Ralph's Story.
C.W.G.C. remember a Ralph Fairhurst with 10th Bn. Cheshire Reg’t., Service No 14048 on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Panel 13, Belgium. He died on the 7th June 1917. No family details recorded.
Cheshirebmd records the birth of a Ralph Fairhurst in 1891 in Northwich. The 1911 census has the Fairhurst family living 21 Slade Street Northwich. Father, Robert Fairhurst, 55, head of the family Railway Inspector, born Dogdyke, Lincolnshire; Mary, wife, 54, born Witton; Emily, 25, General Servant Domestic, born Witton; Amy, 22, General Servant Domestic, born Hartford; Ralph, 19, Blacksmith. Born Hartford; Jesse 18 and Harry 14 both born Hartford.
B.M. & Co. Roll of Honour records a Ralph Fairhurst, at Lostock Works, a L/Corpl., with the 10th Cheshire; K.i.A.
N.A.M.C. have a card for a Ralph Fairhurst, Pte., with 10th Cheshire Regiment, No 14048. Awarded 15 Star, British and Victory medals, T.o.W. (1) France and D.o.E. 26-9-15. The card records he was K.i.A. 7-6-17.
Northwich Guardian 6th July 1917, SERGEANT R. FAIRHURST.
After several weeks of anxiety as to the fate of Sergeant Ralph Fairhurst, of the Cheshire Regiment, his father, Mr. Robert Fairhurst, of Slade Street, Northwich, received official information on Sunday that he had been killed in action. Sergeant Fairhurst who was 25 years of age, enlisted in the early stages of the war, at which time he was employed at Messrs Brunner Mond’s works at Lostock. He went on active service in September 1915, as a private but his good work earned for him promotion and he rose to the rank of sergeant. At Easter, 1916, he was wounded but returned after treatment at a base hospital. His first furlough from the front was in January this year and on his arrival in Northwich he called at the “Guardian” Office, where he gave an interesting account of his experiences and spoke of the miraculous escape he had when leaving the trenches, a shell bursting near him and a fragment penetrating the pack on his back. Returning to the front after his ten days leave, he was again wounded, and remained in hospital three months. He had only recently returned to the trenches when his battalion again went into action and he was mortally wounded on June 7th.
About three weeks ago Sergeant Fairhurst fiancee, Miss Houghton of 67 Victoria Road, received a letter from a member of the battalion to which he belonged enclosing two photos which he stated were handed to him by Sergeant Fairhurst as he lay severely wounded on the battlefield, with a request that he should forward them to Miss Houghton.
Research Bob Heaton