Ronald William Narracott – Royal Engineers

Lieutenant Ronald William Narracott – Royal Engineers

Early Life and Family Background

Samuel John Narracott and Katherine Mary Bowen
marriage certificate
Parish Church of Walcot, Somerset

Ronald William Narracott was born in 1884 in Shepherds Bush, London. He was the son of Samuel John Narracott and Katherine Mary Bowen, who were married in 1881 at the Parish Church of Walcot, Somerset.

1891 Census

The 1891 Census records the Narracott family living at Prymont Villa, 2 Pyrmont Road, Twyford Abbey, Ealing, Brentford, Middlesex. Ronald’s father, Samuel G. Narracott, aged 33 and born in Devon, was employed as a buyer in a china and glass warehouse. His mother, Katherine M., aged 35 and born in Bath, lived with him along with their three sons, Ronald W. (7), Hugh (5) and Maurice V. (4). Also residing in the household were Katherine’s widowed mother, Emily Bowen, aged 66, a retired jeweller, and Sara A. Edwins, aged 23, who was employed as a servant.

Marriage

In 1907, Ronald married Agnes Constance Fay. The marriage took place in Brussels, Belgium, and their address at the time was recorded as 7 Place Saint Jean Jacobs, Brussels.

Occupation and Civilian Life

The 1911 Census records Ronald, then aged 28, as a boarder residing at 26 Coram Street, St Pancras, London. His occupation was listed as Mining Engineer, and there is no reference to his wife on the census return. Prior to the outbreak of the First World War, Ronald was living at Mayals, Blackpill, and was employed by the British Metal Extraction Company, which was based at Llansamlet.

Military Service and Death

During the First World War, Ronald served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, a corps whose responsibilities were both highly technical and exceptionally dangerous. By August 1915, Royal Engineers units in the Ypres Salient were heavily engaged in trench warfare, carrying out vital work such as the construction and repair of trenches and dugouts, the laying of barbed wire defences, the building of roads and bridges, and the installation and repair of field telephone and telegraph lines. They were also involved in mining and counter-mining operations, often beneath enemy positions.

Much of this work was undertaken close to the front line and frequently under enemy fire, particularly during night operations. Royal Engineers officers were required to personally supervise work parties in exposed positions, making casualties common even outside major offensives.

Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects

Ronald William Narracott 
Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium
credit - findagrave

Western Mail 

Cambria Daily Leader

The Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects record that Lieutenant Narracott was reported missing, with his death officially accepted as having occurred on 10^th August 1915. His commemoration on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium, indicates that he was lost in the Ypres Salient and that his body was never recovered—circumstances consistent with the hazardous duties performed by Royal Engineers officers during this period. His death was reported in both the Western Mail and the Cambria Daily Leader.