In Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe, Pas de Calais, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of Second Lieutenant Ronald William Craig Gunn serving with the 3rd Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) who died 16/01/1917.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following;
Ronald William Craig Gunn was one of 5 children offspring of Walter Craig Gunn Snr and Grace Ann Miles.
Walter Craig Gunn Snr was born, June 2nd 1871, at Aldershot, Hampshire, He was the son of John Ross Gunn a native of Scotland and Harriet Ann Craig born at Lowick, Northumberland, in circa 1834.
Walter Snr’s father was an Army Schoolmaster of Her Majesty’s (Queen Victoria) 50th Regiment stationed at Colchester Camp where he died, May 17th 1873 and was buried within Colchester Cemetery, Mersey Road and Pentecostal Church Burial Ground. By 1881 Harriet was living with her children at 16, Harold Street, in the town of Sunderland, historically in County Durham.
Harriet survived thanks to her Army widow’s pension and the help of her eldest son, marine engineer, John Gunn, William (13) and Walter Craig Gunn (9) were scholars but by the age of 19 Walter was the only one of his siblings still living at home and was working as a grocer’s assistant. He was married in 1894 at South Shields, County Durham, to Grace Ann Miles, a local girl born in 1878. She was the daughter of mariner William Miles and his wife Grace.
Their son Walter Craig Gunn Jnr was born at South Shields, May 5th 1895, Ronald William Craig Gunn at Pelaw in 1897 as was Stanley, December 25th 1898. Their only daughter Alisa Craig Gunn was born at Sunderland, historically in County Durham, September 19th 1900 as was Frederick Craig Gunn, November 21st 1901.
Soon after the birth of Frederick, grocery manager Walter Craig Gunn Snr died and was buried, December 29th 1901 at Bishopwearmouth. The family at the time were living at 14, Rosebury Street, Sunderland.
Grace Ann Gunn remarried at Loughborough, Leicestershire in 1907 to Walter Elliot born at East Leake, Nottinghamshire, in 1883, who was 6 years her junior and with whom she had a further 3 children. Arthur Elliot was born at Wymwold, Leicestershire, in 1909, William Miles Elliot in 1910 at Woodborough, Nottinghamshire, as was Kathleen Elliott in 1911, but Walter and Grace Ann were living in 4 rooms at 94, Burder Street, Loughborough, in 1911 with their reciprocal children. Staley (12), Ailsa (10) and Frederick Gunn (9) were scholars, Walter Craig Gunn had joined the Navy, Ronald William Craig Gunn (14), had entered the School House, Durham School, in 1910,
Ronald William Craig Gunn was a keen Rugby player at Durham School and later was a Monitor and Captain of the D.S.O.T.C. He left Durham School and joined a Cadet Battalion at Queen’s College, Cambridge. His education complete he joined the Army and was offered a commission with the Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment).
He departed to the Western Front in September 1916 joining the 3rd Battalion, attached to the 12th Battalion, a Pioneer Battalion of the 24th Division, with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He was killed in action by a rifle grenade, January 16th 1917 on the Lens battlefields and taken for burial to Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe, Pas de Calais, France where he is at rest grave I. L. 1. 2nd Lieutenant Ronald William Craig Gunn was 19 years of age and single. Awards; British War Medal and Victory Medal.
His aunt Henrietta Ann Gunn commissioned at a cost of 3 shillings 2 pence an additional inscription to be added to her late nephew’s military headstone, it reads; “REST IN PEACE”.
All monies due to the late 2nd Lieutenant Gunn were assigned to his aunt Miss Henrietta Ann Gun
Ronald’s brother Walter Craig Gunn served with the Royal Navy and went down with his ship in 1916
Ailsa Craig Gunn, resident with her aunts Jessie Elizabeth and Harriet Augusta Gunn at 24, Side Cliffe Road, Sunderland, died, July 3rd 1918, she was 17 years old and laid to rest, July 6th 1918, within Sunderland Cemetery.
Stanley Gunn was married at Loughborough in 1922 to Doris Thelma Freeman, they had a daughter Eileen, August 25th 1923. Doris died at Dartford, Kent in 1957, Stanley Gunn in 1962.
Frederick Craig Gunn served the church. Reverend Gunn died, September 18th 1985 at Corbridge, Northumberland.
Grace Ann Elliot-Gunn nee Miles outlived her younger second husband Walter Elliot, who died at Leicester in 1920, by 33 years. Grace Ann died at Loughborough, Leicestershire, in 1953.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Ronald William Craig Gunn is remembered at Durham on D47.020, D47.43 and in D47.57, at Hendon on H123.02 as Ronald Craig Gunn and at Sunderland in S140.48 Part 9 page 85 as Roland Craig Gunn. His name also appears in the Roll of Honour of Scots Serving in Brigade of Guards and English Regiments, Scots National War Memorial, Edinburgh, Scotland.
