Ronald Francis Simson (6 September 1880 – 14 September 1914) was a Scottish

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player for .Bath, p. 109 Simson was the first Scottish rugby international to die in the First World War.

Early life

Ronald Simson was born in Edinburgh on 6 September 1880.

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

He attended Edinburgh Academy and the

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of Officer (armed forces), commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers o ...

, where he represented the Woolwich XV in a 49–9 victory over

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC) was a United Kingdom, British military academy for training infantry and cavalry Officer (armed forces), officers of the British Army, British and British Indian Army, Indian Armies. It was founded in 1801 at Gre ...

. He also played for London Scottish, a team especially hard hit because many of them joined the

London Scottish regiment The London Scottish was a Army Reserve (United Kingdom), reserve infantry regiment then a Company (military unit), company of the British Army. In its final incarnation it was A (The London Scottish) Company, the London Regiment (1993), Londo ...

Provincial career

He played for the Blues Trial side against the

Whites Trial White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...

side on 21 January 1911, while still with London Scottish. He scored a try in the match but the Blues lost 19–26 to the Whites.

International career

Simson was selected to play for in one match, against at Twickenham on 18 March 1911. Simson scored one try for Scotland in the game, which they lost 13–8.

Military service

Simson joined the

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It was created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of the regiment, the ...

in July 1911.Commonwealth War Graves Commission: SIMSON, RF
Retrieved 8 December 2009 Having played for the Army & Navy team, he was selected to represent Scotland against England in 1911. He was promoted in July 1914 to Lieutenant in the 116th Battery, 26th Brigade. Simson was killed in the

First Battle of the Aisne The First Battle of the Aisne () was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army (led by Alexander von Kluck) and the Second Army (led by Karl von Bülow) as they retreated after the First Battle of the ...

, which was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army (led by

Alexander von Kluck Alexander Heinrich Rudolph von Kluck (20 May 1846 – 19 October 1934) was a German general during World War I. Early life Kluck was born in Münster, in Westphalia on 20 May 1846. He was the son of architect Karl von Kluck and his wife Elisa ...

) & Second Army (led by

Karl von Bülow Karl Wilhelm Paul von Bülow (24 March 1846 – 31 August 1921) was a German field marshal commanding the German 2nd Army during World War I from 1914 to 1915. Early life Bülow was born in Berlin on 24 March 1846 into a distinguished Prussian ...

) as they retreated after the

First Battle of the Marne The First Battle of the Marne or known in France as the Miracle on the Marne () was a battle of the First World War fought from the 5th to the 12th September 1914. The German army invaded France with a plan for winning the war in 40 days by oc ...

earlier in September 1914. A shell exploded below the horse he was riding; both he and the horse were killed. He is buried at Moulins New Communal Cemetery in

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; ) is a French departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne (river), Aisne. In 2020, it had a population of 529,374. Geography The department borders No ...

France.

References

* Bath, Richard (ed.) ''The Scotland Rugby Miscellany'' (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 )

External links

* Rugby union players from Edinburgh 1880 births 1914 deaths People educated at Edinburgh Academy Military personnel from Edinburgh Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Scotland international rugby union players Scottish rugby union players British military personnel killed in World War I Royal Field Artillery officers British Army personnel of World War I Blues Trial players Rugby union centres London Scottish F.C. players {{UK-army-bio-stub