This birdbath memorial was first erected at Ralph's parent's home in Manubi. When his widowed mother,
Marguerite, moved to Kentani to live with her daughter, Peggy Smailes, Ralph's sister, it was moved and positioned outside her bedroom window. Meg died in 1975 and her name was also engraved in the granite. In the 1980's, the Smailes' moved to live together with Noel and Daphne Allen and Philip Allen on a farm holding West of Stutterheim. The monument was moved with them and Ralph's siblings, Peggy, Philip and Noel were together until both Peggy and Philip died. Noel and Daphne later moved to Sedgefield where they passed away in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The monument was left on the Stutterheim district farm...
The broader side of the stone records the deaths of
Augusta and Samuel Allen (Ralph's grandparents), and
Edwin and Meg Allen, his father and mother.
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Hi Dave - this is very interesting information. Not many information available on veterans that died in Libya. I linked this info to Ralph Allen's Profile on My Heritage Site, and credited and linked your Blog. I hope you find this in order.
ReplyDeleteQuite in order
DeleteI have a collection of letters written by Ralph's Lieut. Duncan Menzies to Ralph's parents describing details of how Ralph died. Ralph was his 'batman.' Menzies later transferred to Burma and was killed in action there and the two mothers continued a correspondence in the subsequent years, between South Africa and Australia.
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