RIDLEY, Ray Newton
| Service Number: | 3868 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 July 1916, Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Newton, Adelaide, South Australia, 28 February 1897 |
| Home Town: | Campbelltown, Campbelltown, South Australia |
| Schooling: | State school |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Shell wounds, Rouen, France , 11 June 1918, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen Grave Ref QIII. Grave 25, St Sever Cemetery Extension, Haute-Normandie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Campbelltown Methodist Church WW1 Honour Roll, Campbelltown WW1 Memorial, Fremantle 849 Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Jul 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3868, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 1916: | Involvement Private, 3868, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Commonwealth embarkation_ship_number: A73 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Sep 1916: | Embarked Private, 3868, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Commonwealth, Adelaide |
RAY (ROY) NEWTON RIDLEY
Ray (or Roy as he was sometimes known) Newton Ridley, Reg. No. 3868, was born in Paradise, South Australia, in 1897. He was the son of George William Edward Ridley and Mrs. F. M Ridley. His next of Kin was stated as (Aunt) Ann Rowney, Campbelltown, South Australia. He signed up as a member of the 32nd Infantry Brigade, and left Adelaide on HMAT Commonwealth A73. He disembarked at Plymouth, England on 14th November 1916, and arrived at the base at Etaples, France on 30th December 1916. On the 11th of October 1917, he was attached to the 8th Light Trench Mortar Battalion. In March of 1918 he was transferred to that unit. During an advance on the 15th of April 1918, he received serious wounds to the right thigh and buttock, also the left shoulder. His right leg was amputated on the 11th of June 1918, and he died later that day in hospital. He was buried at St Sever Cemetery Extension, Haute-Normandie, France. He was 21 years of age when he died.
The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) Tuesday 18 June 1918 p 4
https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1666285/
Submitted 8 April 2016 by Campbelltown Library Volunteers (Digital Diggers)
Biography contributed by Elizabeth Allen
Ray Newton RIDLEY was born on 28th February, 1897 in Newton, Adelaide, South Australia
His parents were George William Edward RIDLEY & Fanny Maria CASSON
Biography
Ray Newton Ridley was born in the town of Paradise on February 1896. He weighed 158 pounds, had a height of 5 feet and 9 inches, a fair complexion, blue eyes and tan hair. He lived in Campbelltown South Australia, worked as a laborer and his religion was Methodist. Ray was 19 years and 5 months old when he enlisted in World War I on the 31st of July 1916. His regiment number was 3868.
When the War was declared, newspaper advertisements and posters became a huge campaign for young men to serve their country. There are many factors that could have lead to why Ray Newton Ridley wanted to go to war and one of the most common ones is a result of peer pressure. It was believed that volunteering was the right moral choice so those who did not volunteer faced insults from the press and were publicly teased for lack of ‘manliness’. Many who did not volunteer would receive white feathers from women; this left a lasting sense of shame.
Australia was established in 1901, which made it a very young nation at the time. Australia was not directly involved with the tension between Britain and Germany, but it played an important role. Australia was a member of the British Empire, meaning that when they declared war on the 4th of August 1914, France, Russia and Australia were compelled to join the British. Australian’s were enthusiastic as they had a strong sense of patriotism and loyalty towards their ‘mother country’.
Ray served as a private, which was the lowest rank in the war. Privates were required to live in the trenches and spend most time fighting at the front lines. It was mandatory that they should obey anyone in a higher position than them. Ray proceeded overseas to France, sailing on Princess Clementine on the 21st of December 1916. He fought in the 32nd Battalion on the 15th of January 1917 on the Western Front.
Admitted to third stationary hospital in Rouen France on the 15th of May 1918, Ray Newton Ridley suffered from gunshot wounds in the right thigh, which was fractured, and the left shoulder. On the same day he was placed on the dangerously ill list. Ray was constantly admitted to the hospital and often suffered from scabies, a contagious skin disease caused by the itch mite, which resulted in raised red spots all over his skin.
After being badly wounded by a shell on the 15th of April 1918, Ray Newton Ridley died on the 11th of June 1918 at 10:40 am. When soldiers were asked to provide details on the shell that wounded Ridley, a man named Runge reported, “I did not actually see it, but heard of it at the time. He went through a Casualty Clearing Station, but I cannot say where.” – Runge A. 2732
He was buried on the 12th of June 1918 in Saint Sever Cemetery, Rouen France. His Chaplain, a member of the clergy attached to a private chapel, institution, ship or regiment, visited his grave regularly.
Ray’s next of kin was his Aunt, Mrs. Ann Rowney, who lived in Campbelltown, South Australia. In his will, he left her approximately 20 items, among them was a badge, photo, notebook, wallet, letters etc.
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corpse. Qualities such as endurance, courage ingenuity, good humor and mateship make up the Anzac spirit. Ray Newton Ridley showed Anzac spirit firstly by enlisting for war at such a young age, which was a difficult and noble decision to make. After being admitted to hospital on multiple occasions, he continued to participate in the battles, displaying loyalty to his country.
The image above was taken in France, Nord Pas de Calais, in the snow at Desvres on the 6th of January 1918. This group of men were members of the 8th Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery, Ray Newton Ridley is standing in the back row, 5 people in from the left.
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