Ralph Kenchatt
Ralph Kenchatt was born in Hendon, London in 1891 to Philip Kenchatt and his wife Phoebe Ann nee Reading. He was the fifth of nine children and was a brother of Charles Reading Kenchatt, who also died during the first world war.
Unfortunately, Ralph's service record does not seem to have survived so I have very little information on him. Ralph Kenchatt was a rifleman in the 1st Battallion Rifle Brigade (Prince Consorts Own). His service number was B/1667.
Ralph was killed in action on 1st July 1916, which was the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He is buried at Sucerie Military Cemetery, Colincamps, France. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, The Victory Medal and the British War Medal.
There was a small article that appeared in the Hendon & Finchley Times of Friday 14th July 1916. You can read this here.
On the 28th July 1916, the same newspaper carried Ralph's photograph. Unfortunately, the British Newspaper Archive have a particularly blackened photograph, that I have tried to lighten, but it is still not very good. It is included here anyway.
Ralph Kenchatt was my 6th cousin twice removed. He was the 1st cousin of another man, Harold Kenchatt, and the brother of Charles Reading Kenchatt , who were both also killed during this terrible war. Details of his family origins can be found here.