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Pte. Patrick Ridge
British Army 1st Btn. Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
from:20 South Shamrock Street, Glasgow
(d.28th Jan 1915)
Patrick Ridge was born on 15/3/1887 at 20 Cumberland Street,Glasgow. At the age of 20, whilst living at 32 Portugal Street, he married his sweetheart Elizabeth(Lizzie)Murphy at St.Luke's church on 2/12/1907. Later, he joined the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders on 5/9/1914 when he was 27 years old. His recruitment papers state that he was 5'6", with a pale complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He also had a tattoo which I've discovered was two hearts with both their initials PR & EM, on the front of his left forearm. Patrick was in the 1st battalion but before he was sent to the front, he wrote a poem to his wife Lizzie. He seemed to have a presentiment of his coming fate in his words "and if I am amongst the dead" but says "my King and country need me".
His date of entry on his medal card is recorded as 15/11/1914 and just over two months later,on 25/1/1914, he was seriously wounded at La Bassee in France. He was bayoneted in the chest and when his belongings were sent home to his wife, there was a bloody hole through his pay book that had been in his breast pocket. Sadly, he died three days later in no.1 casualty clearing station on 28/1/1915. He left a widow and four young children.The eldest was my Grandad John Ridge(age 8), Mary(age 4),James(age 2) and the youngest was baby Catherine, born only a few months earlier in October 1914.
Patrick is buried in grave I.A.7 at Choques military cemetery, which is about 4km north-west of Bethune, on the road to Lillers in France. I have also seen his name mentioned in the rolls of honour books at the Scottish National War Memorial inside Edinburgh castle. The year 2015 marks the centenary of his death. Patrick may be gone but he is not forgotten. RIP x
