Treasured mementos of a tragic Royal Marine have been lost forever after his family’ home burned down in a devastating fire.
Ralph Hebden fell to his death from a foggy clifftop off the Arbroath coast after going missing from RM Condor on March 11 2013.
Toxteth-born Mr Hebden, 32, who was an Afghanistan veteran, was found three weeks later.
His wife, Sarah, gave birth to their daughter, Evie, in the period following his disappearance.
The Hebdens returned to the Liverpool area following a harrowing investigation that recorded Marine Hebden’s death as a “tragic accident”.
The family has now suffered further heartbreak.
Sarah said: “We’ve lost everything. I can cope without material possessions like clothes and other bits and pieces but I was keeping a memory box of Ralph for Evie as she never got to meet him.
“I’d kept things like his dog tags, newspaper cuttings, letters he’d written while he was away, our wedding album, and Evie’s baby scan to show to her when she was old enough to understand, but now they’ve all gone.”
A forces charity has made a nationwide appeal and provided for the family.
A spokesman for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity for the children of dead service personnel, said: “If growing up without a dad wasn’t enough to deal with Evie and her mum Sarah also lost their home and all of their possessions to a fire.
“Scotty’s Little Soldiers were able to provide the Hebden family with an
initial emergency grant but now on their behalf we’re asking the British public to #HelpEvie and her mum get back on their feet.”
Arbroath councillor David Fairweather said: “It’s very sad that this has happened to the family so soon after Ralph’s death and my heart goes out to them at this time.
“I am sure Ralph’s former comrades at Condor will be sad to hear this news and will rally round to do everything they can to help the family along with the wider Angus community.
“Ralph and his family were in Arbroath for a long time and I’m hopeful that some of his former colleagues and friends might have photographs of Ralph that they can send to the family which might in some small way make up for what has been lost.”
