Ralph James Endean

Ralph was one of quite a large Probus family. Born in the summer of 1897, his parents were James and Mary Elizabeth.  James his father was born in Probus in 1867, and worked both as a railway labourer and later as a foreman of public works. Ralph was not short of brothers, and one sister: Henry, Thomas, William, Francis, Arthur, Albert and Ada, the lone girl.  All were born in Probus, and all lived at number 55, Fore Street.

 

Ralph probably enlisted when he turned 18, in latter part of 1915.  (A service record has not survived)  He enlisted into the county regiment, the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, and was initially posted to the 6th Battalion.  He was afterwards posted to the 1st Battalion. 

 

During 1917, the 1st DCLI were involved in many actions: the Battle of Vimy, the attack on La Coulette, the 3rd Battle of the Scarpe, Battle of Oppy Wood, Battle of Broodseinde, Battle of Poelcapelle, and the 2nd Battle of Passchendaele.  Private Ralph Endean may have taken part in any or all of these actions; or none, save the last, in which he was definitely a participant.  

 

The 3rd Battle of Ypres, also known simply as ‘Passchendaele’.

 

Ralph was to fight in the one offensive that exemplifies the horrors of the First World War and if possible, more so than the Somme battles.  It once again centred around Ypres, the village of Passchendaele lying just to the north east. The battle ran from July until November of 1917, and ended by the Allies securing control of the ridges of high ground to the south and east of Ypres.  Passchendaele was typified by torrential rain, glutinous lakes of mud and water filled shell holes that swallowed up both men and horses.  The shelling was so intense, that the local rivers had their banks completely broken, the waters running into the landscape and adding to the misery.  The village itself was utterly obliterated by shell fire.   

 

As well as British troops, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand troops all took part. Towards the end of this dreadful campaign, the 1st DCLI were to take part in an attack launched by the 13th Infantry Brigade.  Their objective was to be the once beautiful, Polderhoek Chateau.

 

The Attack on Polderhoek Chateau, 6th November 1917

 

At 5.45am, the 1st DCLI climbed out of their jumping off trenches and advanced through what once had been the Chateau’s picturesque parklands.  At first Ralph and his comrades made good progress.  Prisoners were captured, and machine guns taken.  The Chateau once gained, could not be held however.  Resistance began to increase, chiefly from the concrete pillboxes that the Germans had constructed.  Concealed behind thick concrete walls, the machine guns could do their work at leisure.  German shells began to fall like the rain that saturated the ground, the sticky mud clogging the British Enfield rifles, rendering them inoperable.  Casualties began to mount so alarmingly, that the order to withdraw was sent out in the mid afternoon.  There were only 5 officers and 177 men left of the battalion. 

 

Ralph is another who has no known grave.  His name is amongst the many on the Tyne Cot Memorial, West Vlaaderen, Belgium, for those with no known grave – 34, 998 of them, on this memorial alone.  

 

Just one month later in December 1917, the 1st DCLI were redeployed to Italy. A far less hazardous theatre of war generally, than the Western Front.  It’s a shame Private Ralph Endean didn’t survive Passchendaele, in order to join his battalion there.