Ronald Skirth Military person

John Ronald Skirth (11 December 1897 – 1977) served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during the First World War. His experiences during the Battle of Messines and the Battle of Passchendaele led him to resolve not to take human life, and for the rest of his army service he made deliberate errors in targeting calculations to try to ensure the guns of his battery missed their aiming point on the first attempt, giving the enemy a chance to evacuate. Many years later, after retiring from a career as a teacher, he wrote a memoir of his years in the army, describing his disillusionment with the conduct of the war and his conversion to pacifism. In 2010 the memoir was published as The Reluctant Tommy, edited by Duncan Barrett.

Personal facts

Birth date	December 11, 1897
Birth place	Bexhill-on-Sea
Date of death	January 01, 1977
Place of death	Ealing

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Military person

allegiance	United Kingdom
military operations	Battle of Messines (1917) Battle of Passchendaele Western Front (World War I) Italian Front (World War I) World War I Battle of Asiago
military branch	British Army
military unit	Royal Garrison Artillery
service number	120331
service start	1916
service end	1919