9th Seaforth Highlanders, October 20th 1916
Synopsis of Life and Military Service
Despite thorough research, very little information has been found on the life and service of John Ralph, especially as his military records were destroyed in the destruction of World War 2. However the following information has been ascertained.
John Ralph was born on 7 October, 1891 at Burghead, Morayshire to Alex and Mary Ralph. Before the Great War, John and his family, including his brothers, father and sister were very much involved in the fishing industry as fishermen and fish workers.
At the outbreak of the war, John was one of the first to join the armed forces, and unlike his brothers who were to join the naval services, John enlisted into his local infantry regiment, the Seaforth Highlanders at Burghead in September 1914. He was allocated the service number S/4948 and placed into the 9th Battalion which was formed at Fort George, Inverness-shire in October 1914. It then moved to Aldershot in November and on 3 December came under command of 9th (Scottish) Division. It became a Pioneer Battalion to the same Division in early 1915 and moved to Rowledge (Farnham).
These ‘Pioneer’ Battalions were trained as conventional infantry and were affiliated closely with Royal Engineer units, their role included demolition, entrenching, road-making, light railway construction and maintenance and other general work. As such it required individuals who were used to hard manual labour and also those who were skilled tradesman.
Following training, his unit landed at Boulogne, France on 10 May 1915. The Battle of the Somme took place between the 1 July 1916 to 18 November 1916, and on 20 October 1916 near Bazentine le Grande Wood, Somme, France, George was killed by a grenade. It is likely that his body was buried nearby and over the remainder of the course of the war, his remains were either never found or never identified and as such he is honoured and remembered on the memorial to the lost of the Somme and is one of over 72,000 on the Thiepval Memorial , Somme, France.
Banffshire Advertiser dated 2 November 1916
“Information has been received by Mr Alexander Ralph ‘Screw’, fisherman, 17 Dunbar Street, Burghead that his son Private John Ralph, Seaforth’s Highlanders was killed at the front by a grenade. Private Ralph who was 25 years of age when he passed was a fisherman previous to joining the army. Mr Ralph has 3 other sons serving in the forces” .
War Diary of the 9th Seaforth Highlanders – 20 October 1916
The War Diary of the 9th Seaforth Highlanders on the date of his death reads the following:
Bazentine-Le-Grand Wood
20 October 1916
Day- ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies worked on light railway- sloping embankment laying ballast trails and grading track. In addition ‘A’ Company had 30 men working on 9th division battle HQ at S.14 central excavated to approach trenches and communication trenches,
20 / 21 October 1916
Night- ‘A’ Cop deepened and widened C.T.(Communication Trench) from FLERS LINE to EAUCOURT L’ABBAYE 215yds long, 5ft deep and excavated continuation of above trench for 40 yds. to a depth of 4ft6.
‘C’ Company cleaned, widened, and deepened 220yds of old fire trench from head of CRESENT ALLEY towards first C.T. running north rom it.
‘D’ Company cleaned out to 5ft 6″ depth about 200yds of C.T. running from FLERS LINE at M.22.d.7.9 to M.22.b.8.6.
Family
John Ralph was born on 7 October 1891 at Burghead, Morayshire to Alexander and Mary Ralph.
His family is shown as follows :-
- Father: Alexander (n/n Screw) Ralph, born c.1854 at Burghead, Morayshire (Fisherman)
- Mother: Mary Ralph, born c.1857 at Hopeman, Morayshire
- Sister: Isabella L. Ralph, born c.1882 at Burghead, Morayshire (Fish worker)
- Brother: George, born c. August 9th 1883 at Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire. (Fisherman)
- Brother: William, born c. June 14th 1884 at Burghead, Morayshire (Fisherman)
- Brother: Alexander, born c. September 22nd 1887 at Burghead, Morayshire
- Sister: Maggie, born c.1889 at Burghead, Morayshire
- Sister: Mary, born c.1894 at Burghead, Morayshire (Domestic servant)
- Sister: Elsie, born c.1895 at Burghead, Morayshire ( Domestic servant)
- Sister: Jane (Jeanie), born c.1897 at Burghead, Morayshire
Addresses
The following addresses have been ascertained for John Ralph from the 1901 and 1911 Census :-
- 1901: 49 Forteath Street, Burghead, Morayshire.
- 1911: 79 Dunbar Street, Burghead, Morayshire.
- 1916: 79 Dunbar Street, Burghead, Morayshire.
Medals
John Ralph was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the Victory and the British War Medals for his service in the Great War.
Memorials
John Ralph is honoured and remembered on the :-
Remarks
Although John decided to serve in the army, his 3 other brothers served in the naval services during the war, they were:-
Alexander Ralph: born on 22 September 1887 who enlisted in Lossiemouth in January 1915 and he was a Seaman Gunner on S.S. “Idaho” which was a hired yacht Special Service Vehicle and was later used as a tug . He served in home and Foreign waters.
George Ralph: born on 9 August 1883 who enlisted at Inverness in 1914, he served as a seaman on H.M.S “Moray Gem” which was a hired drifter ship and was built in 1911 and it was used as a boom defence vessel. He served at Scapa Flow.
William Ralph: born on 14 June 1884 who enlisted in Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty on 4 November 1914 and served as a seaman on the H.M Yacht “Agatha” which was a hired yacht which may have served in special yacht squadrons. He served in Home Waters.
It may have been the case that should he have followed his brothers in their trade, serving at sea he may have survived the war.
Links to Additional Information
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission: John Ralph.
- Find a Grave website: John Ralph.
- A Street Near You website: John Ralph.
- Lives of the First World War: John Ralph
References
- 1914-15 Star Medal Roll.
- Morayshire Roll of Honour.
- 1901 Census.
- 1911 Census.
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
- Pension Cards.
- Medal Index Card.
- Victory and British War Medals Medal.
- Soldiers Died in the Great War.
- Scottish National War Memorial Index.
- Banffshire Advertiser dated 2 November 1916.
- Long Long Trail website.
- Pioneer Battalions in the Great War by K.W. Mitchinson.
Groups
Contributors:-
- Poppy Harnett
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