Rait-Kerr W C Captain DSO Royal Field Artillery

CAPTAIN W. C. RAIT-KERR, D.S.O.

57TH BATTERY ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY

WILLIAM CHARLES RAIT-KERR was the eldest of four soldier sons of Sylvester and Mary Rait-Kerr, of Rathmoyle, Edenderry, King’s County, Ireland, and grandson of Major-General Hutchinson, R.E., C.B., who was for many years Government Inspector of Railways under the Board of Trade.

He entered the School in 1900, and passed on to the R.M.A., Woolwich, in 1905. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1910, and Captain in November, 1914, a week before he was killed.

He went to the Front at the beginning of the War, in August, 1914, with the First Division, under Sir Douglas Haig, and served with his Battery in the Retreat from Mons, and in the Battles of the Marne and of the Aisne.

At Veldhoek, four miles east of Ypres, his Battery having gone to the rear to rest and refit, he was in charge of a gun, placed in a forward position for a special purpose. He had handed over his duties to his relief and was making his way back from his observation post when he was shot through the head by a sniper, on November 10th, 1914. Age 28.

He was mentioned in Despatches of January 14th, 1915, having been awarded the D.S.O. on December 2nd, 1914. The Official record of this was as follows:-

Lieut. William Charles Rait-Kerr, R.F.A.

“Gallant conduct in bringing up a gun to within 250 yards of the enemy in a wood, and blowing down a house in which the enemy were working a machine gun.”

The Officer Commanding the 43rd Brigade R.F.A. wrote:-

“He was a brave and excellent officer, quite the best Subaltern in the Brigade, and was beloved by every officer and man.”

And his Captain said:-

“I had the greatest admiration for Charlie. He was one of the best and soundest subalterns in the Regiment, and had enormous grit and pluck. He had done very good work throughout the War.”

Copy of Brigadier-General’s message on the Field, November 8th, 1914, enclosing French Colonel’s thanks:-

Please forward to Rait-Kerr.

“Brigadier congratulates Captain Rait-Kerr on enclosed. A combination of his howitzer with a Section of 18-prs. working together might drive the Germans further back still.”

(Enclosure.)

Renseignements.

La maison à l’est de la Chapelle du carrefour a été atteinte. Les Allemands en sont partis et ont également abandonné les tranchées situées à l’est de cette maison.

Les Zouaves, très reconnaissants des services rendus hier et aujourd’hui par l’habilité des artilleurs anglais.

Le Lieut.-Colonel.

His second brother, Captain S. C. Rait-Kerr (O.R.), R.F.A., was killed on May 13th, 1915.

Source : Memorials Of Rugbeians Who Fell In The Great War Vol 1

 

RAIT-KERR, WILLIAM CHARLES, D.S.O., Capt., 57th Howitzer Battery, R.F.A. eldest s. of Sylvester Rait-Kerr, of Rathmoyle, Edenderry, King’s co. Ireland, by his wife, Mary, dau. of the late Major-General Charles Scrope Hutchinson, C.B., R.E.; b. Rathmoyle, afsd. 6 Aug. 1886; educ. Arnold House, Llandulas, Rugby School, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; gazetted 2nd Lieut. R.F.A. 23 July, 1907; and promoted Lieut. 23 July, 1910, and Capt. 30 Oct., 1914; went to France 16 Aug. 1914, with the 1st Division, commanded by Sir Douglas Haig, as Lieut. in 57th Howitzer Battery, 43rd Brigade, R.F.A.; took part in the Battle of, and retreat from, Mons, the Battles of the Marne and the Aisne, and the 1st Battle of Ypres, and was killed in action at Veldhoek, near Ypres, 10 Nov. following, whilst in charge of an advanced gun 250 yards from the enemy, being shot through the head by a German sniper. The rest of his battery had gone to the rear to rest and refit, having been out since the beginning of the war. Buried at Veldhoek, beside the gun “he had commanded so well”; unm.

He was awarded the D.S.O. “For gallant conduct in bringing up a gun to within 250 yards of
the enemy in a wood, and blowing down a house in which the enemy were working a machine-gun” [London Gazette, 1 Dec. 1914]; and was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French’s Despatch of 14 Jan. 1915. His Colonel wrote: “He was in charge of a gun which had for some days been placed in a forward position for a special purpose, to destroy some houses from which some German snipers were causing heavy losses in our trenches. He had been doing splendid work, which had been specially noticed by the General, and only the day before his death the Commander of the French troops on our left had sent a letter of thanks for one particularly useful lot of shooting which he had put in and destroyed some German trenches in front of them. He was a brave and excellent officer and man. He had just appeared in the Gazette as Capt. and was so delighted that I had been able to get him posted to one of my batteries.” Another officer wrote: “He was up in the infantry trenches with one gun close behind, in communication by telephone with him. He was there about a fortnight, and in that time did very fine work, knocking houses down with Germans and machine-guns in them, and various other jobs. He was highly praised by all the people up there, and by the General in command of the Infantry Brigade. He had a very rough time from both shell and rifle fire, but had done great execution in spite of it.” His brother, Capt. S. C. Rait-Kerr, was killed in action 13 May, 1915.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1