Sergeant Alexander Ramsay
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PERSONAL INFORMATION
MILITARY INFORMATION
Sergeant, 14th Battalion, Infantry (Army).
Images
RESEARCH INFORMATION
Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Ramsay, of 177, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, Scotland; husband of Violet Ramsay, of 1094, St. Clair Avenue, Toronto. It is likely that Sergeant Alex Ramsay lost his life as a result of the 2nd Battle of Arras (capture of Monchy-le-Preux) which ended on 30th August 1918. Alex Ramsay was born in Edinburgh Scotland and had 12 sisters and brothers. He emigrated to Canada beofre the war, like many Scots, to find a better life. The words inscribed on Alex's gravestone placed by his beloved parents read :
"Till we meet again, sadly missed
Mother, Father, Wife and Children"
We organized a Family Pilgrimage to Sergeant Alex Ramsay's graveside as a memorial to Alex and his mates on the 100th Anniversary of Alex's death. In attendance were Alex Walker (Nephew), Alex 's wife Jennifer Walker, Graham Walker, (Great Nephew and Alex Walker's son), George Walker (Nephew), Lyne Helberg Kennedy (Granddaughter) Jim Helberg Lyne's husband, Ron Kennedy (Grandson). The date was 1st September 2018. We had a Service of Remembrance at Alex's resting place. Each Pilgrim contributed to the service on a warm sunny day. As a family we committed to keeping Alex and his mates memory alive for future generations. RIP Alex.
Sergeant Alex Ramsay is buried in Plot1, Row A, Grave 13 in The Dominion Cemetry, Hedencourt-les-Cagnicourt, France. His resting place was found when his youngest sister Christina Walker (nee Ramsay) asked her youngest son Alexander Walker to find his last resting place. Christina said that Alex Ramsay left Edinburgh when she was a small child, just before the Great War, to emigrate to Canada. Christina had spent 75 years wondering where her beloved brother was buried. Alex's grave site was found with one phone call to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Accompanied by Alexander, Christina planted a small bunch of Scottish Heather at her beloved brothers place of rest on 4th January 1993. Since then Christina has passed away aged 92, her son Alexander has re-visited his Uncle Ramsay's grave taking his son Graham Alexander who will in turn visit his Great Uncle's grave to pay the respects and love of our grateful family and future generations of our family to aknowledge the sacrifice and courage of our Great Uncle and his fallen comrades. Alex lost his life just 10 weeks before Armistice Day on 11 November 1918.
1914.08.0614th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Royal Montreal Regiment), C.E.F.
formed at Montreal, PQ
"It is a melancholy scene. Down the Cambrai road through Vis-en-Artois, past Dury on the left and Vellers-lez-Cagnicourt on the right, all is desolate. It is a typical No Man's Land landscape. The countryside is pitted with shell-holes and scarred with trenches. Avenues of trees along the road show only blasted stumps. There is not a green thing. Everywhere is the debris of war, the litter and the ruin. Broken lorries, shattered remnants of an armoured car, the twisted rails of a light railway, scrap-iron of all descriptions, ammunition boxes piled high these things cumber the roadside. Everywhere are horses in various stages of decomposition. Here and there are rows of our dead, awaiting burial parties. Over all is a brooding stench of decay and stale gas."
[Sergeant Army Canadian Infantry 14th Battalion ]