Ronald Courtney Grove – Royal Engineers

Sapper Ronald Courtney Grove – Royal Engineers

Early Life and Family Background

Ronald Courtney Grove was born in 1919 in Glamorgan, the son of Violet Mary Grove. His early childhood was spent in the Gower village of Port Eynon, where he was raised within the extended Grove family.

1921 Census

The 1921 Census records Ronald — listed under his middle name, Courtney — living at his grandparents’ home, Burrows House, Port Eynon. His grandfather, William Grove, aged 58, was employed as a General Labourer, while his wife Ann, aged 57, managed the household. Also present were their daughter Violet Mary, aged 23 and working as a Domestic Servant, their son William James, aged 26 and a General Labourer, and young Courtney, aged 2. The census paints a picture of a close‑knit rural family typical of the Gower peninsula in the early twentieth century.

1939 Register

Growing Up in Port Eynon

The 1939 Register shows Ronald still residing at Burrows House. By this time, William James had become a Master Blacksmith, while Hilda M. undertook the household duties. Also present were Clarice M., a schoolgirl; Violet Ann, under school age; Ann, recorded as Incapacitated; and Ronald C. Grove, now a young man working as an Apprentice Fitter. His upbringing in Port Eynon placed him firmly within the rhythms of village life, surrounded by family and the working trades of rural Gower.

Military Service

Ronald later enlisted in the Royal Engineers, serving as a Sapper. His role would have involved essential engineering duties — construction, maintenance, and manual operations — tasks vital to the functioning of military camps and wartime infrastructure.

Liverpool Daily Post

A Tragic Accident in Cheshire

Ronald Courtney Grove died on 28 March 1940, following a tragic accident while stationed at a camp in Cheshire. His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post, which detailed the circumstances later examined at an inquest held by the Chester Coroner, Mr. D. Hughes.

On 20 March, Ronald had been securing a rope around a poplar tree as part of routine camp duties. Without warning, the tree snapped and fell, striking him with severe force. He was taken to Chester Royal Infirmary, where he succumbed to his injuries eight days later.

Evidence at the inquest revealed that the interior of the tree was rotten, a hidden weakness not visible externally. An officer confirmed the decay, explaining that the collapse had been entirely unforeseen. Lance‑Corporal L. Ashcroft, experienced in tree‑felling, stated that he believed the tree to be safe and did not consider the cutting of a projecting root significant. The Coroner returned a verdict of Accidental Death, concluding that Ronald’s passing resulted from a sudden and unpredictable failure of the tree rather than any negligence.

Ronald Courtney Grove
St Catwg’s Church, Port Eynon credit - findagrave

Burial

Ronald’s body was brought home to Gower, where he was laid to rest at St Catwg’s Church, Port Eynon. His grave stands among the quiet headstones of the village churchyard, a poignant reminder of the dangers faced by servicemen far from the battlefield.