Frederick Ronald House (known as Ronnie) was born in Islington on 7 April 1906, the oldest son of Frederick and Annie House. In the 1901 census the family were living at 270 Essex Road, Islington, Ronnie, his parents, his older sister Winnifred, younger brother William and younger sister Gladys.

By 1921 the family had moved to 9 Coleman Street Islington and Ronnie was working as a Draughtsman’s Assistant to Boekbinder and Sons Ltd, Architectural Decorators. He now had two further younger brothers, Leonard and Walter.

Ronnie first enlisted in the military on 30 June 1925 when he joined the 28th Battalion County of London Regiment (Artists’ Rifles). His address was still 9 Coleman Street and his profession was listed as Draughtsman. He signed on for four years and attended annual camps in 1925, 1926 and 1927. He was absent on leave for the camp in 1928 and was discharged on termination of engagement the following year on 29 June 1929.

Within a month he married Ivy Ellen Frances Hammond in Brentford on 24 August 1928. They had one son Ronald H F C House who was born in Bournemouth on 9 March 1929.

The marriage obviously didn’t last, however, as further records show that by 1939 Ronnie was living with Winnie Irene (nee Haynes) at 13 Eastfield Road, Cotham, Bristol. Both are listed as married, but there don’t seem to be any records that confirm that Ronnie and Winnie ever married. He was working as an Architectural Draughtsman in the Ministry Camouflage Dept.

Ivy and Ronald were living with Henry Dillon-Trenchard in Bournemouth and although she is listed as Ivy E F Dillon-Trenchard, they didn’t marry until the middle of 1942. Ronald is listed as Ronald H F C House.

Ronnie re-enlisted on 15 June 1940, this time joining the Gloucestershire Regiment. His profession is listed a Clerk on his attestation papers. On enlistment he was posted to the Infantry Training Centre at Horfield in Bristol but this was deferred until 18 July 1940. Confusingly his next of kin is listed as his wife Ivy Ellen Frances House (nee Hammond) and the address for her is given as 13 Eastfield Road, Bristol.

On the night of 2 December 1940 the Luftwaffe bombed Bristol for the second time in a couple of weeks. The city had been bombed on 24 November and although there was heavy cloud cover on 2 December, the city was again badly damaged. Between 18.20 and 22.30 hrs, 121 German aircraft dropped over 120 tonnes of high explosive blast bombs, one tonne of incendiary oil bombs containing 30% petrol and 70% crude oil and over 22,000 1kg incendiary bombs.

The result of the bombing was more widespread than the attack on 24 November; the main concentration being on a line running about due east west from Fishponds through Redfield, St. Paul’s, Redland (13 Eastfield Road), Clifton to Shirehampton, in addition to Knowle and Bedminster. A total of 156 people were killed and a further 270 injured.

Ironically, Ronnie was at home on sick leave from his regiment due to having been knocked off his bicycle by a car and injuring his leg. Winnie was killed in the air raid but Ronnie was recovered from the wreckage of 13 Eastfield Road and was admitted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

He died two days later on 5 December from a fractured shoulder and crush injuries received in the air raid. A note on his service record states that “Next of Kin” Wife also deceased. The names of hundreds of civilians and auxiliary personnel who died in the city in bombing raids carried out between 1940 and 1944 are remembered on the side of the ruined St Peter’s Church. Winnie is commemorated there.

Ronnie was a talented artist and painted a picture of Coneycroft Farm, in Compton Surrey. Winnie’s family lived at Coneycroft Farm and she and her seven siblings were all born there. This explains why Ronnie was buried in Compton Cemetery as it is adjacent to Coneycroft Farm. Ronnie is commemorated by a CWGC headstone and Winnie is commemorated on the kerbstone surrounding the grave along with her younger brother Ernest John Haynes who died aged 10 months.

Acknowledgments: Story produced with assistance from Floyd McMillan who supplied the photographs and personal details of Ronnie and Win (as his family knew them). Win was Floyd's grandmother's younger sister