Robert Richmond Raymer

Bill Smith

08 October 2016, 13:39

Info from Channel Islands Great War Study Group website Colonel Raymer was the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 1/5th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment and who was wounded at Gommecourt on 1st July, 1916 during the initial attack on the “First Day of the Somme”. Born on 1st November, 1870, he was educated at Farnham Grammar School before going on to gain a science degree at London University and later a Master of Arts degree at Trinity College in Dublin. He became an assistant master at Tollington Park School in North London from 1890 before then being appointed master in Mathematics and Science at Kibworth School, Market Harborough in 1894. He first experienced active service in the army during the South African War, where he served with the 1st Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment and would receive the Queen’s South Africa Medal with five clasps. Colonel Raymer later transferred to the Royal Militia, Island of Jersey as a Captain with the 2nd (or East Battalion) in 1904, on becoming a master at Victoria College in Jersey, later being promoted to Major in 1910. He commanded the College’s Cadet Corps where he made major improvements, and which at that time, and until 1908 when it became a Junior Officers’ Training Corps (JOTC), was affiliated to the Militia’s 2nd Battalion. 50 He married Ethel Annie Raymer on 2nd August, 1905 and they had one son, Charles Robert Peyton Raymer who was born on 3rd October, 1914. At the outbreak of the Great War, Raymer was a master at the Clifton College (Douglas Haig’s old school), having left Victoria College and Jersey in December, 1912, all the while retaining his commission with the Jersey Militia, and transferred to the 5th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment on the 12th October, 1914 with the rank of Major. He was appointed Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel in February, 1915, and became the CO of the 1/5th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment in February, 1915, taking over from Lieutenant-Colonel AR Crawley shortly before that Battalion’s departure for France. Victoria College OTC in 1911 (Thanks to Captain Chris Rondel, Victoria College, CCF) Colonel Raymer remained in command of the Battalion until he was wounded during the assault on Gommecourt on 1st July, 1916. Recovered from his wounds, he appears to have been a ‘jobbing’ CO, and subsequently went on to command the following units: • 10th Battalion, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, from 1916 to 1917 • 10th Officer Cadet Battalion, from January to May, 1918, in the UK • 9th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment, and • 5th Battalion, The South Wales Borderers, from October, 1918 to June, 1919. He was ‘Mentioned in Dispatches’ four times throughout the war and was awarded the CMG and the DSO. Colonel Raymer was promoted to the rank of full Colonel in 1919, and then returned to Clifton College to continue teaching and to resume command of the JOTC there. He then took Holy Orders and served as Rector at St 51 Giles’ Church, Sheldon in Birmingham after the war. He was recalled to the Army during the Second World War and served as a Chaplain in Greece during the 1941 campaign, later being awarded Commander of St George I by the King of Greece. Robert Richmond Raymer died on the 12th January, 1948 and at the time of his death lived at Havering, St Mary’s Road, Portishead and was a Clerk in Holy Orders. London Gazette References: 28704, 28680, 28706, 29006, 29095, 29422, 29617, 29623, 30060, 30331, 30502, 30524, 30556, 30755, 30843, 30877, 31253, 31456, 31557, 31594. (Note: This is not a complete list). Thanks also go to a Brian MacCormack on the WFA Forum for supplying much of the above information.