Born as Rudolph Kempner on 8 August 1925 in Berlin, Germany to Adolf and Helena Kempner. Ronald arrived on the Kindertransport on the 16 January 1939 when he was fourteen and lived with his uncle David in Finchley. David was a textile traveller and was married to Gustava, their daughter Helena worked as a dressmaker until she married Berlin born Walter Neustadt in 1941.

Ronald was the special operator on Lancaster PB634 which departed RAF Ludford Magna on a night operation to Bonn. 162 Lancaster and 17 Mosquitos arrived in the Bonn area at 18.45 in the evening. PB634 was attacked by a German night fighter, Ju 88 G-6, piloted by Fw. Richard Richter from 3./ NJG 2. The aircraft was hit in the bomb bay by the German 20mm cannons and exploded in the air.
All eight crew members died.

W/Op, Charles Raymond Bradley, RCAF, J/95206
Nav, Chester Merrill Buell, RCAF, J/39274
F/E, William George Classen, 1628570
A/G, Bernard Victor Cobbett, RCAF, J/95409
A/G, Kenneth Gibbs, 175484
A/B, James Bruce McGregor, RCAF, J/95541
Pilot, William Kelvin Parke, RCAF, J/12043