Roger Mintey Posted 10 April Share Posted 10 April Has anyone any information about a Lt Col Ram, who was stationed at Windmill Hill Camp in WWI? I found a thick brass "Box label" bearing his name while metal detecting in Rusper, near Horsham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 11 April Share Posted 11 April Roger: what makes you think that the box label relates to the Great War? Windmill Hill Camp was a camping-site (ie no huts) much used by Territorial units in the summer months before the war, and also during it. It was between Tidworth and Ludgershall. Mounted units based there during WWI included: 3/1st Buckinghamshire Yeomanry: summer 1916 1st (Royal) Dragoons: September 19–early October, 1914 10th (Prince of Wales's Own) Hussars: September 19 or 22–October 8, 1914 1st & 2nd Life Guards: September 1–October 7, 1914 3rd Cavalry Division formed September 1914, left early October; included Royal Horse Guards: September 1–October 7, 1914 I'm not much into researching individual soldiers, but looking for "Ram" in the National Archives' Medal Index Cards produced 5,109 hits. "Ram" is a not uncommon Indian name, but no Indian troops were based in Wiltshire during the war. Windmill Hill Camp continued to be used after the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Mintey Posted 12 April Author Share Posted 12 April Regarding my post on Lt Col Ram, I might have misled the forum. The wording on the plate is in old Gothic Script and reads. Lt Col Ram Windmill Hill Hants It might be that the Windmill Hill referred to is NOT Windmill Hill Camp, Wilts, but Windmill Hill, Hants, just south of Butser Hill and just E of the A3 (M) where there might never have been a significant military presence. The "plate" is broken in two pieces by the plough and measures 4 inches by 1.4 inches and weighs 1.3oz or 36.5 grams with a stout fixing lug at each end. I believe that it is most likely to have been attached to a box. It was found at Pleystowe Farm, Rusper, near Capel in Surrey, where I have searched for 12 years and found virtually nothing from WWI. LT Col Ram is not listed as being a Pleystowe WWI casualty. He might have had no connection with the famous Wilshire camp. The Gothic script has a distinctive 19th century appearance. Roger Mintey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancpal Posted 12 April Share Posted 12 April Any chance of posting some photos? We could all be up all night wondering. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Mintey Posted 12 April Author Share Posted 12 April Regarding Lt Col Ram. I will clean the pieces sufficiently to take some decent photos and then post them on the forum. At present I do not know how to post photos. Can anyone advise? I do not have a smart phone, merely a digital camera and a large PC computer. Roger Mintey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 13 April Share Posted 13 April (edited) "My" Windmill Hill is just inside the Wiltshire border, just over a mile from the county boundary. Its mail was handled by the civilian post office in Andover, Hampshire, and camp postmarks include "Hampshire". So easy enough for a soldier new to the area to get confused. And there are lots of other Windmill Hills, including a famous archaeological site near Avebury. The average stay of units at Windmill Hill Camp in Wiltshire was two or three months during the war (and two weeks before it) and I wonder whether anyone would have bothered to have commissioned a brass label for such a short stay. An alternative theory (and one I don't have much confidence in) is that "Windmill Hill" was the name of Ram's manor house ... Edited 13 April by Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 13 April Share Posted 13 April 12 hours ago, Roger Mintey said: At present I do not know how to post photos. Can anyone advise? I do not have a smart phone, merely a digital camera and a large PC computer. Take photo(s), save to computer - copy and paste / drag into your new post to attach. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Mintey Posted 13 April Author Share Posted 13 April Picture of two bits of Lt Col' Ram Windmill Hill Hants Sent by Roger Mintey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 14 April Share Posted 14 April (edited) One could try looking for Lieutenant Colonel Ram in old directories for Sussex - though he might have retired there after the last one listed was published - or in Hart's Army Lists. (I have to say that I've never found it easy to navigate either.) Note that Windmill Hill became a camping-site only in 1903, and up to the war was used mainly by Volunteer and Territorial units. (I don't know much about the post-WWI period but I believe it continued in use as a camping-site into WWII and possibly beyond.) Edited 14 April by Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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