De Ruvigny Roll of Honour Vol 1 page 310

Photo : Richards Ltd

Newcastle Journal Wednesday 23/06/1915

Gazette Announcement 05/06/1915

MC Award Newcastle Journal 26/06/1915

Robert Collingwood Roddam was born on the 10th January 1890, at Ilderton, Roddam Hall, near Alnwick, the only son of Lieutenant-Colonel Roddam John Roddam, of Roddam Hall, Northumberland, J.P., B.A., O.B.E., and Greenfield House, Powburn, Northumberland, late commanding 3rd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, now commanding the 15th Northumberland Fusiliers, and his wife Helen Fredericks, youngest daughter of Captain Alexander Taubman Goldie, of The Hermitage, Isle of Man, late Royal Navy.

Robert was educated at Wellington College and joined the 7th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (T.F.) as 2nd Lieutenant in August 1908, then transferred to the 3rd Special Reserve, commanded by his father, in 1910.

1911 census Robert aged 21 is living at Talavara Barracks, Area 11c, Wellington Lines, Aldershot. Military Unit. 3rd. Northumberland Regiment.

He was promoted Lieutenant on the 2nd December 1912.

Robert was in Ceylon when war broke out, returned to England at once and joined his Battalion in September. Went to France in December as a Lieutenant and was then attached to the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers and promoted Captain on the 25th February 1915.

He was killed in action at Hooge, 16th June 1915, gallantly leading 'Y' Company in an attack on the German trenches at Bellewaarde. He was unmarried.

He was injured in the action and taken to a dressing station, but died shortly afterwards. He was buried on 17th June 1915 and a cross placed on the grave. Unfortunately the grave was later lost.

His Colonel (now Brigadier-General Ainslie) wrote: "He will be a great loss as an officer, in fact I know of no one who shaped better or showed more soldierlike qualities. Over and over again he has been in very nasty situations and every time he has come out smiling, and kept his end up splendidly. It will be a consolation to you to know what a tip-top officer he was."

Captain Roddam was awarded the Military Cross [London Gazette, 23 June, 1915] for gallantry with the handful of men in the advanced trench left capable, after having had their trench mined at St Eloi, 14th April, and was mentioned in F[ield] M[arshall] Sir John (now Lord) French's Despatch of 31st May [London Gazette, 22 June], 1915, for gallant and distinguished service in the field.

De Ruvigny Roll of Honour

Information supplied by Tony Harding

Robert Collingwood Roddam is remembered at Alnmouth on A10.12 at Alnwick in A11.43 page 5, and in A11.56 page 58, at Whittingham on W48.01 at Ilderton on I1.01, at Ingram I3.06 and in Powburn on P39.01

Read Captain Roddam's role in June 1915
The CWGC entry for Captain Roddam