Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Bagneux British Cemetery | Gezaincourt | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.138 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 10A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of W. Clement Williams. Born in Halifax. He was a surveyor, a partner in Clement Williams & Sons.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 19/Northumberland Fusiliers |
19th (Service) Battalion (2nd Tyneside Pioneers) Formed at Newcastle, 16 November 1914, by the Lord Mayor and City. 8 February 1915 : became a Pioneer Bn. July 1915 : attached as Divisional Troops to 35th Division. Landed at Le Havre 29 January 1916. |
| Action : The First Battles of the Somme 1918 and associated actions |
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 :
His photograph appears with a report of his death in the Halifax Courier [6th July 1918].
He was buried at Bagneux British Cemetery, Gezaincourt, France [Grave Ref III C 10].
He is remembered in the Halifax Town Hall Books of Remembrance, and on the Memorial at Halifax Freemasons.(photograph from the Halifax Evening Courier)
Transcript from the Halifax Evening Courier:
Sec-Lt Ralph E Williams, Althorpe, Rothwell-road, a partner in the firm of Clement Williams and Sons, architects, etc, Halifax, was killed on June 29. Aged 32, he volunteered and joined the Public Schools Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers at Oxford in 1915. In due course, he was drafted to France, and passed safely through the whole of the Somme advance, being in the thick of the fighting. He was recommended for a commission, returned to England for further training, and was eventually gazetted as Sec-Lt in the Northumberland Fusiliers. About 12 months ago he again returned to the front line in France. Some three months ago he was withdrawn from his battalion and given a staff appointment with the Chief Royal Engineers attached to the 35th Division. Mr Williams, who was unmarried, was a member of St James' Lodge of Freemasons.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | St James's No. 448 E.C. | Yorkshire (West Riding) |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
5th April 1917 | 3rd August 1917 | - |
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