Private Ralph Newstead
Ralph Newstead was born in Paris, the third son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Newstead. He actually may have been born just outside of Paris, in South Dumfries, adjoining Paris Station. He had four sisters and five brothers. He attended Silver Street School. The Newstead family attended Paris Baptist Church. Ralph was employed at Penmans No. 1 mill as a knitter where he was on the honor roll.
Ralph enlisted at the age of 18 with the 125th Battalion and was drafted in England with the 84th Battalion. He was in severe fighting around the Somme for over three months, but on November 22, 1916, he was taken to hospital suffering from trench foot. Trench foot (or immersion foot) is a non-freezing injury from prolonged exposure to cold, wet, and unsanitary conditions, causing numbness, pain, swelling, and discoloration, potentially leading to tissue damage, ulcers, and even gangrene if untreated. It was a very common ailment in the unsanitary cold and wet trenches. After convalescing in several hospitals in England, Ralph returned to the Front in May.
In June, Ralph was involved in the fighting around the village of La Coulotte, near Lens, which was part of the larger Arras Offensive, a major British offensive aimed at breaking the German lines. Canadian forces, particularly the 46th and 50th Battalions, fought for La Coulotte and its power station in late May and early June 1917, capturing it after heavy artillery and gas barrages, but facing constant German pressure. La Coulotte was a hard-fought objective, symbolizing the intense, grinding nature of trench warfare, with high casualties for minimal gains.
Private Ralph Newstead was killed in action east of La Culotte, on June 8, 1917. He is buried in Canadian Cemetery No. 2, one kilometer south of the Canadian Vimy Memorial.