Born on 31st December 1886 in Tring, Hertfordshire, Captain Vaisey was killed in action on 7th September 1918 at Demicourt, France. He was 31.

He was the youngest son of Arthur William Vaisey (1852-1939), a barrister, and Esther Vaisey (nee Bevir, 1854-1925) of The Bungalow, Tring, Hertfordshire. He was husband to Violet Vaisey (nee Landon, b. 1887) and father of three children.

Roland had five elder sisters, Margaret (b.1878), Violet (1880-1969), Lilian (b.1881), Veronica (b.1883) and May (1885-1961) and two younger sisters, Olive (1889-1982) and Iris (1892-1956). He also had an elder brother, Harry (1878-1965).

Roland came to Saint Ronan’s in 1899. The Ronian records him being appointed to the Football XI, “Looks like improving into a very fair left-half. Has plenty of pluck, and usually kicks neatly”. He was made a Prefect in 1900.

Following Saint Ronan’s he went on to Shrewsbury in 1900 where he was in the School House. He left Shrewsbury in 1903, going on to study law.

Roland was admitted as a Solicitor in 1909 and in 1911 went into partnership with his father as A W Vaisey and Son. His brother, Harry, also studied law and went on to become a senior judge at the High Court and to be knighted.

Roland married Violet Landon in October 1911 in Billericay, Essex, when he was 24. They had three children, Aileen Vaisey (1912-1945), Elizabeth Vaisey (1913-1981) and John Roland Maddison Vaisey (1916-1941). John, like his father, also attended Saint Ronan’s. He went on to Shrewsbury where he was in Oldham’s House, leaving in 1933. He joined the Royal Air Force in World War II and, whilst flying as part of Bomber Command, was tragically killed over Poland in 1941. He was 25.

In March 1915, The Bucks Herald, reported that Roland had presided over the local elections in Tring as Deputy Returning Officer.

Roland joied the Air Force, being appointed as Lieutenant with the 2nd Northumberland Battery, Royal Flying Corps (Territorial Force).

He was sent to France in March 1915 and gazetted to the Royal Field Artillery as a Second Lieutenant on 12th August 1916.

The Regiment saw extensive action on the Front Line:

• The Battle of Loos (September 1915)
• Aix Noulette (February 1916)
• Bully Grenay (March 1916)
• St Nazaire (June 1916)
• The Somme (Montauban, July-August 1916)
• Thisphval (September 1916)
• Courcelette (January 1917)
• Vimy Ridge (April 1917)
• Arras (April-May 1917)
• Bethune (August-October 1917)
• Ypres (November 1917)
• Cambrai (March 1918)

During the night of 7th September 1918, a rain of heavy shells fell about the Headquarteres that were in a dugout on the Doignies-Demicourt Road. The Brigade transport was passing at the time and Captain Vaisey was attempting to get Divisional Artillery Column horses clear of a sunken road outside the HQ when he was killed by shellfire.

His Colonel wrote: He has been my Adjutant for over a year, and had been a wonderfully good and efficient one. He will be a very great loss to me and all my brigade”.

The following are extracts from the diary of Captain Edward Walford Manifold, an Australian who joined the Royal Field Artillery at the outbreak of the War alongside his brother, William. Captain Manifold was subsequently awarded the Military Cross but sadly his brother was killed in April 1917. The extracts give a detailed insight into the everyday life of the Battalion, and include references to Captain Vaisey:

6th May 1917
During the night there was a lot of heavy firing on either side of our zone. During the early morning, we ran our guns into the new pits, covering them with camouflage, and Sandford tried to register them from the back OP, along with Bellew, who had just recently been posted to us. The Hun, however, was too active in the air and kept us well in view, so we had to give it up at two p.m, when 13 Hun machines were floating about, but we got No.1 roughly registered. Towards evening, the Hun shelled the 41st Brigade batteries behind the railway embankment with heavy five nines, from all appearances doing much damage. While he was doing this, Claudet and a new subaltern, Vaisey, called in for some tea. If they had not arrived, I was going to retire to the dug outs, knowing the Hun's method of dropping some 200 + before finishing with a target. Well, the Hun carried out his plan first, getting a round very close, so we made for the dug outs. As we went down, I just remembered a lot of men still wandering about on top, so went up to tell them to get under cover. As I got to the top, I caught the sound of a shell, which told me by instinct would come very close, so shouted, 'Under cover' and dived into the mine shaft again. There was a devilish crash, something struck me on the back and forehead, and the place was black with smoke and dust. Vaisey and Claudet were only a few steps further down and, when we found all was well, we descended below. It was a very close call and, thanks to the timbers standing, I am here to tell the tale. Beyond having a large bump on the forehead, a bruised back and all the buttons torn off my coat by the blast, I was all right and not shaken as would only be natural. My ears are very numb though, with the blast making me quite deaf.

1st, 2nd and 3rd August 1917
Wednesday: got very wet going up to Braddle Castle in the morning as it rained heavily and continued throughout the day. Vosper came up in the afternoon and we shot a few rounds for amusement and had to get Jones out from his tea to check his section's shooting. Thursday: the Hun showed his hate on the seven ones all day with five nines but put most of his rounds either short or over in the marsh. It was again raining but not so heavily as before. The Major, having sprung a surprise on me the previous evening about my being posted to the 15th, I went round to Bde to protest to the Colonel and found him in after three visits but could not get much change out of him. He said that Claudet had no officers with any experience, as he had taken Vaisey away to be Adjutant in Jock Murdoch's place, the latter having gone on a course of I Tock. So there is nothing for it but to put up with it. I had lunch with the seven ones, where Scott Armytage and Thorburn were in. The conversation seemed to veer round to Small Scott at the guns, who was very frightened, and some rude remarks were made about him. In the afternoon, having called at Bde after lunch, brought Padre back to tea and we ran the gauntlet through the splinter area. But caught the Colonel after tea walking back to Brigade with the Padre. Friday: Braddle Castle at nine a.m., relieved Fleming, who had been at Kings Cleare all night. It rained heavily all day and the light was impossible. Saw a minnie firing from the railway south of Les Briques, put D36 onto it but they plastered away at quite the wrong spot and did not seem to trouble much when I asked what they were firing at.

30th August 1917
Still showery. Go to guns in the afternoon. Come back by Sailly La Bourse so as to call in at RE dump to see about material required at the guns. No difficulty about drawing the material and am told the Hun put several 5.9 gun shells very close to the dump during the afternoon. While away from the lines the Colonel and General wandered round the lines and seemed to be well satisfied as left no grouses. At seven thirty I push off to brigade on a bicycle for dinner and get a puncture just a few yards from the door, a hobnail in the front tyre. Vaisey gets someone to mend it and I spend rather an amusing evening, listening to an argument on the church and bible which the Padre defends well, though some difficult points are brought forward.

15th October 1917
Orderly officer driving drill at nine a.m. on spare fields. Nicholson, Siggers and I both have a turn at it with the left and centre sections in skeleton order. It was a nice sharp sunny morning and there had been a frost overnight. In the afternoon the right half battery played the left half at football, it ending in a draw. The Colonel adjutant [Vaisey] and a lot more officers were spectators. Siggers and Cruikshank were playing, the latter, getting a kick on the head, was put out for a short time but soon recovered, with a black eye only. It was rather amusing - we had lost one of the cook's carthorses, known as Mrs Fritz and one of the bombardiers in charge of them found an old Frenchman using her in a plough. We sent two lumbers[?] off in the evening to pick up two guns - the carriages at Bethune and pieces at Bruay, it being an all night job.

27th October 1917
Raining in the morning. Nicholson goes up to relieve Siggers, who comes down late in the afternoon. After lunch Hoyland and I went over to the 9th Battery to see about some of our guns. We found them up to their eyes in mud there and also found Vaisey there. He had just come off leave.

2nd November 1917
We were rather surprised to hear late on the evening of the first that Hoyland had got a touch of mustard gas and his horses were to be sent up in the morning. He came down at nine thirty and told us he had fallen down when going out on the night Anderson was killed and, where he touched the ground, huge blisters were rising and they certainly were nasty large-looking reservoirs. The Major goes up after lunch and sends Nicholson back to the horse lines. The Colonel, Todd and Vaisey come round to see Hoyland in the afternoon, the former telling him he must go to a CCS where he will probably be sent down to the base and perhaps to England but that he will have every chance of coming back again. After glancing round the horses, the CO departs, being well impressed with the good condition of the skins. Siggers, after lunch, had gone off with the Padre to Pop to get some money from the Field Cashier. He returned about ten, not having found the 18th Corps headquarters and without the money.

3rd December 1917
Very cold morning. Barrett goes to Ruyaulcourt to meet the staff captain and have wagon lines allotted. Shapland goes out to look out a new road back from the new gun position down near the canal. In the middle of sending up gun limbers and ammunition at three p.m. Vaisey, the adjutant, came along and told me that the guns would not be moving, so I sent up the ammunition and cancelled the gun limbers, 10 wagons of ammunition in all went up.  

14th March 1918
Misty morning with wind in the east from the Hun lines. A lot of buzzing could be heard in their lines, sounding like motors - and lots of them - so I reported it to the brigade as probably enemy tanks moving up under the mist, adding a little more wind to the already windy staff. Colonel and Vaisey came in for lunch. I slept at guns, the Huns again gassed us, commencing about nine p.m. and carrying on for one and a half hours.

18th May 1918
Go for another semi staff ride with signallers BC's limber and no Nos1, we go out towards St Eloi as Siggers and I intended lunching at officers' club at Chamblain l'Abbe. At twelve we sent the party home and rode on to the village for lunch. Vaisey and Capt. Scott rolled up in the general's car and sat at our table, the former was going on to Aubigny to have his teeth seen to. Again, it being a splendid night, our planes are busy and a few Huns venture over our lines too.

12th August 1918
Parade in a mist at forward wagon lines at seven forty-five a.m. The manoeuvres go on all the morning, finishing up with a pow wow at one p.m. on the hill, with Ironside and all officers. Cruikshank and I ride down to the wagon line and I have a hurried lunch and go on to RA on a bicycle to play cricket. The match was RA v RGH, the Colonel, Vaisey, Armytage, some other officers and myself were playing. We beat them by about thirty runs after a very interesting game. On the same field as we played, baseball and polo were being played and the American were making a great fuss over their ball game.

14th August 1918
I got rather a shock when, just turning out for breakfast at nine a.m., see the Colonel looking down into the trench, along with Vaisey and McKinty, and hear him ask why the parade wasn't ready. It seems Scottie had forgotten to tell me about it. Anyway, it all blew over with a few sparks. I took Sergeant Higgins up to see a new camouflage position we had to build and showed him where to dump the material. On returning to lunch find, on ringing the brigade up, there is much excitement, as the Hun is supposed to be going to fall back. He has already given up Serre and Bucquoy. Daylight patrols go out, and I am ordered to move two guns up to the old position near Adinger Wood. Barrett goes up with them. In the mean time, Brigade HQ moves up to Inf Brigade in the Purple Front line and the Colonel spends the afternoon in No. 13 post. The patrol find one or two machine gun posts with the Huns asleep and scupper them, going on to the main line, where the Hun suddenly wakes up and lets them have it. Up goes the SOS at once, but of course no-one knows where to put their barrage down with safety, until the Colonel rings through from the post. I had just given the forward guns the lines when Scottie appeared with his kit. In the mean time, we had received orders to stand by and be ready to move within two hours notice. During the night of 7th September 1918, Captain Vaisey was killed by shellfire as he was attempting to get Divisional Artillery Column horses clear of a sunken road outside the Brigade Headquarters.

8th September 1918
An awful gale blowing and on going to Vrancourt to see our adjutant Vaisey buried - he had been killed on Saturday by almost a direct hit while trying to get DAC horses clear of a Sunken Road outside his HQ - hear that my leave to Australia is granted from Capt Pelham and waste no time but start for rail head that night. Lt Hoyland and 2nd JA Nicholson killed a few weeks later while souvenir hunting in a village west of Cambrai.

Captain Vaisey is also commeoranted on memorials in Tring and at Shrewsbury School.