Douglas Frederick Ralph
Memorial: Downend - Christ Church
Regiment: Canadian Machine Gun Corps
Medals: British War Medal, Canadian Memorial Cross, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Private 240565
Parents: John and Sarah Mary (Nee Simmonds) Ralph
Marital status: Single
Home address: Home Address: Ducie Road, Staple Hill (See further information) Lived: 1901 Census – Alexander Road, Staple Hill, Bristol
Pre-war occupation: Stock Room Clerk
Date of birth: 1897
Date of death: 28/11/1917
Buried/Commemorated at: La Targette British Cemetery, Neuville-St. Vaast, France
Age: 19
Further information:
Douglas was born in 1897 (1st Quarter) (Baptised St James Church, Mangotsfield on 7 March 1897. Douglas's mother Sarah Mary (named as Minnie on the 1901 Census) died in 1902 and his father remarried Annie Louise Simmonds in 1908 who I believe was Mary's younger sister.
In 1911 the family emigrated to Canada and lived in Hamilton, Ontario. On his service papers Douglas gave his date of birth incorrectly as 15 December 1897.
Douglas served with the Canadian Machine Gun Corps (4th Company) and Died on 28/11/1917 (Accidentally shot and killed when one of his company mistook him for the enemy). Details of the accidental shooting incident are recorded on the service papers, although the senior officer at the time instructed that the cause of death be recorded as Killed in Action.
Douglas is commemorated on the Christ Church Downend Memorial and the Staple Hill (Page Park) Memorial.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Findmypast (Soldiers Died during the Great War, 1901 & 1911 Census etc), Researcher John Davis.