Ralph was born in 1922 in South Africa to Russian born Joseph and Dublin born Gertrude nee Seider and he had four siblings and a step brother. Their father died in 1927 in South Africa and their mother remarried two years later to Phillip Blackman. Research is ongoing into his family.

Ralph was onboard Hampden AT188 which failed to return from an operational flight over an aerodrome in Norway. All the crew were killed and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Richard Fletcher Birchnall, 1109496

James Andrew Long, RCAF, R/78109

Henry Marshall Webb, 1180865