CLARIDGE, Ralph Elsmere
| Service Number: | 223 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 August 1914, Morphettville, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 50th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Auburn, South Australia, Australia , 11 July 1892 |
| Home Town: | Hectorville, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Poultry Farmer |
| Died: | Killed In Action, France, 25 April 1918, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Adelaide The 50th Battalion Commemorative Cross, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Campbelltown WW1 Memorial, Kent Town Prince Alfred College 'Nobly Striving, Nobly Fell' Roll of Honour, Norwood War Memorial, Payneham Road Uniting (Methodist) Church Honor Roll, Payneham Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 223, 10th Infantry Battalion, Morphettville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 223, 10th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 223, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 223, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 19 May 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 223, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, GSW (arm) | |
| 20 Sep 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 28 Jan 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 24 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Corporal, 50th Infantry Battalion | |
| 1 Mar 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 50th Infantry Battalion | |
| 23 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 223, 50th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières | |
| 16 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 223, 50th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , 2nd occasion - Shell wound (arm) | |
| 12 Jul 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant | |
| 1 Mar 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 50th Infantry Battalion | |
| 25 Apr 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 223, 50th Infantry Battalion, Villers-Bretonneux |
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Lieutenant (Lt) Ralph Elsmere Claridge, 50th Battalion from Hectorville, South Australia.
A 22 year old poultry farmer prior to enlisting on 22 August 1914, he embarked for overseas as a Private with E Company, 10th Battalion from Adelaide on 20 October 1914 aboard HMAT Ascanius.
While serving with the 10th Battalion at Gallipoli, he was wounded in action on 19 May 1915 (the Turkish counter attack which sought to drive the ANZAC line into the sea) and evacuated to Egypt for medical treatment. Two months later he returned to Gallipoli where he was promoted to Lance Corporal.
Back in Egypt, he was promoted to Corporal, transferred to the 50th Battalion, was promoted to Sergeant and then went to France in June 1916. After being wounded in action on 16 August 1916, he was evacuated to England for medical treatment. On recovery, he attended officer training and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on 12 July 1917.
Two months later he re-joined the 50th Battalion in Belgium. After being promoted to Lieutenant on 1 March 1918, he was killed in action near Villers-Bretonneux, France on 25 April 1918 during the famous counter attack by the Australian 13th Brigade (of which the 50th battalion was part) and the 15th Brigade. Many of the bodies of those killed were not recovered as they had fallen in scrub covered ground to the south of the town. Ralph Claridge is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux with others who have no known grave.
Information from AWM image caption
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