Ralph was born in 1921 in Kings Norton, Worcestershire to Solomon and Annie nee Levine. Ralph had one sister Estelle who died when she was only twenty two in 1948. Ralph attended Briar Clyffe school in Lowestoft which was run by his uncle Harry Levine. Ralph’s obituary in the Jewish Chronicle states that he was a high quality musician playing the violin and saxophone and he also enjoyed participating in amateur dramatics. He volunteered into the RAF when he was nineteen.

Marauder FK367 departed Berka III Airfield, Benghazi on a maritime patrol flight. The aircraft was attacked by enemy fighters, was badly damaged and running out of fuel. Twenty miles from Benghazi the pilot was forced to belly land on the sea and on impact the aircraft burst into flames. Two dinghies were dropped but were too far for the survivors to reach, they were eventually rescued by a torpedo boat.

Sgt Percival Cockington, 407707, RAAF, killed
Sgt Tom Ellis Exell, 401305, RAAF, killed
Sgt Ralph Isaac Ploskin, 1186052, RAF, killed
Sgt Alan Edwin Watts, 1301739, RAF, killed
Sgt Leonard Alexander Einsaar DFM, 407318, RAAF, survived
Sgt Willcocks, 1183698, RAF, survived
Sgt Dixon, 590714, RAF, survived