Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

RALPH ILIFFE PLANT BRITTAIN MC
07/12/1895 – 21/08/1971
Ralph was born at Warrnambool on 7th December, 1895 to Henry & Ada Elizabeth BRITTAIN (nee KERR). Ralph was nick-named Snow.
Ralph’s parents separated in 1903. His mother took Ralph’s younger brother William Ernest with her to Western Australia. Six months later Ralph’s mother passed away and young William was raised in Western Australia by his Aunt Margaret Young. Ralph’s father took Ralph, and his older siblings Ada & Harry to Koroit where they all lived with Henry’s parents. Ralph attended primary school at Koroit.
When Ralph left school, he worked as a Farm Labourer for James Burleigh at Nullawarre.
In 1913 Ralph won a five mile bicycle race at Nirranda and collected a prize of 10 Shillings.
Ralph enlisted in the Army on 21/09/1914, regimental # 1337, 14th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement. This Battalion, (commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel R E Courtney) part of the 4th Brigade which was commanded by Colonel John Monash.
Ralph undertook training at the Broadmeadows camp.
His Unit embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A35 BERRIMA on 22/12/1914, bound for Gallipoli. Prior to embarkation, the Unit marched to the Port Melbourne Pier. The 14th Battalion Band played “Tipperary”, “Auld Lang Syne” and the Battalion’s regimental march Song “The Swanee River”. On the journey from Melbourne, the Berrima had a brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, before departing on 31/12/1914 as part of the 2nd Convoy, (of which the Berrima was the only ship to tow an AE2 Submarine) bound for the Middle East, via Colombo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Aden (in Yemen), the Suez Canal, Port Said (Egypt) before reaching their destination, Alexandra, Egypt on 02/02/1915.
They then caught the train to join the rest of the Battalion at the Heliopolis training camp at Cairo. During training ralph was admitted to Hospital twice, on 06/03/1915 and 28/03/1915. The nature of his ailments is not noted on documents, but many were admitted for general ailments, sickness and flu/pneumonia. Following the completion of training they left Alexandria by boat on 13/04/2015 aboard the SS SEANG CHOON, a Rangoon trader. They reached the island of Lemnos and anchored in Mudros Harbour. The Seang Choon left Mudros in the early hours of 25/04/1917 and was not a part of the initial early assault on the Gallipoli Peninsula that day. They dropped anchor at 5pm that day and landed on the beach at Ari Burnu, which is near the northern point of Anzac Cove, the next day (26/04/1915) amid shrapnel fire from the Turks.
Ralph was reported Missing at Gallipoli on 07/08/1915.He had received a bullet wound to the arm which caused a decent haemorrhage. He was found by British Forces the following day and taken back by the 39th British Field Ambulance to a station in the Anzac area. On 22/08/1915, Ralph was admitted to the Lowland British Casualty Station in Mudros, and it was here that it was finally realised that Ralph had not been killed in action, as was previously thought. As Ralph had been admitted to a British Casualty Station, all trace of him was lost and he was posted as missing. Ralph was returned to his Unit on 22/091915.
On13/10/1916, on the charge of being AWL on 11/09/1916 from 0600 – 1700 hours. He was found Guilty. Penalty: - reduced to Rank of Corporal & forfeiture of 33 days’ pay.
Ralph was wounded in action 3 times, once at Dardenelles on 07/08/1915 and twice in France, on 02/09/1916 and 11/04/1917.


Some of the locations Ralph served at are;
TURKEY – Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, Dardenelles, Mudros
EGYPT – Alexandra, Tel-el-Kebir
FRANCE – Pozieres & Mouquet Farm, the Somme, Bullecourt, Marsielles, Etaples, Roue, Amien, Bellinglise,
BELGIUM – Messines, Passchendaele, Ypres
Ralph’s promotions are listed as;
01/07/1915 – to Corporal
14/03/1916 – to Sergeant,
13/10/1916 – to Corporal (as result of Court Martial for AWL)
15/10/1916 – to Sergeant
11/01/1917 – to Temporary CQM Sergeant
12/03/1917 – to Lance Corporal (owing to evacuation) then to Sergeant
15/05/1917 – to 2nd Lieutenant
11/09/1917 – to Lieutenant
Ralph attended an Instruction in Bombing Course from 06 – 23/03/1918 at the Southern Command Bombing School, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, England where he Qualified 2nd Class.
Ralph was transferred to the 46th Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt on 03/03/1916. The 46th Battalion was raised in Egypt on 24/02/1916, half of its recruits were Gallipoli Veterans from the 14th Battalion (known as Jacka’s Mob) and the other half were fresh reinforcements from Australia. The 46th Battalion, as part of the 12th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division arrived in France on 08/06/1916, destined for the Western Front. The 46th Battalion were involved in battles at Pozieres, Flers and Bullecourt, Amiens, Bellinglise in the battle to secure the Hindenburg Outpost (France), Ypres, Messines, Passchendaele (Belgium). The 46th’s greatest victory was at Bellenglise on 18/08/1918. Ralph’s actions as part of the Battalion’s A Company during this battle earned him the Military Cross. His Citation reads:
For fine courage and leadership during the operations west of Bellenglise, north of St. Quentin on the 18th and 19th September, 1918. It was owing to his able handling of his Lewis gun Section that the Battalion was able to push on with safety. During the night he, with his Platoon, captured a strongly held position, killing about twenty of the enemy, and taking over one hundred prisoners with many machine guns. He then bombed an enemy post dingle handed, killing five and taking six prisoners.
Ralph is listed in the AIF Nominal Roll for the 14th Infantry Battalion – 1st to 4th Reinforcements.
Ralph received the following Medals;
Military Cross
1914/15 Star
British Victory Medal
Victory Medal
Anzac Medal
Ralph returned to Australia on 09/02/1919.
For the remainder of his life Ralph flatly refused to talk about his time in the War to anyone, and would go off on his own when the subject was mentioned.
Following his safe return home, Ralph worked as a farm Labourer on farms in the Nirranda district.
He played football for Allansford and was in their Premiership team of 1920.
Ralph married Iona Maude RUNDLE at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Warrnambool on 19/04/1922.
Neither of Ralph or Maude’s fathers attended the wedding due to a prior dispute between the 2 fathers. Both Ralph & Maude’s fathers had built the Sportsman Arms Hotel at Curdievale (Boggy Creek) and had a falling over payment for work on the building. Ralph’s father Henry, disappeared on Ralph’s Wedding Day. After a long and unsuccessful search, the family believed that Henry had gone to Egypt to visit the grave of Ralph’s brother Harry who died there during WW1. On 03/09/1934, Henry’s remains were found in a cliff-hole wall at Childers Cove (near Nirranda). With his body were also found, a piece of the Melbourne Argus newspaper dated April, 1922, 2 watches, a god chain, a razor and a double barrelled shotgun, a number of cartridges, several papers and small odds and ends. Attached to the watch chain was a gold medal presented to Ralph by the Nirranda residents on his return from the War. A Coroner’s Inquest on 12/09/1934 returned an open finding as there was insufficient evidence to show cause of death.
Ralph and Maude lived at Curdievale (Boggy Creek), Nirranda until about 1940, when they moved to Warrnambool.
Ralph and Maude had 13 children between 1923 and 1941.
Ralph worked for the Country Roads Board in the gravel pits and could pick, shovel and load 23 cubic yards of gravel a day.
Ralph also cut and staked wood for factories in the area and could cut and stack 14 – 16 tons of 5 foot long wood a day for the price of 1 shilling and 9 pence a ton.
After the family moved to Warrnambool, Ralph worked at Nestle Milk Factory in Dennington until he retired.
In 1970, at the age of 74, Ralph was given the honour of leading the “Back to Nirranda” procession.
Ralph passed away in Warrnambool on 21st August, 1971.
Ralph’s oldest son Mervyn served in World War 2.
Mervyn’s son Colin (Ralph’s Grandson) served in Vietnam.