War Memorial Hall c1929
Ralph Oswald ELLINGWORTH
Ralph Ellingworth was born on 13 March 1896 in Box Hill, Victoria. His parents were John Richard and Harriet (née Ainger) Ellingworth. He attended Scotch from 1911 to 1912.
Ralph was a clerk when he enlisted on 1 May 1916 in Melbourne. He served in the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade with the rank of Gunner. His Regimental Number was 27733.
Ralph died on 15 January 1918 at Wytschaete, Belgium. He was 21 years of age.
Service record
Ralph served in the Citizen Military Forces before the war, apparently with the 48th Battalion. On enlisting he was allocated to artillery reinforcements at Maribyrnong, and in September 1916 was allotted specifically to the 9th Reinforcements to the 6th Artillery Brigade. He would never join the 6th. He left Melbourne on 20 October 1916 and arrived at Plymouth, England on 9 January 1917. This was a long voyage, involving some delay at Sierra Leone. He was training at Larkhill, England from February to May. In February he overstayed his leave by five days and was sentenced to three days’ detention and forfeiture of seven days’ pay. In May he marched out to Boyton, England for special howitzer training.
He was there until 9 July 1917, when he returned to Larkhill, but by the last day of the month he had reached France. On 14 August he was posted to the 102nd Battery of the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade in Belgium. He served with that unit for the few months remaining in his life. He saw action in the Third Battle of Ypres. His service record says he was ‘wounded in action’ on 14 January 1918, with a gunshot wound to the head. However, the Scotch Collegian says his wound was caused ‘accidentally through the premature bursting of a shell from his own gun.’ He was admitted to the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance, and then the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station, where he died of his wounds on 15 January 1918.
The Scotch Collegian states that he never regained consciousness after being wounded. His service file contains a letter written in 1921 by Austral Jaggs, enclosing payment for copies of Ralph’s grave (see below). Jaggs, who had been a Private in the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station, explained that he had buried his ‘late comrade’ Ralph. Another mate wrote that the circumstances of Ralph’s death were ‘hard luck, since Ralph had just been through one of the hottest stunts the artillery have taken part in, and came out without a scratch.’
His obituary in the Collegian mentioned that ‘his letters frequently mentioned his meeting other old Scotch Collegians, both in France and in England. He expressed the gratitude that he felt at having had the privilege of once attending Scotch College.’
Ralph Ellingworth is buried in the Trois-Arbres Cemetery (Plot II, Row D, Grave No. 8), Steenwerck, France.
Photographs and Documents:
Letter from Austral Jaggs about Ralph Ellingworth’s grave.
Memorial to Ralph on his family’s grave memorial in the Box Hill Cemetery, Victoria. The words ‘Duty nobly done, which appear here, are also on Ralph’s grave in Belgium.
Sources:
- Australian War Memorial – Roll of Honour
- Discovering Anzacs website - http://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/gallery/1203
- Mishura Scotch Database
- National Archives of Australia – B2455, ELLINGWORTH R O
- Scotch Collegian 1918
- The AIF Project - https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=90245
