Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

21 March - 4 July 1918. The Battles of the Somme in 1918 were mostly concerned with stemming the German advance which started in March 1918 and which made considerable gains in the Somme/Arras sector. Utilising surplus troops which had become available following the surrender of Russia after the October Revolution, the Germans gambled on a massive campaign that could win the war in the west before the USA could bring its resources to bear. Initial gains were in places spectacular but eventually dogged resistance coupled with supply problems and sheer exhaustion closed down the battle. Other attacks were launched along the front to probe the Allied defences but the same pattern of initial gains followed by stalemate prevailed. British casualties were almost 345,000.

Detail :

A biography and image are published in De Ruvigny's "RALPH, CHARLES SIDNEY, Private, No. 3049, 24th (Service) Battn. The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.) s. of the late Alonzo Horatio Ralph, by his wife, Louisa Elizabeth, daul. of William Daniel Kearns; b. Stoke, Devonport, co. Devon, 30 May, 1881; educ. Froebel House School there; was licensee of the Railway Hotel, Saltash, co. Cornwall; enlisted 2 Feb. 1915; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from the following Nov., and died at Etaples 5 April, 1918, from wounds received in action at Bullecourt on the 24th of the previous month. Buried at Etaples. An officer wrote: "The duty which he performed had to be done by men who could be relied on at all times, and I have no hesitation in saying that your husband did his duty up to the hilt, in spite of his age," and his Sergt.: "He was one of the best men I have ever met, and he was liked by all who met him. He was a very brave man, always jolly and always the same under all conditions, and it is a terrible thing and the hardest blow we have had-such a fine man paying the great sacrifice. I had spoken about Mr. Ralph and recommended him just before he was hit, but within the next few days I had to do the same for all the men with me, and we all had great praise from the Corps general and a P.M. also from the Divisional General." He was a member of Zetland Lodge of Freemasons, Saltash, and St. Aubyn's Lodge, Stoke. He m. at Stoke Damerell Devonport, 18 Aug. 1909, Matilda (The Railway Hotel, Saltash, co. Cornwall), dau. of Benjamin Wakeham; s.p."

Probate RALPH Charles Sidney of the Railway Hotel Saltash Cornwall died 5 April 1918 in France Probate London 7 August to Matilda Ralph widow. Effects £372 11s. 6d.

Masonic :

Listed a 29 year old Licensed Victualler from Devonport when initiated into St. Aubyn's Lodge, Cornwall. He was excluded 26th February, 1915 from the Lodge under Rule 175 showing 3 years of arrears, part of which was under war service. He had already joined Zetland Lodge No. 1071, by the 1st January, 1913 and he remained a member. He shows a year of war service, which is followed by the comment "Died of wounds 1.5.18," slightly later than the official record.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley