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Little Holland cottages at top of Green no longer there
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Claypits Pond with Horses 1905
Long Melford Coronation fancy dress competition at the British Legion in Cordell road1953
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Ralph

Selected Biographies

Ralph, George Robert Born: Newton, Suffolk on 31.7.1898.[1]  Parents: Harry Robert Ralph of Great Waldingfield (Horsekeeper on Farm) and Eliza Jane [née Bowers].  Family Connections: Brother to Thomas Harry Ralph [b1891] and cousin of John Ralph [b1885]; also, brother-in-law of William George Race of Long Melford [b1895].  Home: Waldingfield Road, Newton, Suffolk (1901 to 1911), Folly Road, Great Waldingfield, Suffolk (1921), 3 Church Road, Sudbury, Suffolk (1939), 9 St Pauls Road, Erith, Kent [1965].  Occupation: Unemployed Textile Trade Collector (1921), Lorry Driver (1939).  Married: Florence May Race in 1925.  Service Record: George enlisted on 27.2.1915 as Pte.3146 [later re-numbered as Pte.800257] with ‘A’ Company, 2/3rd Battalion, London Regiment [Royal Fusiliers], being posted to the Western Front on 24.1.1918.  He was listed as missing by his battalion on 24.3.1918 during the opening phase of the German Spring Offensive, having received gunshot wounds to his right buttock and left foot before his capture at Chauny, seventy miles south-east of Amiens in France.  He was held as a prisoner of war first at Darmstadt near Frankfurt, transferring to Güstrow in northern Germany before his repatriation at the end of 1918.  On his return to England, he was moved to 30th [City of London] Battalion before his discharge in April 1919.[2]  Died: Bow Arrow Hospital, Bow Arrow Lane, Dartford, Kent on 3.4.1965.[3]

Ralph, John Born: Great Waldingfield, Suffolk on 12.10.1885.[4]  Parents: Thomas John Ralph and Eliza [née King].  Family Connections: Cousin of Thomas Harry Ralph [b1891] and George Robert Ralph [b1898].  Home: Corner Houses, Alpheton, Suffolk (1891), Waldingfield Road, Newton, Suffolk (1901), Military Barracks, Meerut, India (1911), Hill House, Stoke Road, Layham, Suffolk (1921).  Occupation: Labourer [1902], Soldier [1903 to 1916], Horseman of Farm (1921).  Married: Harriet Howe in 1916.  Service Record: John joined as a volunteer Pte.5844 with 3rd [Militia] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment in 1902, the following year enlisting at Bury St Edmunds as Gnr.12819 (later re-numbered as Gnr.44001] with ‘P’ Battery, Xth Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery being stationed at Meerut in India in 1911.  He was posted to France in October 1914 and promoted to the rank of Bombardier, seeing active service until his discharge in January 1916 on the termination of his period of engagement.[5]  Died: Lexden, Essex in 1933.

Ralph, Thomas Harry Born: Boxford, Suffolk on 24.11.1891.[6]  Parents: Harry Robert Ralph (Horsekeeper on Farm) and Eliza Jane [née Bowers].  Family Connections: Brother to George Robert Ralph [b1898] and cousin of John Ralph [b1885].  Home: Waldingfield Road, Newton, Suffolk (1901 to 1911), Folly Road, Great Waldingfield, Suffolk (1921), Washmere Green, Great Waldingfield (1939).  Occupation: Road Labourer (1911), Tractor Driver at Acton Hall (1921), Roadman (1939).  Married: May Mearsley in 1925.  Service Record: Thomas enlisted as Dvr.1070 with the Royal Field Artillery before the First World War, receiving his discharge on 21.3.1916 having completed his term of engagement.  Extant records suggest that he re-enlisted with the Tank Corps as Pte.111667, later promoted being to the rank of Corporal.[7]  Newspaper Record: In 1931 Mrs Ralph applied for a maintenance order against her husband for herself and their three children, the Bench at Sudbury Police Court deciding to make an order for the payment of fifteen shilling a week.[8]  Died Sudbury, Suffolk in 1960.

Related Biography

Race, William George – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 15.11.1894.[9]  Parents: William Race (Road Labourer) and Frances [née Hardy].  Family Connections: Brother to Florence May Race [b1896]; also, brother-in-law of George Robert Ralph [b1898] and nephew of Walter Race [b1864].  Home: Chapel Green, Long Melford [1897], Stone Houses, Sudbury Road, Long Melford (1901), Newton, Suffolk (1911), 66 East Street, Sudbury [1915].  Occupation: Agricultural Labourer (1911).  Service Record: William enlisted as Pte.10247 with 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment and was posted to France from 28.12.1914 as part of 12th Brigade, 4th Division.  The Battalion took part in the Retreat from Mons and saw action at the Battles of Le Cateau, the Marne, the Aisne and Armentières in 1914.[10]  Died: William died of wounds on 23.3.1915 in the care of 11th Field Ambulance at Le Bizet in Belgium.  Three days earlier 2nd Essex had taken over trenches at Warnave, north of Armentières.  Notwithstanding the Battalion’s diary describing each day as ‘fairly quiet’ or ‘very quiet’, the casualties from sporadic shelling and sniper fire over this short period accounted for one man dead and seven wounded.  Sadly, one of this number, Private Race was buried a few miles away in Strand Military Cemetery [grave ref: X.F.7], Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium.[11]

Notes – [1] 1939 Register.  [2] POW Records held by the International Committee of the Red Cross [refs: PA23335 and PA41138].  See also [WO 329 – Silver War Badge [ref: 456745], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [3] National Probate Calendar.  [4] Baptism Register 13.12.1885 St Lawrences Church, Great Waldingfield.  [5] Militia Service Records 1806-1915 [WO 96], First World War Service Records ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Soldiers’ Documents and Pension Claims, First World War [WO 364], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [6] 1939 Register.  [7] Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [8] Bury Free Press 18.4.1931.  [9] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 19.9.1895, St Catherines Mission Church, Long Melford.  Admission Register 1.12.1897, St Catherines Infants School, Long Melford records birth date as 1.11.1894.  [10] For details of 2nd Essex’s movements during this early part of the conflict see War Diary [WO 95/1505/1].  See also his Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [11] Commonwealth War Graves Commission record and British Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 file [ref: 165158].

Genealogical Table

Research by David Gevaux MA © 2025
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