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Henry Sherwood Ranken M.D.
Henry Ranken was the elder son of Rev Henry Ranken, Minister of Irvine Old, and Helen Morton.
Extract from Minute Book - 1 October 1906
... William Hunter, Banker, Chas. Murchland Junr, Publisher, proposed by the Clerk and seconded by Deacon Hall; Dr. Henry S. Ranken, Physician, proposed by Revd. H. Ranken and seconded by the Sub-Deacon, were admitted members of the Craft, their entry fees having been duly paid to the Clerk.
Death of Captain Harry Ranken
Extract from Minute Book - 7 December 1914
... The Clerk intimated that he had written the Rev. Henry Ranken, as follows:-
154, High Street,
Irvine
8th Octr. 1914
Revd and Dear Sir,
At the Michaelmass Meeting of the Incorporation of Hammermen held on Monday evening last, feeling reference was made to the great loss the Community and the Country had sustained by the lamented death at the seat of war of your gallant and distinguished son Captain Harry S. Ranken. We are proud to have his name on our membership roll and the memory of his noble life and heroic death will be long cherished by the members of our Craft.
I have been instructed to convey to you and Mrs. Ranken and Mr. Alan the sincere sympathy of the Incorporation of Hammermen with you all in your irreparable loss.
Yours most sincerely,
William Hall,
Clerk
The Clerk read the Revd Henry Ranken's letter of acknowledgement in which he expressed the thanks of himself and his family for the kind letter of sympathy. He also mentioned - and this was a matter of great gratification to the members of the Court - that Captain Ranken had been recommended for the V.C., the highest award which a soldier can merit.
Captain Harry S. Ranken V.C
Citation: An extract from "The London Gazette", No. 28976 dated 13th November 1914 records the following:- "For tending wounded in the trenches under rifle and shrapnel fire at Hautvesnes on 19th September and 20th September continuing to attend to wounded after his leg and thigh had been shattered. (He has since died of wounds)".
"The Times History of the War" states that "..No man won the Victoria Cross more nobly than did Captain Harry Sherwood Ranken RAMC. Captain Ranken was severely wounded in the leg whilst attending to his duties on the battlefield. He arrested the bleeding from this and bound it up, and then continued to arrest the wounds of his men, sacrificing his own chances of survival to their needs. When he finally permitted himself to be carried to the rear, his case had become almost desperate. He died within a short period."
Inscription on the Memorial Plaque in Irvine Old Parish Church
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND THE DEAR MEMORY OF
CAPTAIN HARRY RANKEN V.C.
CHEVALIER OF THE LEGION OF HONOUR. M.B.. CH.B.(GLAS). M.R.C.P.(LOND.)
ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS
AND ATTACHED TO THE 1ST BN KING'S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS (60TH)
WHO DIED AT BRAISNE IN FRANCE OF WOUNDS RECEIVED IN ACTION
3RD SEPT 1883 - 25TH SEPT 1914
CROIX DE CHEVALIER
"FOR GALLANTRY DURING THE OPERATIONS
BETWEEN AUGUST 21ST AND 30TH 1914"
VICTORIA CROSS
"FOR TENDING THE WOUNDED IN THE TRENCHES UNDER RIFLE
AND SHRAPNEL FIRE AT HAUTVESNES ON SEPTEMBER 19
AND ON SEPTEMBER 20 CONTINUING TO ATTEND TO WOUNDED
AFTER HIS THIGH AND LEG HAD BEEN SHATTERED."
(for details of memorial and gravestone see www.irvineold.org)
Burial
Braine (not Braisne as inscribed on memorial) is a small town 18 km east of Soisson was captured by dismounted units of the 1st Cavalry Brigade on 12th September 1914 and No. 5 Casualty Clearing Station was then posted in the town.
Braine Communal Cemetry contains 78 Commonwealth burials and commemorations all dating from September to October 1914. Captain Ranken is buried in plot A43.
There is also a tree planted in his memory within the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire.
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