Trafford

Born at Harrogate, Yorkshire on the 3rd December 1894, the birth registered
during the March quarter 1895 in the Knaresborough R.D. - ref: 9a/101, the
only son of John & Annie Morrison (nee Warburton).

1901 Census - Springfield Avenue, Harrogate, Yorkshire.  Son - aged: 6 -
born: Harrogate.  Head of household - John Morrison - Married - aged: 41 -
occ: Manager of Insurance Society - born: Bowdon, Cheshire.   Also - Anne
Morrison - Wife - aged: 38 - born: Hale, Cheshire.  Plus 1 elder sister, 1
visitor and 2 domestic servants.

Attended the private Wadham House School, Arthog Road, Hale.   From there
he attended the Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey.  He resided in the
Girdlestoneites Boarding House, named after its first Housemaster.

1911 Census - Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey.    Boarder - aged: 16
- Scholar - born: Harrogate.  His parents were then residing at
"Dunsthorpe", Waldegrave Road, Bickle, Kent where his father was employed
as a Manager of a Fire Insurance Company. 

He left Charterhouse School in 1912.   His parents formerly lived at Park
Road, Hale.    Nephew of David Morrison, Ashley Road, Hale.

Entered an engineering works and joined the RN Service as a Dispatch Rider
with the armoured cars.

His RNAS record states that he enlisted on the 28th September 1914.  He was
then 5 feet 2 inches in height with a chest measurement of 35 inches.  He
had brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion.  He also had an
appendicitis scar.   Served as an Air Mechanic at the RN Shore Base -
'Pembroke III at Eastchurch, Kent between the 28th September 1914 and the
31st March 1915.   Then based at another shore Base - HMS President II
(situated on the Thames close to Tower Bridge) between the 1st April and
the 24th June 1915, where he was now a 1st Grade Air Mechanic.  Posted to
the Ark Royal on the 7th April 1915.  [Unable to decipher the rest of his
record].

His movement Record starts in 1916.  Served at Chrystal Palace from
25/06/1916, then posted to Eastbourne on 15/07/1916.   Moved to Cranwell
23/09/1916 and to 3 Wing on 27/12/1916.   Then to Dunkirk on 23/04/1917 and
to Dover 21/06/1917.   Finally moved to the Isle of Grain on the 4th July
1917.

The newspaper reports at the time of his death tell a slightly different
story.........that he was drafted to Belgium in October 1914, then to
Gallipoli in 1915.   He came home from there in February 1916 and was
commissioned as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant in June 1916.   After obtaining his
wings, he was drafted to France in December 1916.    He received a "Home"
(UK) appointment on the 5th July 1917.

Undertaking a practice flight from the Isle of Grain Naval Air Station he
was killed while flying in FE2b A826 on 12 July 1917 when the aircraft
crashed after a spiral dive.  This was one of only a few FE2bs transferred
from the RFC to the RNAS.

Aged, just 22 years, he was buried in the Bromley (St. Luke's) Churchyard -
Section 'D' - Private Grave No. 209.  His death was reported in the
27/07/1915 edition of the Altrincham Guardian.

Information from the magazine "Flight" edition dated 26th July 1917:-

Flight Sub-Lieutenant RONALD BECKETT MORRISON, R.N., who was accidentally
killed while flying in England on July 12th, aged 22, was the only son of
Mr. and Mrs. John Morrison, of Dunthorpe, Bickley, Kent. He was educated at
Charterhouse, and on leaving there entered, the works of an engineering
firm. When war was declared he joined the R.N.A.S. as a dispatch rider with
the armoured cars, and went to Belgium at the beginning of October, 1914,
since when he served continuously in France and Gallipoli until he returned
to England in February, 1916. He took up his commission as a flight
sub-lieutenant, R.N., in the following June, qualified as a pilot, and went
out to the front again in December, and remained there until early in July,
when be returned to take up a home appointment.

He is commemorated locally on the Wadham House School War Memorial.  He is
also commemorated on the Charterhouse School War Memorial Wall in the
Charterhouse Memorial Chapel, in the School Memorial Book and on the
Girdlestoneite's Boarding House Memorial. 

I am most grateful to Catherine Smith, the Charterhouse School Archivist
for the information about Ronald's School War Memorial commemorations.
Catherine was also able to provide a photograph of him taken during his
attendance at the School.