Military Provost Staff Corps

Soldier Details:

Surname: Ramsay

Initials: J.

Rank: Warrant Officer I

Army No.: 2691495

Notes: CMP. Formerly Scots Guards. From Isleworth. 102 Pro Coy BEF 1940. RSM 15 (Scottish) Division Pro Coy. James Ramsay. Extract from the Marylebone Mercury, 22/7/44. Isleworth RSM in Normandy. When a part of German prisoners were given some digging work to do in a prisoner of war cage, they appeared too terrified to get on with the work. on being questioned one of them revealed that they though they were being made to dig their own graves and they took a great deal of convincing that the trenches were required for sanitary purposes. This story was told to me recently by a Warrant Officer of the Corps of Military Police who had seen some hundreds of German prisoners captured by the Division pass through his POW cage. He is RSM J Ramsey whose home is at Elmer Gardens, Isleworth. In the early days of the war he was also in charge of prisoners and he told me that there is a very marked difference between the captured Germans then and now. In 1940 they were full of arrogance, Their average age then was between 23 and 30, now they are nearly all boys between 17 and 20. They are firmly convinced that if they are taken prisoner they will be shot and I am sure that is why we are having so much trouble with snipers. HID FOR SIX DAYS. One prisoner we took did not plead with us not to shoot him, but asked the Intelligence Officer for permission to write a letter home, before we shot him. There was another case of three Germans who suddenly appeared out of a slit trench only 70 yards from where we had been camped for the last three days. They were practically starving but had been too frightened. to give themselves up. It appeared they had been hiding in that trench for six days with only a handful of biscuits to eat. One point I have noticed about all of them. They may be hard boiled Hitler youths but they are all very sentimental about photographs of their mothers of girl friends that they carry with them. When we search them they don't worry about anything else we take from them, but they plead to be allowed to keep the photographs.

Decorations/Medals/Awards (1)

1. Decoration: Member of the British Empire

Gazette Date: 1946-01-24

Gazette Issue: 37442

Gazette Page: 624

Citation: North West Europe. MBE citation: RSM RAMSAY has performed the duties of RSM of 15 (S) Division Provost Company throughout the campaign in NW EUROPE. Throughout the enitre period the standard of efficiency set by this Warrant Officer has been most praiseworthy. His sense of duty and loyal service, which at all times precluded any thought of himself, has been to a very great extent responsible for maintaining the high standard of efficiency and discipline in the Company. During the advance across EUROPE RSM RAMSAY, on many occasions under shell fire, scrupulously supervised the work of his various Sections working in support of the leading Brigades, thus ensuring that the Brigades were at all times well served, and further, that the Sections were never in want for essential equipment necessary to carry out the tasks which were allotted to them. In particular during the breach of the bridgehead in NORMANDY, and later when the SIEGFRIED LINE was penetrated in Operation VERITABLE, when weather conditions were appalling, RSM RAMSEY's initiative ewnabled the vast movement of wheeled traffic to maintain and even flow. In looking ahead at all times, signs and equipment were always available to meet the unexpected. Later when 15 (s) Division assault crossed the RHINE and ELBE the provost resources were stretched to the maximum, RSM RAMSAY by his cheerfulness and encouragement of all who worked with him, all knowing that he would accept nothing less than the highest standards. Maj APM 15 (S) Div. Maj Gen Comd 15 (S) Div. Lt-Gen Comd 8 Corps. National Archive WO 373/86,

Surname:	Ramsay
Initials:	J.
Rank:	Warrant Officer I
Army No.:	2691495
Notes:	CMP. Formerly Scots Guards. From Isleworth. 102 Pro Coy BEF 1940. RSM 15 (Scottish) Division Pro Coy. James Ramsay. Extract from the Marylebone Mercury, 22/7/44. Isleworth RSM in Normandy. When a part of German prisoners were given some digging work to do in a prisoner of war cage, they appeared too terrified to get on with the work. on being questioned one of them revealed that they though they were being made to dig their own graves and they took a great deal of convincing that the trenches were required for sanitary purposes. This story was told to me recently by a Warrant Officer of the Corps of Military Police who had seen some hundreds of German prisoners captured by the Division pass through his POW cage. He is RSM J Ramsey whose home is at Elmer Gardens, Isleworth. In the early days of the war he was also in charge of prisoners and he told me that there is a very marked difference between the captured Germans then and now. In 1940 they were full of arrogance, Their average age then was between 23 and 30, now they are nearly all boys between 17 and 20. They are firmly convinced that if they are taken prisoner they will be shot and I am sure that is why we are having so much trouble with snipers. HID FOR SIX DAYS. One prisoner we took did not plead with us not to shoot him, but asked the Intelligence Officer for permission to write a letter home, before we shot him. There was another case of three Germans who suddenly appeared out of a slit trench only 70 yards from where we had been camped for the last three days. They were practically starving but had been too frightened. to give themselves up. It appeared they had been hiding in that trench for six days with only a handful of biscuits to eat. One point I have noticed about all of them. They may be hard boiled Hitler youths but they are all very sentimental about photographs of their mothers of girl friends that they carry with them. When we search them they don't worry about anything else we take from them, but they plead to be allowed to keep the photographs.