1914/15 trio and Defence Medal to Lieutenant R B Purves No 188 Special Gas Company

1914-15 Star. Correctly impressed -  113100 CPL. R. B. PURVES. R. E. 

Pair correctly impressed - 2. LIEUT. R. B. PURVES

Defence Medal - unnamed as issued. 

Condition EF

 

With three cased and named Edinburgh and East of Scotland College of Agricultural Diploma Bronze Medallions for 1913-1914  and a contemporary set of Great War miniatures.

 

 

Ronald Bruce Purves (1895-1969) was born at Abbotshall near Kirkcaldy, Fife, on the 18th March 1895, the son of Alexander (1861-1946) and Mary Anne Steel Bruce (1867-1896). He is first recorded in the 1901 Scotland Census, aged six years, residing at the family home at 3 Bennochy Terrace, Abbotshall, where his widowed father’s trade is given as ‘Merchant Draper’.

 

Purves attested for service with the 2/3rd Battalion Scottish Horse at Edinburgh on the 15th September 1914, declaring his age to be 19 years 6 months, and stating his occupation as ‘Agricultural Student’. He re-attested into ‘M’ Company Royal Engineers at Chatham on 17th August 1915, being described as ‘Pioneer’ and promoted Corporal (Chemical Section) the same day. His service papers are additionally annotated that he was also in receipt of additional pay as ‘Corporal Chemist’. He embarked for France on the 30th August 1915, and is noted as having served with No 188 (Special) Company RE; being then posted to No 5 (Mortar) Battalion Special Brigade on 23rd April 1916, on which day he was promoted Sergeant.

 

He was discharged to a temporary commission on 17th September 1916, and appointed Second Lieutenant with effect from 18th September 1916. He was recorded as being ‘very severely wounded’ at near Beaumont Hamel on the 28th October 1916 by GSW to the abdomen; his wound being later attributed to a shell fragment from a misfired stokes mortar. He was admitted to Hospital the same day, and returned to England on 22nd November 1916.

 

The Unit War Diary entry for the 28th October 1916 records ‘Operations carried out by No 2 Special Company RE (see attached Appendix ‘M’). Casualties; 2/Lieutenant R B Purves RE wounded; 1 other rank died of wounds; six other ranks wounded’. Reference to Appendix ‘M’ confirms that on this day, the purpose of the operations was to; ‘Render enemy positions from Y Ravine to Beaumont Hamel untenable with S. K. bombs’. The report also stated there was a total of eighty-nine misfires, all but one of which were recapped and fired, the one remaining misfire had resulted in several casualties, including Purves; his pensionable disabilities were afterwards described as ‘Gunshot wound (shell fragment) abdomen with subsequent adhesions Gas Poisoning’. ’

 

He attended a Medical Board at Devonport on the 30th April 1917, where he was passed permanently unfit for General Service, but fit to serve in a Garrison or Labour Battalion, or service at Home without route marching. He later served with the Labour Corps and was discharged at Fovant on the 23rd April 1919.

 

In later life, Purves and his wife became hoteliers, and are recorded in the 1939 Register residing at the Mansion Hotel, Evesham, where he is additionally recorded as an Air Raid Warden. Ronald Bruce Purves died on the 24th December 1969.