George Ralph Alley (known as Ralph or ‘Digger’) was born in Christchurch on 19 March 1919, the son of Annie (nee Andrews) and Henry Alley of New Plymouth and one of 12 siblings. He was a cousin of Rewi Alley. Before the war he worked at the Post Office in New Plymouth.
During World War Two he served in the Pacific with the New Zealand Army, first as a Private in the 36th Battalion and then as a Lance Corporal in the Infantry Brigade.
Of Ralph's seven brothers, 5 others served during World War Two (Herbert, Maxwell, Laurence, Ronald and John). Another brother, (Donald Clinton Alley) was serving as a missionary in Bougainville when captured by the Japanese. He died on 1 July 1942 when the ship he was a prisoner on was torpedoed and sunk by an American submarine.
After the war Ralph married Betty Mary Reynolds and lived in New Plymouth. He was involved with the restoration of Rewi Alley's Moeawatea cottage and delegations to China in memory of his famous cousin.
Ralph died in New Plymouth 26 October 1999.
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