Lieutenant Raymond Montgomerie Hume HENDERSON
B Company, 2nd Battalion Connaught Rangers

Date of birth: 13th August 1884
Date of death: 20th September 1914

Killed in action aged 30
Commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial
He was born at Fort Belgaum, India on the 13th of August 1884 the younger son of Colonel William George Hume Henderson, Indian Medical Services, and Jane Sydney Louisa (nee Gordon) of 10 Redcliffe Square, London SW10. He was christened at Christ Church, Fort Belgaum on the 8th of September 1884.

He was educated at the Junior King’s School from January 1895 and at the King’s School Canterbury to Easter 1903 where he played full back, half, three quarter and in the forwards for the Rugby XV from 1900 to 1902. He was awarded school colours in 1901 and in 1902 and was a member of the Gym Pair in 1903.

He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 5th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers (Militia) on the 23rd of April 1904. He then chose a career in the regular army and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Connaught Rangers on the 6th of July 1907. On the 8th of February 1910 he was promoted to Lieutenant and was seconded to the West Africa Frontier Force from the 1st of December 1909 to the 6th of March 1914.

He was married at the Church of St John the Baptist in Tipperary on the 26th of June 1912 to Zillah Edith (nee Hunt) and they lived at 6 St Josephs Road, Aldershot in Hampshire and later at 14 Mathieson Road, West Kensington. They had no children.

On the outbreak of war he went to France with his battalion, landing at Boulogne on the 14th of August 1914. He was present at the battles of Mons and the Marne.

On the evening of the 19th of September 1914 the battalion moved into trenches near La Cour De Soupier on the Aisne Heights. The trenches were due to be evacuated at 4.30 the following morning as they had been dug at night and were in a very exposed position on the skyline and as such they were to be abandoned. Just before the planned evacuation a group of Germans was seen moving across the battalion front from west to east. They were fired at and retired but a little later a larger group returned and advanced until beaten back by the Connaughts. The position was held for the rest of the day under enemy shell fire and the battalion was relieved at 10pm by the Highland Light Infantry, by which time Raymond Henderson was dead.

His wife received the following telegram dated the 24th of September 1914: -

"Deeply regret to inform you that Lieut. R.M.H. Henderson Connaught Rangers was killed in action on 20 Sept. No further details. Lord Kitchener expresses his sympathy."

His younger brother , Captain Eric Lockhart Hume Henderson (OKS) 1st Battalion Munster Fusiliers, died of wounds on the 20th of May 1915.

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