Sgt
Clarence Gordon Ranson
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 09/11/1891 |
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Place of birth: Scottsdale, Tasmania, Australia |
General information
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Profession: Bushman |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Sergeant |
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Service number: 20217 |
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Enlistment date: 1/11/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Ross, Tasmania, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Field Artillery, 27th Bty. 7th Bde. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 16/10/1917 |
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Place of death: No. 3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station, Brandhoek, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Died of wounds (D.O.W.) |
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Age: 25 |
Cemetery
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Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No.3 Plot: I Row: L Grave: 26 |
Distinctions and medals 3
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British War Medal Medal |
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Military Medal Medal — 24/06/1917 |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Sergeant Clarence “Mick” Gordon Ranson served in the 27th Battery, part of the 7th Field Artillery Brigade of the 3rd Australian Division.
He was rewarded with the Military Medal for rescuing 6 men from a gas attack in the Battle of Messines. On the night of the 7thand 8th of June 1917, Sergeant Ranson was with an ammunition party near the Ploegsteert Cross-roads, when a party of Australian Infantry encountered heavy gas in the vicinity a number became completely exhausted. He removed the kit from 6 of these men and administered the capsule supplies, and ultimately succeeded in getting them all to the dressing station. This was done about 2 a.m. when the gas was very heavy and enemy high explosive shells were dropping quite close to the spot. Ranson himself was suffering afterwards from the effects of the gas.
The 27th Battery also participated in the Third Battle of Ypres. Beginning from the 4th of October, the 7th Field Artillery Brigade moved into position in the area of Potsdam and Vampir. The 27th Battery was situated nearby Bostin Farm. They subsequently positioned their guns between Bostin Farm and the remnants of the Ypres-Roulers railroad (now the Ieperstraat).
On October 13, the 27th Battery was ordered to start firing on German positions northeast of Passchendaele. Starting from the early morning of October 14, German aeroplanes reconnoitred the Battery positions of the 7th Field Artillery Brigade at a very low attitude. The aeroplane observation resulted in fixing the batteries positions. At 12.30 p.m. a deliberate destructive shoot took place on some of the batteries. Because of the continuing firing upon the battery positions, battery commanders were given instructions to reduce the personnel at the Gun lines to a minimum for at least until October 16.
On the 15th of October, German shell fire caused a number of casualties amongst the battery gunners. The batteries of the 7th Field Artillery Brigade were again subjected to a severe shelling on the 16th of October, causing a large number of casualties.
Sergeant Clarence “Mick” Gordon Ranson died of his wounds on the 16th of October 1917. He was possibly mortally wounded, due to the heavy shelling that day on the 27th Battery positions near Bostin Farm. He was evacuated to the No. 3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station, at Brandhoek near Poperinge, where he succumbed of his wounds. He was buried in the nearby Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No. 3.
He was rewarded with the Military Medal for rescuing 6 men from a gas attack in the Battle of Messines. On the night of the 7thand 8th of June 1917, Sergeant Ranson was with an ammunition party near the Ploegsteert Cross-roads, when a party of Australian Infantry encountered heavy gas in the vicinity a number became completely exhausted. He removed the kit from 6 of these men and administered the capsule supplies, and ultimately succeeded in getting them all to the dressing station. This was done about 2 a.m. when the gas was very heavy and enemy high explosive shells were dropping quite close to the spot. Ranson himself was suffering afterwards from the effects of the gas.
The 27th Battery also participated in the Third Battle of Ypres. Beginning from the 4th of October, the 7th Field Artillery Brigade moved into position in the area of Potsdam and Vampir. The 27th Battery was situated nearby Bostin Farm. They subsequently positioned their guns between Bostin Farm and the remnants of the Ypres-Roulers railroad (now the Ieperstraat).
On October 13, the 27th Battery was ordered to start firing on German positions northeast of Passchendaele. Starting from the early morning of October 14, German aeroplanes reconnoitred the Battery positions of the 7th Field Artillery Brigade at a very low attitude. The aeroplane observation resulted in fixing the batteries positions. At 12.30 p.m. a deliberate destructive shoot took place on some of the batteries. Because of the continuing firing upon the battery positions, battery commanders were given instructions to reduce the personnel at the Gun lines to a minimum for at least until October 16.
On the 15th of October, German shell fire caused a number of casualties amongst the battery gunners. The batteries of the 7th Field Artillery Brigade were again subjected to a severe shelling on the 16th of October, causing a large number of casualties.
Sergeant Clarence “Mick” Gordon Ranson died of his wounds on the 16th of October 1917. He was possibly mortally wounded, due to the heavy shelling that day on the 27th Battery positions near Bostin Farm. He was evacuated to the No. 3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station, at Brandhoek near Poperinge, where he succumbed of his wounds. He was buried in the nearby Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No. 3.
Sources 3
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7th Australian Field Artillery Brigade, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 13/35/12, part 1 and 2). Sources used |
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Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10240447 Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, RANSON C G). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SessionTimeout.aspx Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/140404 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=c04b7ed5-6a07-4c29-aeba-f00b8d92b991 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7557410 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=249771 |