From A History Of The Wiltshire Strattons, updated and edited by Richard Flower Stratton, 1987:
Roland Stratton 1889-1954
Roland was another Great War soldier, this time (because of deafness) with the Transport Corps where he had many adventures and narrow escapes.
He accompanied Jack Stratton to Africa in 1922 to view the Udzi Estates Project near Umtali. A family consortium had paid 2/6 per acre deposit on a 5/- per acre purchase. Unfortunately it transpired that the cousin who was acting as intermediary was acting for both sides and the deal collapsed.
Impecunious Roland had to pledge that blind and rich Jack would not be a charge on the South African state. Sailing home, his chief reoccupation was to prevent Jack from climbing the recently tarred main-mast.
In 1925 Roland married William Stratton’s daughter, his cousin Jessie. They rented Manor Farm, Longbridge Deverill, on the Longleat Estate and both were to die there. In an effort to find a tenant, the Estate waived the first year’s rent. Roland had seen at Lower Machen the futility of farming during a depression and anyway his main interest in life was sport of all kinds. Captain of Newport Hockey Team, he had played for Wales in 1911 and 1913.
He was an excellent shot, a good bridge player and enjoyed a day with the hounds. His local men’s tennis-four every alternate weekend was a continuing joy to him and the standard of play was sensational. He once made himself popular at his son’s prep school Father’s Match by taking all the boys’ wickets and then proceeding to knock off the runs himself. He did not regard this in any way tactless.
By 1939 Roland was completely deaf. Accordingly the local Home Guard made him Animal Air Raid Warden, charged with putting down animals wounded by enemy action.
After the War he became increasingly depressed and died in 1954.
Roland and Jessie had two sons – Roland Keith and Roger William.