Ossian Cameron was born on 27 February 1891 in Campbeltown in Argyllshire, to David Rutherford and Elizabeth Cameron. He had an older brother, Clement, then 7, and two older sisters, Mabel and Grace, who were 5 and 2 respectively.\u00a0 David was a quarter master sergeant in the Royal Artillery, which he had joined in 1875 in Sheerness \u2013 though he was from Granton, in Edinburgh (he was possibly born in Ireland).\u00a0 As his attestation papers show, David was then aged 23 years old and had worked as a blacksmith prior to that.\u00a0 At the time of the 1901 Census, David was not listed as an occupant, but the family had grown to include Hannah, then 8, Theresa, 1 and Nellie, 5.\u00a0 Theresa had been born in Paisley, where the family were living by this point, at 19 Neilson Street.\u00a0 On Census night 1901, David was staying with Elizabeth\u2019s parents, John and Mary Lankenau, in Plumstead, London, and his occupation was given as \u2018Army Pensioner\u2019.\u00a0 In the 1881 Census, John was working at the Woolwich Arsenal as a driver, whilst Elizabeth was a domestic servant. \u00a0\u00a0David and Elizabeth were married in Woolwich in the summer of 1881.\u00a0 Elizabeth was born on 21 Feb 1863, but was baptised in Plumstead in 1878; her father\u2019s occupation was then given as a foreman.\u00a0 In the same census, David was listed as being a sergeant in the Royal Artillery in Woolwich, albeit with his place of birth given as Ireland.\u00a0 As the Royal Artillery Barracks were based in Woolwich, it is a reasonable assumption that David had met Elizabeth whilst based in Woolwich.\u00a0 The family\u2019s subsequent moves around Britain \u2013 at least to Paisey and then at some point to Borstal and Chatham \u2013 were very likely to have been driven by David\u2019s career.<\/p>\n
At some point between 1901 and 1906, the family had moved to the south of England.\u00a0 Ossian enlisted in 1906 in Chatham for the Royal Marine Light Infantry (then based in Chatham)<\/a>, when he was underage \u2013 for his first years in the army, he served as a bugler.\u00a0 His father\u2019s address was given as Fort Borstal in Rochester, whilst his mother\u2019s was given as Torquay.\u00a0 Fort Borstal had only been finished in 1893, and before the First World War was in use as a redoubt for light infantry, providing for the storage of artillery (see Smith, 2011<\/a>).\u00a0 It is not clear what David\u2019s connection with the Fort was, but it presumably meant that the family had sufficient connection with the village for Ossian to be listed on the St Matthew\u2019s Roll of Honour.\u00a0 Ossian\u2019s service record indicated that his religion was Church of England, so he may have attended services at St Matthew\u2019s.\u00a0 \u00a0His older sister, Mabel, married in 1909 at St John\u2019s Church in Chatham, and her husband, Charles Grinham, was the supervisor of a power station at the Chatham Dockyard.\u00a0\u00a0 By 1911, David, Elizabeth and Theresa were living at Tunbury Avenue, Robin Hood Lane.\u00a0 It is probable that their house was on the corner of these two roads, and later named \u2018Ivy Lodge\u2019.\u00a0 David was again listed as an Army Pensioner, whilst Theresa was still at school.<\/p>\n After enlistment, Ossian was based at the Chatham Division until January 1908, when he embarked as a bugler on HMS Venerable; a further stint at the Chatham Division and Depot until he came of age ensued.\u00a0 In 1910, he embarked again on HMS Africa, this time as a Private, and in 1912, left for the Royal Engineers, serving as a Pioneer.\u00a0 Although Ossian\u2019s performance and conduct in the Marines was generally marked as \u2018very good\u2019, he was detained for 21 days in 1913 for being absent and losing equipment whilst serving in Cork.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Ossian\u2019s regimental number in the Royal Marine Light Infantry was 15134.<\/p>\n It is not clear what happened to Ossian during the course of the First World War.\u00a0 He was awarded the British, Victory and 1914 medals for his service, having seen action from November 1914.\u00a0 By early 1918, however, he was a patient at the Royal Herbert Hospital in Woolwich<\/a>, which was looking after the wounded.\u00a0 Ossian died on 15 January 1918, and was buried in the military cemetery at Fort Pitt.<\/p>\n Ossian\u2019s page on Every Man Remembered can be found here: http:\/\/www.everymanremembered.org\/profiles\/soldier\/3057227\/<\/a><\/p>\n Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n Ancestry.com.\u00a0Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950<\/em>\u00a0[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.<\/p>\n FreeBMD.\u00a0England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915<\/em>\u00a0[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.<\/p>\n London Metropolitan Archives, Plumstead St Margaret, Register of Baptism, p97\/mgt, Item 113<\/p>\n 1891 Scotland Census, Parish:\u00a0Campbeltown<\/em>; ED:\u00a016<\/em>; Page:\u00a015<\/em>; Line:\u00a06<\/em>; Roll:\u00a0CSSCT1891_165<\/em><\/p>\n Ossian Cameron in 1911 Census: Class:\u00a0RG14<\/em>; Piece:\u00a03962<\/em>; Schedule Number:\u00a040 <\/em><\/p>\n Other Camerons in 1911: Class:\u00a0RG14<\/em>; Piece:\u00a03964<\/em>; Schedule Number:\u00a0133<\/em><\/p>\n Mabel Cameron in 1911: <\/em>Class:\u00a0RG14<\/em>; Piece:\u00a03952<\/em>; Schedule Number:\u00a0401<\/em><\/p>\n National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England;\u00a0Soldiers’ Effects Records, 1901-60<\/em>; NAM Accession Number:\u00a01991-02-333<\/em>; Record Number Ranges:\u00a00646001-0647500<\/em>; Reference:\u00a0382 <\/em><\/p>\n Military-Genealogy.com, comp.\u00a0UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919<\/em>\u00a0[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.<\/p>\n David Cameron: Ancestry.com.\u00a0England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995<\/em>\u00a0[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.<\/p>\n David Cameron in 1881 Census: Class:\u00a0RG11<\/em>; Piece:\u00a0745<\/em>; Folio:\u00a041<\/em>; Page:\u00a011<\/em>; GSU roll:\u00a01341174<\/em><\/p>\n David Cameron in 1901 Census: Class:\u00a0RG13<\/em>; Piece:\u00a0573<\/em>; Folio:\u00a052<\/em>; Page:\u00a030<\/em><\/p>\n Lankenaus in 1901 Census:\u00a0Class:\u00a0RG13<\/em>; Piece:\u00a0573<\/em>; Folio:\u00a052<\/em>; Page:\u00a030<\/em><\/p>\n Lankenaus in 1881 Census: Class:\u00a0RG11<\/em>; Piece:\u00a0754<\/em>; Folio:\u00a091<\/em>; Page:\u00a056<\/em>; GSU roll:\u00a01341177<\/em><\/p>\n The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England;\u00a0WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls<\/em>; Class:\u00a0WO 329<\/em>; Piece Number:\u00a02418<\/em><\/p>\n The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England;\u00a0Judge Advocate General’s Office: District Courts Martial Registers, Home and Abroad<\/em>; Series:\u00a0WO 86<\/em>; Piece Number:\u00a062<\/em><\/p>\n Ossian’s service record in the Royal Marine Light Infantry: National Archives, adm\/159\/124, image 779<\/p>\n Find A Grave: https:\/\/www.findagrave.com\/cgi-bin\/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=32701993&ref=acom<\/a><\/p>\n The War Graves Photographic Project: https:\/\/www.twgpp.org\/photograph\/view\/3391908<\/a><\/p>\n