BORN HULL 1896. SECOND SON OF WILLIAM HENRY RALPH (1879-1958) & CAROLINE FURGUSSON STEPHENSON (1874-1953), OF 38, RAIKES STREET, HULL & 6 WENTWORTH STREET, CHURCH STREET, HULL. HE HAD ONE BROTHER, GEORGE AND ONE SISTER, MARY ANN.
A DOCK LABOURER. HE MARRIED FLORENCE MATTHEWS (1895-1960), IN HULL, ON 01/05/1915. THEIR SON, WILLIAM, WAS BORN 19 DAYS LATER, ON 20/05/1915.
ENLISTED HULL ON 12TH DECEMBER 1915, AGED 20. TRAINED AT WITHERSEA AND DRIFFIELD. SERVED IN THE 8TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. KILLED IN ACTION, ON 29/04/1917, AGED 21. HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS WIDOW, FLORENCE.
OHN RALPH’S DEATH IS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL, ON 15/05/1917 & HDM 29/04/1918.
HIS BROTHER, GUNNER, JAMES RALPH, ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY, WAS KILLED IN ACTION, ON 18/10/1917.
Thank You to Caroline Townsend, who sent the following information on 23/01/2015.
“My great uncles John Richard and James Ralph both died in the Great War. They were the sons of William and Caroline Ralph of 6 Wentworth Street, Hull
James Ralph was born in 1894 and was the eldest son. By 1911 he was in the workforce and likely working with his father on the docks. Then just over 100 years ago, Britain declared war on Germany and in 1916, James was called up to join the army at just 23 years of age. James William Ralph was part of ‘C’ Battery, 64th Brigade Royal Field Artillery and was killed in action on October 18, 1917. He is memorialised at the Tyne Cot Memorial in West Flanders, Belgium. The dates make it likely that he died during the Third Battle of Ypres in the Battle of Passchendaele.
John Richard Ralph was born 1896 and was the second eldest son. He married Florence Matthews on 1st May 1915 and their son William was born 19 days later. John signed up at the age of 20 years and 6 months on the 12th December 1915. John Richard Ralph was part of the 8th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment and was killed in action on 29th April, 1917. He is buried at the Faubourg-d’Amiens Cemetery in Arras, France. The dates make it likely that he died in the Battle of Arleux.”
