Photo: Jack Turton
Son of John and Helen Craig Ramsay, of West Hetton Lodge, Coxhoe, Co. Durham.
In Holy Trinity Churchyard is a family headstone for Ramsay which includes:
James Ramsay
who fell in action
in France
27th March 1918
aged 20 years.
Brenda McMahon has submitted the following:-
William James Ramsay was born at Cassop cum Quarrington on May 13th 1896 and later baptised at Cornforth on June 3rd 1896. His parents were John and his Scottish wife, Helen. The couple married at Durham in 1889 and went on to have 6 children although sadly one died.
In 1901 William’s father, John, was a mining engineer (an employer) living at Tursdale Colliery. Also in the household were his children including Jane, Gertrude, Helen, Charlotte (who died in 1903 aged 6) plus James McCrow (father in law) and brother in law, David. The family also employed a domestic servant.
By 1911 the family had welcomed a new addition, John. Father John was now a colliery manager who lived, with his family, in an eleven roomed house at West Hetton Lodge, Coxhoe. (During WW2 this home became an air raid shelter.)
William joined Royal Welsh Fusiliers (possibly September 1916) which was attached to the Royal Flying Corps.
William was serving with the 52nd Squadron R.F.C. when he was killed in a flying accident along with 2nd Lt. Robert Douglas Turnell on March 26th 1918.
The following report of the incident is reported by Major Nieuport in a piece on the Great War Forum website.
“They were aboard RE8 B5114 (Turnell pilot) which set out bomb the front lines at 2:15 pm (2 x 20lb bomb racks).When turning at 200ft after take-off the aircraft side slipped and nosedived into the ground where it burst into flames and was completely destroyed in the field adjoining the aerodrome (presume Poulainville - they officially moved to Abbeville on the 28th)Aircraft had flown total of 15hrs 10min.”
An amount of £275.14s.10d to was left to his father in his will.
Medals: British War Medal and Victory Medal
The Newcastle Journal 03/04/1918 reports:-
SECOND-LIEUT. W. RAMSAY. News has been received by Mr John Ramsay, West Hetton Lodge, Coxhoe, manager Tursdale Colliery, that his son, Second-Lieut, Ramsay, Welsh Fusliers, recently attached to the R.F.C., was killed in action the 27th ult. Second- Lieut. Ramsay was formerly a mining engineer at Tursdale Colliery. He was wounded in France last summer, and, after re-joining, was attached to the R.F.C.
William James Ramsay is remembered at Coxhoe on C103.01, C103.02 C103.08 and C103.09 and at Tursdale on T62.02
