LIEUTENANT COLONEL B.J. RIMMER, ROYAL ULSTER RIFLES (LATE WILTSHIRE REGIMENT AND SOUTH LANCASHIRE REGIMENT). Eight: Military Medal, George V (9987 Sergeant, 2nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment) 1914 Star and bar (9987 Private, 2nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment) British War and Victory Medals (2nd Lieutenant) India General Service Medal 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1937-39 (Major, Royal Ulster Rifles) 1939-45 Star, 1939-45 Defence and War Medals. Original bar on 1914 Star, medals mounted loose style, as worn (original ribbons), generally Good Very Fine and better.
Born 28/7/1894, Bertrand Joseph Rimmer served in the ranks for 5 years and 129 days before being commissioned. He initially saw service during WW1 in France and Flanders with the 2nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment 14/8/1914 to 4/11/1914, 6/3/1915 to 9/10/1915, 26/1/1916 to 2/11/1916, and 25/11/1917 to 5/7/1918. Rimmer was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 2nd Battalion The Wiltshire Regiment, 6/7/1918, and saw service with that battalion in France and Flanders to the cessation of hostilities (awarded Military Medal, 1914 Star and bar trio). Subsequently he saw service in Russia with the Wiltshire Regiment, from 12/5/1919 to 7/10/1919 (wounded, no campaign medal awarded). The regimental history of the Wiltshire Regiment provides the following details regarding the services of officers and men of the regiment in Russia in 1919: "A detachment of 200 Wiltshire regulars, including many of their most experienced officers and non-commissioned officers were sent to Russia in May (1919). Commanded by Major J.M. Ponsford, M.C., they formed part of a composite 'Hampshire' Battalion in a Force to protect British interests in Archangel and Murmansk, during the throes of the Russian Revolution. These Wiltshires were fighting men, with many decorations won in the war, and their battalion and brigade commanders both held the VC and the DSO. They fought again for a while, against the Bolsheviks, until the collapse of the White Russians led to their evacuation and return to England." Rimmer was promoted Lieutenant, 6/1/1920, and on 27/12/1931 was promoted Captain and transferred to the 1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles, Rimmer spending the remainder of his regimental career with the 1st Royal Ulster Rifles. When Rimmer joined the 1st Ulster Rifles it was stationed in Belfast. Subsequently he saw service overseas with the battalion in Egypt and Palestine 1932-25, Hong Kong, 1935-38, where Rimmer was Garrison Adjutant and Superindent of the Military Provost Staff Corps, and in India from 1938 onwards. During the latter posting Rimmer saw active service on the North West Frontier of India, 1938-39 (medal and clasp), being promoted Major during those operations, on 1/8/1938 . Rimmer does not appear to have seen active service during WW2 and may well have been among the small group of officers and men of the 1st Royal Ulster Rifles who stayed on in India when the rest of the battalion returned to England in 1940 (hence the presence of just one WW2 Star, the 1939-45 Star, in Rimmer's medal group). He was promoted Acting Lieutenant Colonel 19/6/1942 to 18/9/1942, Temporary Lieutenant Colonel 19/9/1942 and retired from the Royal Ulster Rifles with the rank of Honourary Lieutenant Colonel on 6/9/1946.
After retiring from the Royal Ulster Rifles, Rimmer commanded the No 5 Primary Training Centre. Later, from 22/2/1952 to 1/3/1956, he was Adjutant and Quartermaster of the 3rd Staffordshire (Newcastle) Battalion Home Guard. In the post WW2 years Lieutenant Colonel Rimmer's home address was Konistra, Westlands Road, Shrewsbury.
Lieutenant Colonel Rimmer's Military Medal was awarded for the part he played in a counter-attack near Ploegsteert Wood on 10th April 1918, during the battle of Messines (10th - 11th April 1918). There is a detailed description of this counter-attack in the regimental history. On 10th April the 2nd Lancashires were in the front line in the Ploogsteert sector, acting as brigade reserve of the 75th Brigade, the 8th Borders and the 11th Cheshires being in the line. That day the Germans launched a concerted attack against 75th Brigade, and in order to stabilise the situation, a counter-attack was ordered. The regimental history takes up the story "At 3.30pm a conference was held at Battalion Headquarters at which a counter-attack against Ploogsteert village was arranged, to take place at 5pm. The battalion contributed two companies to the mixed force of sappers, pioneers, machine-gunners and Cheshires taking part in the operation, and both did excellent work, although the attack broke down owing to the large numbers of skilfully handled German machine guns. Captain Bryden, the commander of "C" Company, specially distinguished himself, and succeeded in extricating his men from a difficult position when the attack was held up. He was awarded a bar to his Military Cross. Sergeant R. (sic) J. Rimmer, Corporal W. Haley and Private A. Cooper all displayed exceptional gallantry, the last named as a runner all were awarded the Military Medal."
