Bertram Ramsay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Bertram Ramsay
|
|
|---|---|
Portrait of Admiral Ramsay
|
|
| Birth name | Bertram Home Ramsay |
| Born | 20 January 1883 London, England |
| Died | 2 January 1945 (aged 61) Toussus-le-Noble, France |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1898–1945 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Member of the Royal Victorian Order Mention in Despatches (two) Légion d'honneur (France) Legion of Merit (United States) Order of Ushakov (USSR) |
Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay (born January 20, 1883 – died January 2, 1945) was an important officer in the Royal Navy. He led a destroyer ship during the First World War. In the Second World War, he was in charge of the famous Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. He also planned and led the naval forces for the huge invasion of France in 1944, known as D-Day.
Contents
Who Was Bertram Ramsay?
Bertram Ramsay was born at Hampton Court Palace in London, England. His parents were Brigadier General William Alexander Ramsay and Susan Newcombe Minchener. He went to Colchester Royal Grammar School when he was younger.
In 1929, Ramsay married Helen Margaret Menzies. They had two sons:
- David Francis Ramsay (1933–2021)
- Charles Alexander Ramsay (1936–2017), who became a Major General in the British Army.
Ramsay joined the Royal Navy in 1898 when he was just 15 years old. He started as a naval cadet on HMS Crescent. Within a year, he became a midshipman. By 1902, he was a sub-lieutenant, and by 1904, he was promoted to lieutenant.
In 1911, he was serving as a Flag Lieutenant on HMS Bacchante in the Mediterranean Sea.
Ramsay in the First World War
During the First World War, Ramsay got his first command in August 1915. He was in charge of HMS M25, a small warship called a monitor. For two years, his ship was part of the Dover Patrol, which protected the coast off Belgium.
He was promoted to commander in 1916. In 1917, he took command of HMS Broke, another ship in the Dover Patrol. In May 1918, his ship took part in the Second Ostend Raid. This was a follow-up to the Zeebrugge Raid, where British forces tried to block German submarine bases. Ramsay was praised for his actions during this raid.
Ramsay in the Second World War
Ramsay retired from the navy in 1938. However, Winston Churchill, who was then the Prime Minister, asked him to return to duty in 1939. This was because of the growing threat from Germany and its allies. Ramsay was promoted to vice-admiral. On August 24, 1939, he was made Commander-in-Chief, Dover.
His job was to protect the waters around Dover. This included defending against possible attacks by German ships, keeping military traffic safe across the English Channel, and stopping German submarines from passing through the Straits of Dover.
Leading the Dunkirk Evacuation
As Vice-Admiral Dover, Ramsay was in charge of the Dunkirk evacuation, which was secretly called Operation Dynamo. He and his team worked from tunnels deep under Dover Castle. For nine days, they worked non-stop to rescue Allied soldiers who were trapped in France by the German army.
Thanks to his leadership, an amazing 338,226 British and Allied soldiers were brought home from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk. For this incredible success, King George VI asked Ramsay to report on the operation personally. He was also given a special honor, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
Defending the Dover Coast
After the Dunkirk evacuation, Ramsay faced the huge challenge of defending the waters off Dover. This was important because a German invasion of Britain, called Operation Sealion, was expected. For almost two years, he led forces trying to keep control of the Channel against the Germans. He was again praised for his efforts.
Ramsay was still in command when two large German battleships, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, along with their escorts, sailed through the English Channel in February 1942. Even though the British had plans to stop them, they were surprised, and the German ships got through.
Helping with Allied Invasions
Ramsay was chosen to be the Naval Force Commander for a planned invasion of Europe in April 1942. However, this invasion was delayed. Instead, he became the deputy naval commander for the Allied invasion of North Africa, known as Operation Torch.
In July 1943, during the Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky), Ramsay was the Naval Commanding Officer for the Eastern Task Force. He helped prepare the landings of troops from the sea.
Planning D-Day: Operation Neptune
-_D-day_6_June_1944-_Personalities_A23443.jpg)
Ramsay was brought back to active duty on April 26, 1944, and promoted to the rank of admiral the next day. He was then appointed Naval Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Naval Expeditionary Force for the invasion of Europe. This was the famous D-Day invasion.
Historians have called his planning a "never surpassed masterpiece." He had to coordinate and command a fleet of almost 7,000 ships. These ships delivered over 160,000 soldiers onto the beaches of Normandy on D-Day alone. By the end of June, over 875,000 soldiers had landed.
Ramsay also helped solve a disagreement between Prime Minister Winston Churchill and King George VI. Both wanted to watch the D-Day landings from a warship. Admiral Ramsay firmly refused to let them go. He explained the dangers to both the King and the Prime Minister. He also said they were needed at home in case the invasion went badly and quick decisions were needed. This convinced them to stay ashore on D-Day.
After D-Day, the port of Antwerp was very important for the Allies. Admirals Cunningham and Ramsay warned that the port couldn't be used until the Germans were removed from the areas leading to it. However, the battle to clear these areas was delayed. This delay in opening the port made it harder for the Allies to get supplies before winter.
His Death
On January 2, 1945, Admiral Ramsay was killed when his plane crashed during takeoff at Toussus-le-Noble Airport near Paris. He was on his way to a meeting with General Bernard Montgomery in Brussels.
Ramsay was buried in the Saint-Germain-en-Laye New Communal Cemetery in France. A memorial was built at Toussus-le-Noble in May 1995 to remember everyone who died in the crash.
Awards and Honors
Admiral Ramsay received many awards for his service:
- Mentioned in Despatches – 1918, 1940 (This means his bravery or good service was officially recognized.)
- Knight Commander of the Bath (KCB) – 1940
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
- Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)
- Grand Officier of the Légion d'honneur (France's highest award)
- Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) – for his leadership in the Normandy invasion.
- Order of Ushakov, First Class (USSR) – 1944
Ramsay's Legacy
A statue of Admiral Ramsay was put up in November 2000 at Dover Castle. This is near where he planned the Dunkirk evacuation. His name is also on the war memorial at Colchester Royal Grammar School, and a painting of him hangs in the school.
In February 2020, plans were announced to build a museum in his honor at his family home, Bughtrig House, in Coldstream, Scotland.
The Royal Navy has also remembered Admiral Ramsay. They named the Apprenticeship Centre at HMS Collingwood in Fareham the "Ramsay Building." His son opened it in March 2012.
Ramsay in Film and TV
Because of his important roles in the Dunkirk evacuation and the D-Day landings, Admiral Ramsay has been shown as a character in several films and TV shows:
- Dunkirk (1958, played by Nicholas Hannen)
- The Longest Day (1962, played by John Robinson)
- Churchill and the Generals (1979, played by Noel Johnson)
- Dunkirk (2004, played by Richard Bremmer)
- Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004, played by Kevin J. Wilson)
- Churchill (played by George Anton)
- Darkest Hour (2017, played by David Bamber)
