Roderick Kyrle Matheson
| Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Regiment: | Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), 3rd Batallion, attd. Manchester Regiment, 20th Batallion, 30th Division |
| Country: | France |
| Cemetary/Memorial: | Lebucquiere Communal Cemetery (Ref. II.F.24) |
| Awards: | British War Medal Victory Medal |
Born on 14th November 1897 in Hastings, Sussex, Second Lieutenant Matheson died of his wounds at Ginchy in France on 8th September 1916. He had been reported as having been captured on 3rd September. He was aged just 18.
Roderick was the youngest son of Sir Alexander Perceval of Lochalsh, 3rd Baronet (1861-1929) and Lady Eleanor Matheson (nee Money, 1864-1959) of Ardarun, Littlehampton, Sussex.
He had two brothers, Ian Kenneth (1893-1917) and Alexander Perceval (1895-1917) who also served and perished in the Great War. He also had four sisters, Margaret Anna (1886-1948), Muriel Helen (1890-1970), Norah (1890-1967) and Eleanor (b.1895).
Like his brothers, Roderick attended Saint Ronan’s from 1903 where he was in Class 3. In May 1904 The Ronian reported that he had come second in the Youngster Race, winning a prize of a book.
In 1911 he went on to Wellington where he was in Orange House. He left in 1912.
Roderick enlisted when he was 16 years and 10 months into the Royal Fusiliers, 20th Battalion, and was given his commission on his 18th birthday in 1915. On going to the front he was attached to the Manchester Regiment.
The Manchester Regiment proceeded to France in November 1914, landing at Boulogne. In 1916 they were in action during the Battles of the Somme, including the capture of Mametz Wood (July), the Battle of Bazentin (July), the attacks on High Wood (July-September), The Battle of Delville Wood (July-September) and The Battle of Guillemont (3rd-6th September). Second Lieutenant Matheson was shot through the chest on 3rd September and died, as a prisoner of war, on 8th September 1916.
Roderick’s brothers also served and sadly perished in the War:
• Alexander Perceval served as a Lieutenant and Acting Flight Commander with the Royal Flying Corps. He was killed in action on 13th July 1917, aged 22, after his plane was shot down over Belgium.
• Ian Kenneth served as a Captain with the Seaforth Highlanders, 2nd Battalion Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany’s Regiment. He died of his wounds on 13th May 1917 in France.
The brothers are also commemorated on the Littlehampton War Memorial, Sussex.
