Tribute to Grangemouth stalwart Bill Ramage who died, aged 96

Bill was born in Stirling and was the second-born to his parents, Mary Anne and William, and was a younger brother to David, who had predeceased him.

Having done well at school, he left at the age of 15 to join the Stirling & County Savings Bank (which later became the TSB) where he spent his whole career apart from his time serving in the RAF during World War 2.

Bill was a keen member of the 19th Stirling Boys’ Brigade movement and went on to become an Officer, then progressing to become Secretary and Treasurer of its Stirling section for 15 years. The Boys’ Brigade featured significantly in the course that Bill’s life took, as he proposed to Nancy at a BB Camp near St Andrews in 1950, marrying her in 1951 in the Erskine Mary Kirk Church in Stirling.

Bill was called up to the RAF in August 1942. After training in Morse Code, he became a Wireless Operator, his exceptional level of skill in this advanced technology, and his Boys’ Brigade leadership training, marking him out for service in a little-known but highly important, and secret, facet of the Far Eastern theatre of war.

Bill’s lengthy and arduous journey was overland to his embarkation point on the Holy Loch, by convoy through waters in which packs of U-boats hunted, through the Suez Canal to Bombay, overland again to Calcutta, and finally by air over the Himalayas and into occupied China, to assist General Chiang Kai-shek who was leading China’s resistance to the Japanese invasion.

Bill’s duties included sending secret messages from Major General Carton de Wiart, who was Winston Churchill’s special envoy based in Chungking, over the Himalayas to Delhi for onward transmission to London. There are many stories Bill could tell of his service days but for me the best was how he spent the last two months of his service - at RAF Pitreavie Castle near Dunfermline where Bill was put in charge of a watch of twelve WAAF wireless operators which in his words was “a very pleasant end to my war service”.

Anything Bill did in life, he did it properly, with skill, determination, humility and great integrity.

Bill, having started as a school leaver in the bank, finished his career as manager of the TSB in Grangemouth, which is where I first met him. As a very young lad, my mum took me into the TSB to open my first bank account. Whilst sorting it out with the lady at the counter, a gentleman came over and passed the time of day with us and I was introduced to Mr Ramage, the manager. I remember being very impressed by the meeting – clearly, Mr Ramage had made a very favourable impression on me.

When in Primary 6 at Zetland Primary School, I won an essay competition in which I had written about the RNLI. When collecting my prize at the Earlsgate Hotel from the local RNLI committee, who should be there but Mr Ramage. He supported the local branch as Treasurer and achieved the RNLI honours of Bronze, Silver and Gold awards plus a gold bar to add to his gold bar he had already been awarded.

Just over 20 years ago I was invited to join the Rotary Club of Grangemouth, and whom should I meet? Bill had joined the Club in 1967 and epitomised the Rotary motto of ‘Service above Self’. He became Club Secretary before taking up the President’s role in 1975. He also served as District 1020 Secretary and in 2001 was awarded Rotary’s highest award, a Paul Harris Fellowship. His service to the Club was uninterrupted, substantial, and sustained throughout the decades that passed and it is worth mentioning that only a few weeks ago, helped by Nancy, Bill was “attending” our virtual Club meetings.

Through his Rotary connection, Bill instigated the Grangemouth Probus Club and in 1980, as a member of the Grangemouth Old People’s Welfare Committee, helped see the construction of Talbot House through to fruition. He was Treasurer of this organisation from 1980 until 2003. He was also Secretary of the local branch of the RSSPCC.

Having invested so much of his time in helping the folks of Grangemouth and beyond Bill was awarded the Provost’s Lifetime Achievement award for his contribution to voluntary work in the town.

As a family man with a son and daughter, Bill enjoyed his time with his family, particularly holiday-times. When Jill and Kenneth were married, Bill and Nancy enjoyed many holidays at their apartment in Puerto Pollensa, and also loved spending time with their grandchildren and more recently great grandchildren.

As a finishing note in testament to the sort of man Bill was, I should like to add this memory: after helping with a fundraiser three years ago to raise money to help under-privileged and disabled children go flying, Tayside Aviation, where the children’s flying still takes place, by

way of thanks offered a flight to a member of the Rotary Club. Bill was the obvious and highly-deserving choice but, to preserve the surprise, he was told was being taken for an outing in the car, and knew nothing about the flight until he arrived at Tayside Aviation in Dundee on the morning of March 3. Within an hour of arrival, he was up in an aircraft flying over the glens of Angus and actually had a spell at the controls of the aircraft. I know that was a special day for Bill but it was more special for us seeing the joy on his face - he was like a 16 year old not a 96 year old!

Bill was an amazing man whom I am proud to have called my friend, As the young folks say today he “got it”, whatever he was involved with and always delivered the best of advice,help or encouragement, and gave it quietly, sincerely, and with great humanity and compassion.

We will all miss Bill but none more so than Nancy and her extended family who have our support to help them through this time. Whatever the length of acquaintance the many people whose lives Bill touched had with him, they all highlighted the same characteristic – he was “a true gentleman”.