Mackinnon, RF

Captain Ronald Fullerton Mackinnon

Ronald was born in Jamaica on October 23^rd 1889, the second of four surviving children of a civil servant and railway worker named Louis Mackinnon and his wife, Agnes. The family came to London upon Louis’ retirement, and in 1902 Ronald started at Dulwich alongside his elder brother who was also named Louis. He was to be at the College until the end of 1908, and during his time he distinguished himself in many ways. He was in the 1^st XV for his final three years, in the first of which he played alongside his brother, and in the last he served as Captain; he also served as Captain of swimming, spent two years in the Gymnastics VI, and was also an editor of The Alleynian. After leaving he went to work for the Bank of England, before giving it up at the end of 1913 in order to go to Canada.

When war broke out in 1914 Ronald was in British Columbia, returning to England soon after, and in March 1915 took up a commission in the Lancashire Fusiliers. He went out to France with his unit that September, and that December was promoted to Lieutenant. Shortly after his promotion, on the night of December 28^th, he was commanding a party of Royal Engineers wire-cutters in a mission to the enemy lines near the Warneton railway when they came under heavy enemy bombardment. Largely as a result of his personal bravery and resourcefulness no casualties were suffered, and he was later awarded the M.C. for his actions that night. Between May and September 1916 he was convalescing back in England, having been invalided out after a bout of trench fever. Upon his return he reunited with his battalion on the Somme, only to be killed shortly afterwards whilst leading an assault on Regina Trench on October 21^st. His elder brother, Louis, a fellow OA, would also fall later in the war.