Ralph Norman Goodfield died 12th April 1943 aged 21.

Most Jewish people who settled in Leeds immigrated via the Humber ports of Hull, and Grimsby, and many lived in Hull, or stayed temporarily, part of a migrant population mainly bound via Liverpool for America. As Leeds was a city undergoing economic expansion, on this migration route, and as Jews had tailoring experience or local contacts, a sizeable community developed. 

Settlement was primarily in the poor Leylands district of Leeds, a low-rent area which attracted immigrants. By the mid-1890s Leylands was predominantly Jewish. The great majority of Jewish immigrants in this period were Lithuanian Jews from within the Northern Pale of settlement of the Russian Empire.

Jews worked in notoriously insanitary sweatshops as tailoring became the dominant trade. With the slum clearance of 1936–37 the Jews of Leeds moved northwards, from the central Leyland's area, up around Chapeltown, and then further into Moortown and Alwoodley.

Montague Burton was a Lithuanian Jew who fled Russian Pogroms in the country of his birth to build one of the biggest clothing chains in Europe. This story began when Great Grandfather Joseph Goodfield, who was a Master Taylor came over to England from Olkusz, Malopolskie, Poland and married in Lancashire in 1866 to Rachel Kutchinsky.

The Goodfield name carried on through Abraham (grandfather) Alfred (father) and then we arrive at Ralph Norman Goodfield.

Ralph was born in early 1921in Leeds, his father Alfred at that time was a tailor later becoming a Sugar Confectioner Manufacturer. His mother, Annie Taylor, was working as a tailors machinist. Marrying in 1920 Leeds they had 4 more children - Irene, Ruby, Arnold and Abraham who died just 2 hours old on the19th December 1935 and buried in New Farnley Jewish Cemetery.

We find them living at 8, Stonegate Grove Meanwood Leeds according to the 1939 Register. Alfred was a full-time Air Raid Precautions (ARP) Warden. His main task was to try and protect people during air raids, when enemy planes dropped bombs, especially on cities handing out gas masks and guiding people to shelters.

Ralph's mother Annie also had origins abroad with her parents Solomon Taylor from Russia and Eve Mary (Chava Mirm) Cohen from Riga Latvia. Apparently they married in transit from Russia to England in Memel, Germany about 1895. They settled in Hull where Solomon was a Marine Fireman. They had 2 more children called Esther and Harry. Sadly after Harry was born they divorced in 1904. Solomon married Lillian Beatrice and had 3 children which were Hilda, Jack and Rachel.

They moved to 28 Church Street Oldham in 1911 where Solomon had become a Tailor. In 1919 it showed on the Absent Voters list that Solomon was in the Army as a Private in the Royal Army Medical Corps service no 95715. He had been in the army since enlisting on 17th October 1917. Solomon was demobbed on the 3rd June 1919 age 41 years and took up residence at 23 Cambridge Street, Leeds.

Trooper Ralph Goodfield served in the Royal Armoured Corps (service no 65164) 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry (5th Royal Iniskilling Dragoon Guards). The 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry was a unit of the Territorial Army serving in a reconnaissance role. The Corps was involved in the Tunisian Campaign, the 1st time British and United States forces were deployed together in combat and the 1st time in WW2 that U.S. troops saw action in Europe or the Mediterranean. It provided the foundation for the eventual success of the Allies in defeating the Axis.

Allied troops landed in Algeria and Morocco on 8th November 1942 but on 9th November German forces began landing in Tunisia to try and maintain some control of the Mediterranean Sea and prevent an invasion of Italy. The 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry landed in Tunisia in late 1942 as the reconnaissance regiment of the 6th Armoured Division, fighting at Medjez el Bab.

The race was on to secure Tunis, a race that the Germans won – just. During the race to the Tunisian coast, the 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry fought at the Kasserine Pass and Foundouk, finally reaching Tunis in March 1943.

Ralph died on 12th April 1943 aged 21 years. He is buried at Enfidaville War Cemetery IV. A. 4. Tunisia and was awarded the 1939-1945 War Medal and 1939-1945 Star

FOR EVER IN OUR THOUGHTS MAY GOD GRANT ETERNAL REST