Military History

Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders	British War & Victory Medals
Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
After 1 Jan 1916	~	Ratley & Upton
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted	Other War Memorials
Battle of Ginchy (Somme)	After Sept 1915 at Leamington Spa
Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units
Ginchy	~

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

The battalion war diary shows they moved into attack formation positions 500 yards from Ginchy in preparation for the assault planned for 6.20am the next day. Although the CWGC records his date of death as the 14th Sep 1916 the war diary describes only 1 man being slightly wounded on that date so it is likely that Ralph was actually killed during the assault on the 15th. 

Zero hour was timed for 6.20 a.m. and the Battalion was ready in position by about 3 a.m. The men slept therefore from 3 – 5.45 a.m. when they were given sandwiches and an issue of rum. During this time the “tanks”, which were attached to the Division could be heard making their way up in rear of us. We were in immediate touch with 6th Division on our right. At 6.0 a.m. our heavy artillery fired about 40 rounds in quick succession. This of course woke up the enemy, who put down his usual barrage on GINCHY village (particularly the NE corner) and started shelling LEUZE WOOD and troops of the 6th Division who were still moving about in that neighbourhood.At 6.19 ½ a.m. the whole Brigade rose to it’s feet and advanced. Our left front company was met by machine gun fire as soon as it got up and lost Capt MACKENZIE and Mr ASQUITH at once. 2/Lt H. Williams was wounded a few yards further on. The last remaining officer of that company also fell within 200 yards of our own trenches.Our rt front company however appeared to get off much more fortunately and did not seem to lose until a considerable way out.

Now owing to the causes which have been set down and owing to the fact that the 6th Division failed to advance and that the tanks were not forthcoming.

(1) Our left flank was or rather appeared to be in the air as the 1st Brigade had started behind us.
(2) Our right flank was completely exposed.
(3) Owing to the closeness of the formation and the irregularity of the assaulting trenches all the waves tended to become mixed.
(4) Owing to (1) and (2) the tendency was for the Brigade to split up right and left to cover it’s exposed flanks.

In addition to the above a german trench or rather a line of shell holes hastily organised and provided with M.G.s was encountered about 250 yards after leaving our own trenches. Every German in this trench was either shot or bayoneted but it helped to break up the regularity of the formation and impaired the cohesion of the assault.

The men however were not to be denied and though the right flank was raked by heavy machine gun fire in enfilade and though the wire and trench on that part of the front owing to impossibility of observation wire untouched by the Brigade continued to advance, but as a Brigade rather than as 4 battalions. The parties who were drawn to the left by the appallingly exposed flank found themselves among the 1st Brigade but did not suffer severely as the wire and trench there had been completely destroyed.

It was on the right flank that our chief casualties were incurred. They included the Commanding Officer Lt. Col. B.N.S. Brooke D.S.O. and most of the officers except Capts GORDON & HOPLEY.

After reaching the first objective – the German line running through T.8.a.b.2.d it was found that there was a gap between the left parties and the right which was occupied by the enemy who began to enfilade the trench with M.G.s and shell fire.

Composite bombing parties however dislodged them and the whole first objective was in our hands. Our right flank was however completely exposed as the troops on our right were only a short distance, if any, in front of GINCHY TELEGRAPH.

On the right therefore it was impossible to push on but more in the centre in composite party of men of the 2nd Gds Brigade under MAJOR ROCKE went forward and established themselves just short of the second line in T.9.b but as that party was only 100 strong and had two open flanks it was impossible to assault the second line. It appeared that LES BOEUFS would have fallen into our hands without opposition or at any rate with only ill-organised resistance if more troops could have been packed on. This was not done doubtless owing to the threat to the right flank of the Division – a threat which would have become more acute with every additional yard forward.

The position was therefore consolidated but the advanced party under Major ROCKE after withholding one counter attack had both flanks enveloped and being attacked frontally had to fall back on to the first objective. On the evening of the 15th therefore this Battalion held a small frontage on the right of the first objective. This flank was subjected to repeated bombing attacks and the Germans also attempted to work riflemen round it. Fire steps had to be dug in both sides of the trench and bombing parties organised to resist the enemy bombing down. Fighting on a small scale therefore continued throughout the night 15/16th and resulted in all counter attacks being repulsed. The enemy drove us back at one time about 70 yards but his success was momentary only and the ground was immediately re-taken and 1 machine gun captured.