Ronald William Palmer Poulton

Ronald 'Ronnie' William Poulton was an English rugby union footballer, who captained England and was killed in the First World War.

Born in north Oxford, he was the son of Sir Edward Bagnall Poulton, the zoologist and his wife Emily Palmer. He was educated at the Dragon School, Rugby School, and Balliol College, Oxford.

Poulton played for Balliol College, Oxford University RFC, Harlequins and Liverpool F.C. Poulton is one of three men to score a hat-trick of tries in The Varsity Match

Military Service

• June 1912 - Commissioned into 1st/4th Battalion Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) (Territorial Force)
• Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in July 1913.

At the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Poulton answered the call to volunteer for overseas service.

On the morning of 5 May 1915, Poulton was involved in repairing a trench, in the vicinity of Ploegsteert Wood in Belgium, when he was shot by an enemy sniper. His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Thorne, wrote that his death must have been instantaneous. Captain Jack Conybeare, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, a school friend from both OPS and Rugby, wrote later that day: "I was talking to one of the Berks' officers this morning. He told me that Ronald was far and away the most popular officer in the battalion, both among officers and men. Apparently he was standing on top of the parapet last night, directing a working party, when he was hit. Of course, by day, anyone who shows his head above the parapet is courting disaster; in fact if one is caught doing so one is threatened with court-martial. At night, on the other hand, we perpetually have working parties of one kind or another out, either wiring, repairing the parapet, or doing something which involves coming from under cover, and one simply takes the risk of stray bullets."

Ronald Poulton Palmer's grave is in Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery, near Ploegsteert, Belgium. A memorial to him was erected at Balliol College, on the west wall of the Chapel passage.[67] The cross marking Poulton's grave in Flanders was taken back to Oxford, and is mounted in a wall in Hollywell Cemetery.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Poulton

LOTFWW

Medal Index Cards

findmypast Transcription

• First name(s) Ronald William Poulton
• Last name Palmer
• Year 1914-20
• Service number -
• Rank Lieutenant
• Regiment Royal Berkshire Regiment
• Service record Rank: Lieutenant, Corps: Royal Berkshire Regiment
• Image link http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D4499952
• Country Great Britain
• Medal type British Army Medal Index Cards, 1914-1920
• Archive reference WO372/15

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POULTON PALMER, RONALD WILLIAM

Rank: Lieutenant
Date of Death: 05/05/1915
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: Royal Berkshire Regiment 1st/4th Bn.
Grave Reference: B. 11.
Cemetery: HYDE PARK CORNER (ROYAL BERKS) CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Professor Edward Bagnall Poulton and Mrs. Emily Palmer Poulton, of Wykeham House, Oxford. Captain of the England Rugby Football XV in 1914.
CWGC