MAJOR N. B. RAMSAY No. 11 COMMANDO

Looking for a photograph and information on Major N. B. RAMSAY
2 i/c of 11 (Scottish) COMMANDO in 1940

Only info known is....

.......The Commando had marched through Ayr on September 4 and on September 6, were sent by special train to Fairlie where they embarked for Lamlash on Arran in the Glen Sannox. At Lamlash they were marched off the pier and divided into groups for billeting in homes in the village. The second in command, Major N. Bruce Ramsay (Camerons) was an enormous, jovial but elderly man who left Geoffrey Keyes in charge of the billeting arrangements. Officers were given a daily allowance of 13/4d while the other ranks (O.R.) were allowed 6/8d. The officers rented the White House from the Duchess of Montrose as an officer's mess. The officers were allowed one day off per week for sport and they also let some of the Duchess of Montrose's shooting.

...... Some of the older officers, who provided the early logistical support, dropped out to be replaced with younger men who were rapidly gaining experience. As Second in Command, Major Ramsay had acted as a buffer between the outspoken Pedder and Scottish Command and this difficult job was then taken over by Keyes, newly promoted to Captain.

Any suggestions welcome

Hello - you may know this already but a Major Bruce Ramsay of the Camerons gets a couple of mentions in the book Get Rommel by Michael Asher about the 11 commando operation flipper.

Nothing major - it just says he interviewed Keyes for his posting to the commando. Do you want me to copy out the bits of text and post on here?

Cheers,
Sam

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 17/05/2010 12:55:24

The original information posted above and quoted below appears to be from another website and as such should be accredited to them

.......The Commando had marched through Ayr on September 4 and on September 6, were sent by special train to Fairlie where they embarked for Lamlash on Arran in the Glen Sannox. At Lamlash they were marched off the pier and divided into groups for billeting in homes in the village. The second in command, Major N. Bruce Ramsay (Camerons) was an enormous, jovial but elderly man who left Geoffrey Keyes in charge of the billeting arrangements. Officers were given a daily allowance of 13/4d while the other ranks (O.R.) were allowed 6/8d. The officers rented the White House from the Duchess of Montrose as an officer's mess. The officers were allowed one day off per week for sport and they also let some of the Duchess of Montrose's shooting.

...... Some of the older officers, who provided the early logistical support, dropped out to be replaced with younger men who were rapidly gaining experience. As Second in Command, Major Ramsay had acted as a buffer between the outspoken Pedder and Scottish Command and this difficult job was then taken over by Keyes, newly promoted to Captain

This information is included on the Combined Operations website under 11 Commando and as such I will credit it to them accordingly. If it was found elsewhere please credit the site or book as Sam has done in his reply. The link to the Combined Operations page with this information on is here :

http://www.combinedops.com/Black%20Hackle.htm

I hope you find the photos you are looking for.

Regards

Pete

Sorry not to have mentioned my source but you are correct I did read it on No 11 Commando write up.

Regards Bill

Sam

Yes please post any mention of Major N Bruce RAMSAY you have.

I would have thought that he had left No. 11 Commando before 1941 and Operation Flipper. As my earlier posting says - he was quiet elderly and moved over to make room for a younger (and fitter) man.

Thanks again

Bill

Bill - you are probably right. He is only mentioned in the early stages of the book - setting the scene for the formation of 11 commando.

The references are on pages 10 and 13.

Its actually a good book - I enjoyed reading it - good account of Operation Flipper and why it was doomed to failure from the outset despite the immense bravery of the men involved.

Page 10
"11 (Scottish) Commando was raised at Galashiels in the Border region, where, in early 1940, Lieutenant Colonel Dick Pedder, 35, an irascible martinet of the Highland Light Infantry, and Major Bruce Ramsey, of the Cameron Highlanders, set up their HQ in the Douglas Hotel"

Page 13
"The interviewing Officer, Major Bruce Ramsey, was of first world war vintage, and even if he had not received a wire, and did not yet know that Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes had just become his chief, he was certainly aware that he was interviewing a national hero's eldest son."

I hope this helps!
Sam

Many thanks Sam - really appreciate your help.

Every bit of information puts another piece in the jigsaw.
If you ever spot a photo of him or can suggest where I may find one, please let me know.

Thanks again

Bill

Hi Bill

When you say the Camerons as his former regiment I assume you mean the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders. Have you checked their museum which is based at Fort George

Fort George
Ardersier
IV2 7TD
(01667) 462800, Ext 8701

Email: [email protected]

Regards

Pete

Pete

Thank you for that lead. A while back I saw that his regiment was 'Camerons' and contacted the Cameron Highlands Museum. Later I got cofirmation that it should have been the QOCH.

I now know that -
WW1 he was a Captain in the Northumberland Fusiliers.
WW2 He was a Major and his Regiment was the QOCH.
He was Second -in-Command of No.11 Commando when it was first formed, then Deputy Commander of AUXILIARY UNITS.

There must be a photograph of him somewhere.

You can find a picture of N.B.Ramsey on the British Army Officers 1939-1945 section of www.unithistories.com. Looking at the youthfulness of it i would imagine it to be a W.W.1 picture as it looks like a Fusiliers cap badge.
Regards,
Alan Orton.

Hi Bill

Major Bruce Ramsay MC, a territorial officer from the Cameron Highlanders, was appointed Second in Command of No 11 (Scottish) Commando as they mustered at Galashiels in the summer of 1940.
Major Ramsay, a veteran of the First World War, was responsible for administrating and assembling the volunteers.

In an interview with Dr Hamish Ross for his book ?Paddy Mayne?, Sir Tommy Macpherson makes the following reference to Mayor Ramsay as he explains how he volunteered for the Commandos:

?I volunteered and I myself picked from the other companies the other ranks that I thought suitable. I went down to Galashiels and clocked in and found that the administrative man was a Major Ramsay, who had been my Company Commander in September 1939. He was a First World War veteran with a Military Cross and one arm and so was considered the bees? knees by all concerned; he was also very convivial and liked his dram. The first thing that happened to me was that my Commanding Officer, of the Cameron?s, decided that the people I picked were to good and he wasn?t going to let them go and signalled that a substantially different body of men was about to be sent. I got Major Ramsay to call in higher authority and got ninety percent of the personnel I selected and they remained my Troop throughout the active period of Scottish Commando ? and very good they were?.

Major Ramsay left the Commando while they were training in Arran. Hope this helps.

Regards
Ian

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 05/11/2010 12:52:41

Major Ramsay's son has just made contact with me so hopefully we might get some additional information about him in due course. I hope he will take up my invitation for him to join the CVA

Thanks for the additional information.

Pete do you have contact details for Major Ramsay's son that you could let me have.

Best wishes

Hi Bill

His son who is aged 78 has not replied back since his first contact back in November. I will send him another email and mention your forum message. I hope you understand but rather than me give out his email address, if you care to leave yours either on here or in a private message to me, I will forward it on. You may wish to add for his information the reason for your interest.

Regards

Pete

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 27/01/2011 19:06:45

Bill

I received your email and have forwarded your request and details onto his son

Pete