Horace Ralph Strawford

Private Horace Ralph Strawford – Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’ Own), 4^th Battalion

Early Life

Horace Ralph Strawford

Horace Ralph Strawford, who served under his middle name Ralph, was born in 1898 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, the son of Thomas Joseph Strawford and Elizabeth Crater Evans.

1901 Census

According to the 1901 Census, the Strawford family were living at 51 Ashley Brown Road, Ashley, Bristol. Thomas, aged 41, was born in Worcestershire and worked as a Soap Manufacturing Agent. His wife, Elizabeth, aged 43, was born in Wiltshire. Their children were Ivo Samuel (14), Elvie Lillian (11), Arthur Howard (10), Hilda Bessie (9), Harold Frank (7), Alice Stanley (6), and Horace Ralph (3).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 13 Downend Road, Horfield, Bristol. Thomas, now 51, was employed as a Commercial Traveller, and Elizabeth, aged 53, managed the household. Their children still at home included Arthur Howard (20), a Confectioner; Hilda Bessie (19) and Harold Frank (17), both employed as Clerks; Horace Ralph (13); and Leslie Thomas (8). Also living with the family was Charlotte Jane Evans (54), Elizabeth’s sister, who was listed as a Companion.

As a young man, Horace Ralph later moved to West Cross, Mumbles, residing at Tyr Nant before enlisting for military service.

Military Service

Before the First World War, Ralph Strawford served with the 4^th Battalion, West Riding Regiment, under the service number 205800, holding the rank of Private.

When war broke out, he re-enlisted under his middle name, Ralph, and initially served with the 68th Training Reserve Battalion before transferring to the Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’ Own), 4^th Battalion.

The 68^th Training Reserve Battalion

The Training Reserve was created in 1916 to centralise the training of new recruits. It replaced the old regimental depot system, allowing men to be trained together before being posted to the battalions most in need of reinforcements.

The 68^th Training Reserve Battalion was one such unit, providing new soldiers with essential military instruction — musketry, trench warfare tactics, fieldcraft, and physical training — before they were sent overseas. Recruits like Horace Ralph Strawford would have received several months of preparation under this system before being drafted to a front-line regiment such as the Yorkshire Hussars.

The Yorkshire Hussars

The Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’ Own) were originally a Yeomanry cavalry regiment, but by 1917, like many other mounted units, they had been reorganised as infantry to meet the demands of trench warfare. They were attached to the 9^th (Yorkshire Hussars Yeomanry) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, serving as part of the 50^th (Northumbrian) Division on the Western Front in France and Belgium.

Death

Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects

The Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects records that Private Ralph Strawford was reported missing and presumed killed in action on 27 May 1918 — the opening day of the Third Battle of the Aisne.

On that morning, German forces launched a massive assault along the Aisne River, beginning with an intense artillery and gas bombardment that devastated Allied positions. The bombardment, which began before dawn, was followed by a rapid infantry advance that overwhelmed British and French front-line defences. The 50^th (Northumbrian) Division, including Ralph’s battalion, was caught in the onslaught, suffering catastrophic losses as communications collapsed and units were surrounded or cut off in the chaos.

Many soldiers, including Private Strawford, were declared missing, presumed to have fallen during the initial bombardment or the fierce fighting withdrawal that followed.

Herald of Wales

The Herald of Wales, published on 13^th July 1918, reported that Mr. and Mrs. Strawford of Clamont Villas, Mumbles, had received official notification that their son, Ralph, had been missing since 27 May 1918.

Burial

Horace Ralph Strawford
Soissons Memorial
credit - findagrave

Like so many who fell during the Aisne operations, Private Horace Ralph Strawford has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Soissons Memorial, which bears the names of over 4,000 officers and men of the British forces who died during the Aisne and Marne operations of 1918 and have no known resting place.

Legacy

Private Horace Ralph Strawford is remembered as one of the young men from Mumbles who gave their lives in the First World War. Although born in Bristol, he made his home in Mumbles before enlisting, and his name is commemorated on the memorial of the former Methodist Church, Mumbles, alongside other members of the congregation who fell during the Great War.

His story represents the courage and sacrifice of a generation — young men who faced unimaginable hardship during the closing stages of the war, and whose names remain honoured both in France and at home in Mumbles.

Family Legacy in Mumbles

After the war, Ralph’s elder brother, Arthur Howard Strawford, settled permanently in Mumbles, where he became a well-known local tradesman. A skilled baker and confectioner, Arthur established a bakery at 111 The Dunns, opposite the White Rose, where he and his wife lived above the shop. His business became a familiar and much-loved part of village life, serving residents and visitors for decades. Before 1969, Arthur moved his bakery to 135 The Dunns, continuing to serve the community with the same dedication and warmth that made the Strawford name well known in Mumbles. Records also show that he later resided at 4 The Dunns, Oystermouth, maintaining strong ties to the area throughout his life. His lasting presence in Mumbles ensured that the Strawford family remained part of the village’s post-war fabric — a living link to the memory of his brother Ralph, who never returned.