Hereford? She says that OW Richards is an awful fellow and gives lots of trouble. Apparently Cook, who is the mainstay of the house, will have to join up before next term. Forward a King’s fellow, 6 foot 3 inches in height, so she says, has been down and had a tremendous lot to say for himself. There is a little brother Forward coming to Hereford next term.

There are apparently 54 boarders in the house and 20 in the Henson's house and Mrs Felton is going to start a house next term. That is all the Hereford news I know, but I'm expecting to get my Herefordian soon. Poor old Apperley’s son and heir died the other day. By the way, I saw in the Times about 3 weeks ago an announcement of the marriage of RM Dunkerley - he can't be more than 21 at the very most, I should think.

Well, I must stop now, I'm going to go in and try and thaw a bit -  cheerio and best Christmas wishes.

I shall hope perhaps to see you next month.

Ever yours

Tom Wragg

The September account hints that Lt Ragg did not serve overseas – this is incorrect but was based on the fact that there is no record of any First World War Medals being awarded to him – but it is clear he served at Suvla Bay and therefor has a medal entitlement – 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and also the Silver War Badge. Officers had to apply for their medals – it would appear that
Lt Ragg did not apply for his – the reason only to be guessed at!

After the war he followed the occupation of ‘writer and publisher’, he married in 1930 and lived
in Hampstead.

He died in 1953, coincidentally on the 11th November.

Independent Companies

INDEPENDENT COMPANIES

This month’s feature is about the little known Independent Companies formed in 1940 and the fore runner of the Commandos.

In April 1940 each Territorial Division was required to form an Independent Company.

No 1 Coy 52 (Lowland) Div

• No 2 Coy 53 (Welsh) Div
• No 3 Coy 54 (East Anglian) Div
• No 4 Coy 55 (West Lancs) Div
• No 5 Coy 56 (London) Div
• No 6 Coy 9 (Scottish) Div
• No 7 Coy 15 (Scottish) Div
• No 8 Coy 18 (Eastern) Div
• No 9 Coy 38 (Welsh) Div
• No 10 Coy 66 (East Lancs) Div

The companies comprised 3 platoons coming from each of the Division’s brigades. Each platoon consisted of 4 sections one coming from each of the Brigade’s battalions.

Thus the Herefordshire Regiment contributed a section to No 2 (1st Battalion) and No 9 (2nd Battalion) Companies.

The first 5 companies sailed to Norway as ‘Scissor Force’ to join OP AVONMOUTH – the British Expeditionary Force to Norway.

On their return they were formed into Commando units and in October 1940 were termed Special Service (SS) Battalions:

• 1st SS Bn Formed from 1,2,3,4,5,8 & 9 Independent Companies
• 2nd SS Bn From 6 & 7 Coys
• 3rd SS Bn From 4 & 7 Commando
• 4th SS Bn From 3 & 8 Commando
• 5th SS Bn From 5 & 7 Commando

In early 1941 the Special Service Bns were reorganised back into smaller more manageable sized Commandos.

The names of the men and full details of what the Herefordshire section did in Norway is not known. The companies were lightly armed and fought in the rearguard action about Bodo. Eventally being evacuated on 1 June.

No 9 Company did not deploy to Norway, although they did board boats but the sailing did not take place.

Lt Ronnie Swayne, from Tillington Court of the 2nd Battalion was the Herefords officer in No 9 Company, he recorded his experiences and these are available on tape at the Imperial War Museum. He had been Commissioned into the Herefords in August 1939 from ‘Cadet Sergeant – Bromsgrove School’.

Lt Swayne went on to serve with the Commandos and was awarded the Military Cross for the St Nazaire raid (OP CHARIOT) for gallant and distinguished service on Motor Launch 306; his citation reads:

On 28 March 1942, during the Commando Raid at ST. NAZAIRE, France, Lieut Swayne was in command of a Demolition party on board a Motor Launch. Due to the intense fire from the land, it was impossible for this Motor Launch to land the military personnel, and the Naval Commander, after making several attempts, proceeded to withdraw from the River Loire. When they had proceeded some distance, they were engaged at very close range by a German Torpedo Boat.

Lieut Swayne manned all the light automatics under his command, and controlled continuous fire on the enemy vessel. A request to surrender made by the German Naval Commander was totally disregarded and in spite of intense fire from the enemy Torpedo Boat during which many were killed and wounded, the Motor Launch continued to engage the enemy.

After the majority of the naval personnel had been either killed or wounded, Lieut Swayne still kept his men fighting, even up to the point when the Torpedo Boat attempted to ram the Motor Launch.

It was only when all effective fire power on board the launch had been wiped out, that with a handful of men still alive, Lieut Swayne was forced to surrender to the German vessel.

His leadership and his personal disregard for danger was a fine example to those men on board who manned the light automatics in face of far heavier fire power.

During this encounter Sgt Durrant was wounded. Lt Swayne the only unwounded man on board stood up and called out apologetically to the German ship ‘Jaguar’ – ‘I’m afraid we can’t go on’. The ML 306 sank as the survivors were taken on board Jaguar. Kapitan Paul of the Jaguar said to Lt Swayne ‘I must complement you on a brave fight’ Sgt Durrant was awarded the VC, on the recommendation of the German Captain!

Lt Swayne was a PoW for the rest of the war and retired from the Reserve of Officers, Hereford LI in 1963 as a Lieutenant!

He was knighted as Chairman, Overseas Containers Ltd on the 4 December 1979.

He died in Salisbury 29 October 1991.

Two Lt T Ragg

World One research is challenging at the best of times, yet recently an even more confusing situation has been discovered when 2 officers, both named ‘T Ragg’ were Commissioned into the Herefordshire Regiment.

It is made more confusing by Officers not having personal numbers, and some references having an abbreviated forename or just a single, rather than full initials! T Ragg cannot be a common names and an easy assumption that could be made is that there was only one!

This situation came to light as a result of an enquiry from a family descendent and subsequent research, when the detail given did not seem to fit!

The 2 Raggs acquired their Commissions by different routes - Private Thomas (Tom) Ragg Commissioned from the London Rifles (9 June 1915), Thomas Murray Ragg from Hereford Cathedral School OTC (10 Dec 1914).

A quick look at the 1911 census gives a few more details - Thomas Murray was a pupil at Hereford Cathedral Scool (where his father was a housemaster) and born in 1897 in Norfolk; the other, Tom born in 1890 in Jersey and then living in Hertfordshire (yes Hertfordshire – another opportunity for confusion!) and working as an insurance clerk.

A review of the Museum archives revealed a photograph of the Officers of the 3rd/Depot Battalion - it is undated but since they are wearing the city coat of arms capbadge (worn only until late 1915), some appear with the Terrotorial ‘T’ beneath their collar badges and there is a mix of ‘bright’ and ‘bronze’ cap and collar badges the photo is almost certainly late 1914 or 1915. Lt T Ragg is shown - but which of our T Raggs is he! A photo from the family would indicate that it is ‘Tom’, the photograph is therefore post June 1915.

But what of their military careers ………………..

Thomas Murray Ragg relinquished his commision of account of ill health 12 Oct 1916 - it appears he never served overseas.

Tom’s Medal Index Card indicates he went overseas (France) with the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry on 29 June 1918.

Tom’s family emigrated to New Zealand and Tom suffered from recurring mental health issues (- I suspect what we would now call PTSD) and died in an institution on 30 August 1949.

There are additionally some pension records which to the unwary could further confuse the situation:

An undated card for TM Ragg shows a claim apparently in respect of TB - this would align with his resignation through ill health.

There are several (again undated) cards for T Ragg, including one from his widow Margaret from NZ so for ‘Tom’.

I think this well illustrates the challenges of research and the need to always ‘dig a little deeper’ and not make the quick and easy assumption!

HTS Euripdes

Suvla Bay - 50th Anniversary Visit

Princess Mary Christmas Tin

The Colour Party 1948