| Massie | John Hamon | | Captain | MASSIE, JOHN HAMON, Captain, was born at Eaux Chaudes, Basses Pyrenees, France, 10 June 1872, younger son of Edward Richard Massie, of Coddington, Cheshire, and Annefield, Gresford, North Wales, formerly Lieutenant, 78th Highlanders, and his first wife, Baroness Olga Marie, daughter of Baron von Wessenberg-Ampringen, formerly Austrian Ambassador at St James's. John Hamon Massie's paternal grandfather was Admiral Thomas Leche Massie, RN. He was educated at Mr Montagu Foster's School, Stubbington, Fareham, and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, being gazetted to the Royal Artillery as Second Lieutenant 1 May 1892, and became Lieutenant in May 1895. He served in the Chitral Campaign in 1895, with the Relief Force, and received the Medal and clasp. In 1898 he passed the long course at Shoeburyness with first-class honours. He was promoted to Captain 19 January 1900, and served in the South African War, 1900-2, in which, after landing at Cape Town, in January 1900, he acted as Transport Officer with the 30th Remount Company, Army Service Corps, being graded as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General. He was present at several actions and operations near De Wet's Dorp, the march to Pretoria and action at Zand River in May 1900. He entered Pretoria with Lord Roberts on the 5th of June 1900; took part in the actions at Diamond Hill and Heidelberg, and in the pursuit of De Wet from Bethlehem to the Transvaal; actions at Vredefort, and operations at Hekpoort Valley. He was then temporarily in command of a pom-pom section. In November 1900, he was in the action near Schwartz Kopje. In January 1902, he was appointed Staff Officer for Transport, a position which he held under various Generals Commanding, and he returned to England in January 1902. He was mentioned in Despatches by Lord Kitchener. The following is the record of his services in South Africa as given in 'Hart's Army List': "Captain J H Massie, RA, served in the South African War, 1900-2; took part in the operations in the Orange Free State, February to May 1900; in the Transvaal in May and June 1900, including actions near Johannesburg and Diamond Hill; in the Orange River Colony, May to 29 November 1900, including actions at Wittebergen; in the Transvaal 30 November 1900 to March 1902, and again in Orange River Colony, March to 31 May 1902, as Special Service Officer; afterwards on Staff. Despatches [London Gazette, 17 January 1902]; Queen's Medal with four clasps, and King's Medal with two clasps. DSO". He was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 26 June 1902]: "John Hamon Massie, Captain, Royal Artillery. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa". He was invested by the King 18 December 1902. The clasps to the Queen's Medal were given to Captain Massie for Cape Colony, Johannesburg, Wittebergen and Diamond Hill respectively. He was Instructor at the Royal Military Academy from 1 January to 11 September 1904; Commander of a Company of Gentleman Cadets there from 12 September 1904 to 31 December 1908, and Staff Captain, School of Gunnery, Shoeburyness, November 1910 to August 1914. He was promoted to Major 15 February 1913. In the Great War he proceeded to France on the 24th August 1914, for a week, to Havre, on Special Duty as Staff Officer to Brigadier General Nicolls, RA On 1 September 1914, he was gazetted as Staff Captain, Administrative Staff, and again went to Havre for duty with Heavy Artillery on the 9th November. He was kept at the base, St Nazaire, till 1 November, when he left there to take command of the 26th Heavy Battery (sixty-pounders) at Ypres. On the 13th November 1914, he was mortally wounded at Ypres, by a fragment of high explosive shell, while in command of the 26th Battery, and died in the Field Hospital on the 16th of that month. He was buried in Ypres Cemetery. Major Massie liked all games, and was good at most. He several times represented his regiment at billiards against the Royal Engineers, and he was for over three years Secretary and Treasurer of the Royal Artillery Games Fund. He married, at Southsea, on 3 September 1903, Maria Margaret, elder daughter of Major General Ernest Archibald Berger, late 10th (The Lincolnshire) Regiment.
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book) | Royal Artillery |
