Ronald Valentine Cecil Cavendish was a direct descendent of the 4th Duke of Devonshire (his Great Great Great Grandfather).
He joined the army as a regular soldier before the First World War and served with the 14th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment. He was promoted to Lance Corporal and on the 25th September 1914 was granted the temporary rank of 2nd Lieutenant.
He was commissioned into the Notts & Derby Regiment (Sherwood Foresters).
On the 11th May 1915 he went to France and was attached to the 10th Battalion The Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders Regiment. As Temporary Captain he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 1st January 1916).
On the 1st July 1917 he was promoted to the substantive rank of Lieutenant.
On the 14th May 1918 he was appointed as a Staff Officer (G.S.O. 3) with H.Q. 3rd Army. He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 20th December 1918).
Brig. R. V. C. Cavendish, O.B.E., M.C.
On the 1st November 1920 he was appointed A.D.C. to G.O.C. - in C. (General Commander-in-Chief), Southern Command, Poona, India.
He married Violet Helen Boucher, daughter of Arthur Sackville Boucher, on 20th December 1923 at Rawalpindi, India.
On the 1st November 1929 he was appointed Adjutant of the 6th Battalion (T.A.) Sherwood Foresters a position he held until 1st November 1933.
On the 1st December 1935 he was appointed Temporary Staff Captain with the British Troops in Sudan, a post he held until 25th July 1936.
He gained the rank of Major in the service of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment (Sherwood Foresters).
He was awarded the O.B.E. (London Gazette 1st April 1941) in recognition of distinguished service in the Middle East during 1940.
He was appointed commanding officers of the 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment in October 1941 joining the Battalion in India and continued to command the Battalion until August 1942.
In 1942 he was appointed as Commanding Officer 5th Brigade, India.
In 1943 he was appointed as Commanding Officer 6th Independent Brigade Group, Burma.
In 1943 he was captured and became a Prisoner of War.
He was killed by own Artillery Fire on the 6th April 1943 (age 47) at the Mayu Peninsula, Burma.
His wife Violet Helen Cavendish died on the 7th February 1974.
Children of Brigadier Ronald Valentine Cecil Cavendish and Violet Helen Boucher
Brig.-Gen. Peter Boucher Cavendish born 26th August 1925 at Morree, India.
Captain Robin Francis Cavendish born 12th March 1930, Middleton, Derbyshire. Died 10th August 1994.