Search These War Records

Key to Sources

    
Roll of Honour

    
War Memorials

    
Gravestones

    
Commonwealth War Graves

    
Army Records

    
Census Records

    
Newspapers

    
Other Sources


Search These Records

Donald Rainsford-Hannay

SRoH.       Major Donald Rainsford-Hannay.         Home: Kirkdale, Creetown.
Mobilised as Second-Lieutenant, 4th August 1914, 53rd Sikhs Frontier Force .
Served on Western Front.     Severely wounded at Armentieres.
Awarded Order of British Empire (Military Division).

Karachi War Cemetery : (Plot 1 D13) Lt. Col Donald Rainsford Hannay, Indian Medical Corps.

1891 Portsmouth Census, at Portsea : Donald R. Hannay (5, born Malta) with parents Ramsay W. R. Hannay (46, Lt-Col Royal Artillery, born India) and Helen J. R. Hannay (44) + 6 siblings.

1901 Sandhurst Census, Wellington College : Donald Rainsford-Hannay (15, born Malta) was a pupil.

www.peerage.com : Donald’s father was Col. Ramsay William Rainsford-Hannay of Kirkdale, mother was Helen Jane Brancker.     Educated at Wellington College, Berkshire & Royal Military College, Sandhurst
Married Gladys Woodlock in 1920.   Donald died in 1947.
Became a Major with 53rd Sikhs (Indian Army) Fought in Mohmand and Afridi campaigns in 1908.
Awarded an O.B.E.in 1918.
1932 – 47 in the service of the Maharajas of Jind and Jodhpur.

FreeBMD Death : Donald Rainsford-Hannay 27/03/1946 Karachi, Pakistan.  Father R. W. Rainsford-Hannay.

Gatehouse link : Home address provided at enlistment was Kirkdale.

Frederick Rainsford-Hannay

SRoH.       Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Rainsford-Hannay.      Home: Kirkdale, Creetown.     Mobilised as Second-Lieutenant 4th August 1914, Royal Artillery.
Served in France and Flanders 1915 to 1919.     Wounded once in France.
Awarded Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) in January 1917 & C.M.G. in July 1919.     Pre-war record - South African War (1890-1902).      King’s Medal (6 Clasps) & Queen’s Medal (2 Clasps).     Mentioned in despatches.

Medal Index Card : Major F Rainsford- Hannay RA, later Lt/Col. RFA.    Various medals and awards mentioned including British and Victory medals. There seems to have been some problem whether he was eligible for certain medals. He applied for 15 star on 07.10.1920.   Also awarded DSO & CMG. 

Address given as (1) Larkhill (possibly Larkhill Artillery Camp, Wiltshire)      (2) Wahn (?) Artillery Camp (07/10/1920)      and (3) Cardoness, Gatehouse-of-Fleet, Scotland

1881 Liverpool Census, at Greenbank House, Toxteth Park : Frederick R. Hannay (2, born Madras, India) with grandparents John Brancker (62, Justice of the Peace, born Hamburg) and Mary Brancker (59) + mother Helen J K Hannay & 4 siblings.

1891 Portsmouth Census, at Portsea : Frederick R. Hannay (12, born India) with parents Ramsay W. R. Hannay (46, Lt-Col Royal Artillery, born India) and Helen J. R. Hannay (44) + 6 siblings.

www.peerage.com : Frederick was born 28/04/1878
Father: Col. Ramsay William Rainsford-Hannay of Kirkdale   Mother: Helen Jane Brancker.
Frederick was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire & Royal Military College, Woolwich, Kent. He fought in the Boer War (1899 to 1902).  He married Dorothea Letitia May Maxwell (daughter of Sir William Maxwell of Cardoness in 16/08/1910. They had 2 children: Ramsay William Rainsford-Hannay born 15/06/1911 and Gavin Rainsford-Hannay who was born and died in 1914.
Awarded the D.S.O. in 1917 and the C.M.G. (Companion Order of St Michael & St George) in 1919.
He was a J.P. and died in 1959.

Gatehouse link : Home address provided at enlistment was Kirkdale.

Frederick Rainsford-Hannay

John Rainsford-Hannay

SRoH.     Captain.     Home: Kirkdale, Creetown.
Mobilised 4th August 1914, The Queen’s Regiment, Royal Welsh Surrey.     Served on Western Front (France & Flanders 1915-1917).     Accidentally injured October 1917.    Awarded Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) in January 1917.

Queen's Royal Regiment Surrey Association : John Rainsford-Hannay was born in September 1879. He was educated at Wellington and RMC Sandhurst. He was commissioned to the Queens Royal Regiment 07/09/1898 and joined 2nd Battalion at Aldershot. He served in the South African war where he was Adj. in South African Light Horse and also served with 1st Battalion in India. he became Adj. of the Inns of Court OTC (in London). In 1915 he joined the Staff of the Scottish Division as Brigade Major and GSO2 serving in France. He was badly wounded at the Battle of Loos and was awarded DSO for services in France. In 1917 he was part of a British Military Mission to the USA. After the war he was again Adj. of the Inns of Court. He later served in Ireland (1922) and India (1924) before retiring in 1928. In World War 2 he commanded the local Home Guard Battalion. He died in 1951.

Medal Index Card : John Rainsford-Hannay  Capt.  Q. Ryl. Reg.(Queen’s Royal Regiment), later Major, and Adj. Inns of Court OTC. Sent to France June 1915. Awarded various medals including Victory, British and 15 Star while with R. W. Surrey. Also awarded DSO.    Address (1) Mess of Court Office, 10 Stone Bldgs., Lincoln Inn, London WC2      (2) 65 Harrington Gardens, (London) SW 7

1891 Portsmouth Census, at Portsea : John Rainsford Hannay (11, born Liverpool) with parents Ramsay W. R. Hannay (46, Lt-Col Royal Artillery, born India) and Helen J. R. Hannay (44) + 6 siblings.

Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser 1st July 1916 : In a supplement to the London Gazette - Major John Rainsford-Hannay, Royal West Surrey Regiment, General Headquarters Staff (Kirkdale) recommended for his gallant and distinguished service in France.

www.peerage.com : Father : William Ramsay Rainsford-Hannay, Mother : Helen Brancker.    John born 1879.  Married Evelyn Gordon Forbes on 08/01/1904 and had 3 children:   Margorie Gordon Rainsford-Hannay born 1907, Patrick Ramsay Rainsford-Hannay born 1911 & Denis Lewis Errington Rainsford-Hannay born 1914.     Educated at Wellington College, Berkshire & Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Died 1951.

FreeBMD online : John Rainsford Hannay, born Q3 1879, West Derby, Lancashire

Gatehouse link : Home address provided at enlistment was Kirkdale.

John Rainsford-Hannay

Mary Rainsford-Hannay

See Cliff-McCulloch, Mary

Ramsay Rainsford-Hannay

SRoH.       Captain Ramsey Rainsford-Hannay.         Home: Kirkdale, Creetown.
Mobilised as Second-Lieutenant 4th August 1914, in 45th Rattray’s Sikhs.
Served in Mesopotamia.   Posthumously mentioned in despatches ‘for gallant and distinguished conduct on the field.’     Killed in action before Kut, 1st February 1917.
(Kut-Al-Imara is a city in Iraq on the River Tigris. The town was recaptured from the Turks by a British Force in February 1917.)          Pre-war service : North West Frontier, India, 1908.     Medal and Clasps.

Kirkmabreck War Memorial, Creetown Inscription : Rainsford-Hannay, Ramsay     Captain  45th Rattray’s Sikhs.
Mural monument in Kirkmabreck Church, Creetown: Ramsay Rainsford-Hannay, Captain 45th (Rattray’s) Sikhs, killed in action before Kut, Mesopotamia 1st February 1917.          'Qui procul hunc, Qui ante diem periit, Sed miles sed pro patria'  -  a quote from a poem 'Clifton Chapel' by Henry Newbolt.   Roughly translates as 'A man who died young, far away, but a soldier for his country.'

CWGC : Major Ramsay Rainsford-Hannay  45th Rattray’s Sikhs.    Died 01/02/1917.   On Basra Memorial (Panel 56) Iraq.
Parents: Col.R. W. Rainsford-Hannay & late Mrs Rainsford-Hannay, Kirkdale, Creetown.     Mentioned in Despatches.

1891 Portsmouth Census, at Portsea : Ramsay Rainsford Hannay (6, born Malta) with parents Ramsay W. R. Hannay (46, Lt-Col Royal Artillery, born India) and Helen J. R. Hannay (44) + 6 siblings.

1901 Sandhurst Census, at Wellington College : Ramsay Rainsford Hannay (16, born Malta) was a pupil.

1911 English Census : Ramsay Rainsford Hannay (26, unmarried, lieutenant, born Malta) serving with 34th Company Sappers & Miners in Ceylon & India.

Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser 16th February 1917:  Captain Ramsay Rainsford-Hannay was killed a week after his mother’s death.

www.peerage.com : Ramsay born 29/04/1884.
Father : William Ramsay Rainsford-Hannay, Mother : Helen Brancker.
Educated at Wellington College, Berkshire & Royal Military College, Sandhurst
Captain with Indian Army (45th Sikhs) and fought in the North West Frontier Campaign.     Killed 01/02/1917 (aged 32).
Ramsay was unmarried.

Gatehouse link : Home address provided at enlistment was Kirkdale.

Rainsford-Hannay family. WW1 soldier Ramsay is the young one.     Kirkmabreck War Memorial at Creetown     Kirkmabreck memorial to Ramsay Rainsford-Hannay

Key to Sources

    
Roll of Honour

    
War Memorials

    
Gravestones

    
Commonwealth War Graves

    
Army Records

    
Census Records

    
Newspapers

    
Other Sources