On the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium is the name of 34895 Gunner Ralph Nixon, serving with the 1st Battery 45th Brigade Royal Field Artillery who died 30/11/1917.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Ralph Nixon was one of 5 children, all boys.
His father John Nixon was born at Slaley near Hexham in Northumberland in circa 1857 and married Barbara Jane Barrow in the district of Hexham in 1881. Born in 1858 in Allendale, Northumberland Barbara Jane was the daughter of lead ore smelter William Barrow born at Allendale on July 9th 1821 and Eleanor Elliot whom he had married in Hexham in 1848.
Their son Christopher was born at Slaley on September 5th 1882, George in 1887, Ralph 1890, William 1892 and John in 1899. In 1891 the family was living at Cornfield in the village of Slaley which became their permanent home. John Nixon Snr. as employed as a farm labourer and the only breadwinner, Christopher (8) was a scholar. Ten years later he had been joined by Christopher (18) as a general labourer, George (14) was working above ground banking at the coal mine. Ralph (11) and William (9) were not listed as scholars they and their brother John (2) remained at home with their mother.
In 1911 Ralph (21) and William (19) were also employed as general labourers, John (12) was a scholar.
As early as 1911 there were already rumblings of a possibility of war with Germany. When Germany ignored Britain’s ultimatum to withdraw troops from neutral Belgium war was declared on August 4th 1914.
Ralph Nixon enlisted at Newcastle upon Tyne where he was assigned to the Royal Field Artillery and trained as a Gunner.
Gunner 34895 Ralph Nixon prior to his departure for the Wester Front on September 8th 1915 married Isabella Mabel Palmer in the district of Hexham. Isabella Mabel was born on May 19th 1895, she was the daughter of farm labourer James Palmer and his wife Isabella Ann Pearson. Isabella Mabel had a daughter Lena Rosemary Palmer born on June 7th 1915.
Upon his arrival in France Ralph with the other men was assigned on October 18th 1915 to the 24th Brigade which had bee transferred to the 23rd Division to instruct the newly arrived inexperienced troops.
Gunner Ralph Nixon was posted to the 1st Battery 45th Brigade Royal Field Artillery of the regular army which had been in service on the Western Front attached to the 8th Division since November 6th 1914.
They were in action on the Somme in 1916, in 1917 during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and in Belgium.
Gunner Ralph Nixon was killed in action on November 30th 1917. The sad news was confirmed on December 21st 1917. His sacrifice is recorded as one of almost 35,000 names inscribed on Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing which forms part of the boundary wall of Tyne Cot Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, Belgium commemorating servicemen from the United Kingdom who fell on the salient as of August 16th 1917 who have no known grave. He was 33 years old.
His widow received all monies due to her late husband from the Army and his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
As it had been accepted by the Army that Ralph was the father of Lena Rosemary Palmer B.B.W. born before wedlock therefore his widow received a pension for them both. Awarded June 3rd 1918 in the sum of 20 shillings 5 pence and received weekly as of June 24th 1918, it was sent to her at Moor Houses, Matfen, Corbridge and later at East Lodge, Newton Hall, Stocksfield. The pension sum was diminished once Lena Rosemary turned 16 on June 7th 1931.
Saturday, 19/01/1918 the Newcastle Daily Journal reported that Ralph’s parents of Corner Field Slaley had been informed their son had been killed in action on November 30th 1917.
In 1921 Isabella Mabel (23) and her daughter (6), a scholar, were living with her parents and her unmarried sibling Alfred Palmer (23) at Stocksfield. Her father James Palmer was employed as a cowman at Bearl Farm by Ralph Longlands, his wife Isabella was the housekeeper, Alfred Palmer was a labourer at Bearl Quarry.
James Palmer died in 1937 his widow Isabella Ann died In 1939.
Isabella Mabel Nixon and her brother Alfred Palmer were living at 2, Wentworth Place, Hexham in 1939. He was employed as a roadman by the County Council.
Lena Rosemary Palmer Nixon was newly married and living with her husband Norman Graham at Ivy House, Croxdale, County Durham. He was a driver for the London North Eastern Railway Company motor transport.
Norman Graham who was born on November 14th 1906 died on June 25th 1955 at Thornley, County Durham. Lena Rosemary Palmer Graham nee Nixon died in 2002 registered in Northumberland.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Ralph Nixon is remembered at Slaley on S34.04.
