Pte 50151 Ralph Moffat

• Age: 39
• From: Cap Newton, Northumberland
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 8th May 1918
• Commemorated at: Tyne Cot Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 31-34

Ralph Moffat was born in June 1879 and was the son of William Moffatt and his wife Isabella (nee Jackson) who had married in September 1875 at Glendale, Northumberland.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at Etal, Ford, Glendale, Northumberland.

The father William is aged 38, born 1853 and employed as a farm labourer and his wife Isabella is aged 36 and has no occupation listed. They have eight children living with her at the time of the Census, Jane aged 15 and Adam aged 13 are both farm servants, Ralph aged 11, Mary aged 10, John aged 8 and William aged 6 are all scholars, Stephen aged 3 and Alice born 1891.

The father William died aged 47 in June 1900.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at Kimmerston, Ford, Glendale, Northumberland.

The mother Isabella is a widow aged 47, born 1854 in Lowick, Northumberland and has no occupation listed. She has nine children living with her at the time of the Census, Ralph aged 21, born 1880 and is employed as a Hind (farm hand), Mary aged 20, born 1881 is a farmworker, John aged 18, born 1883 is also employed as a Hind, William aged 15, born 1886 is a farm labourer, Stephen aged 13, born 1888, Alice aged 10, born 1891, James aged 8, born 1893 and George aged 4, born 1897.  

The 1911 Census shows Ralph living at 39 Second St Gateshead.

Ralph now aged 31 is employed as a castman for a wine merchant and is living with his wife Hannah also aged 31 with no occupation listed. They have been married for less than a year.

He was also the husband of Hannah Moffat (nee Rattary), of Ramsay Lane, Wooler, Northumberland  and they had married in 1910. They were to have one child William James born December 1912.

He was serving in the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 50151 when he was killed in action on the 8^th May 1918 aged 39 during the German Spring Offensive.

The 17th Battalion were at this time in the Vierstraat Sector. the diary reports that the day passed quietly until the afternoon. The front line ran through Klein Vierstraat Cabaret. At 4.30 pm it was reported that the Germans had advanced and were now in " our original front line". At 7.10 pm A and B company's of the 17th Battalion were ordered to move forward in artillery formation from support line with object of co-operating with French troops who were advancing towards the enemy. At 08.10 pm the advance was reported to be going well on the left but nothing could be seen on the right. The situation at the end of the day was that the 17th Battalion were holding the line alongside several other units but casualties were heavy. Captain Norman Henry and Second Lieutenant Dudley Hammond Black were killed in action alongside 17 other ranks one of whom was Ralph Moffatt. 

Family notice in Berwick Advertizer

MOFFATT. Reported wounded and missing, May 8th 1918, now presumed dead on or since that date, Private Ralph Moffatt, 50151, Kings Liverpool Regiment, beloved husband of Hannah Moffatt, now residing at the Beal Station.

No pen can write, no tongue can tell

How great, how bitter is my loss,

But thou, oh Lord has helped me well,

To hear my heavy cross.

Dry your eyes my weeping wife;

See the crown your husband wore

Do not grieve for me, my dearest,

When your husband is no more.

Try and say amidst your sorrow,

All is well that's done by him.

Ever remembered by his loving wife and little son Willie.

Ralph has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after August 16th 1917 are named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war.

The Tyne Cot Memorial now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Joseph Armitage and F.V. Blundstone, was unveiled by Sir Gilbert Dyett on 20 June 1927.

The memorial forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery, which was established around a captured German blockhouse or pill-box used as an advanced dressing station.

Soldiers Effects to widow Hannah Moffat, Pension to Hannah Moffat and child William James.

His mother Isabella died aged 75 in December 1929.

We currently have no further information on Ralph Moffatt, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.