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Son of James W. and Charlot M. Ross, of Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia. Entered Lloyd House in January, 1930. After matriculating in December, 1935, he left Plumtree, and at the outbreak of war he was working on the Rand, where he joined up with the 1st Transvaal Scottish. School Record: House Prefect, 1935; School Prefect, 1935; Rugger 1st XV and Colours, 1935; School Swimming team, 1935; Sergeant in the Cadet Corps; Dramatic Society; 1st Class J.C., 1933, and won a Senior Beit Scholarship. On Plumtree School Roll of Honour. On 4 Feb 1945, No: 4447 Pte J H Robson, 1st R.N.C, Pte H.J.W. Ross 1st T.S, and myself, accompanied by various other partisans of different nationalities, attempted to contact the British Military Mission, dropped by parachute on the 6th Zone (Ligurian). At 16h30 we were ambushed by what subsequently proved to be an armed column of 30 Germans who were already in prepared positions and caught us in the open road. Shot through the body immediately below the heart, Pte Ross died almost immediately. We retired for 500 yards and obtained a Bren to cover the road in order to retrieve the body . The Germans however, had already stripped him of his revolver and wallet, (including S.A Army Pay-Book) but his automatic weapon had already been saved by us. We brought his body through the heavy snow, in a blanket, partly on foot & partly by sledge, to Cabella Ligure, a journey of 5-6 hours, though the entire valley had been entirely evacuated, not only by civilians, but also by all the Partisan detachments. The mayor and undertaker of that locality, on orders from us, at midnight arranged for his burial for the following morning, and we withdrew into the next valley in the face of the oncoming Germans at 04h00. On 4 March 1945, we returned to Cabella, viewed Ross?s tomb, in the cemetery, and ordered his body to be exhumed and placed in a zinc case ,for possible transportation to South Africa. These expenses were never settled by us, and all arrangements were carried out under direct orders from us. Pte H. J. W. Ross was actually Rhodesian, but employed in Springs, Transvaal, his home address is Fort Victoria, Rhodesia. |
