The village of Cwmann sits just south of Lampeter. Although in Cardiganshire, it sits on the border of Carmarthenshire, and it is on the 1922 published Carmarthen County War Memorial that many of the men on the Cwmann Memorial are listed, being listed under Pencarreg. The War Memorial at Cwmann contains the names of eleven men of the village that died as a result of the Great War.  According to the memorial, five of these men died at home. These men have proved very difficult to pin down and identify, as there is some confusion over the dates of death on the memorial (not matching up with men of the names or Regiments listed). Therefore where positive identification has proved impossible, I have listed men who are quite probably the men commemorated, but have noted the discrepancies on the Memorial. If anything else comes to light to prove otherwise, or if a surviving descendant knows anything that can help, the details will be altered. Many thanks to Dave Hanson for his photograph and transcription of the War Memorial.

Cwmann WW1 War Memorial

 


Private Tom Daniel, M/408458, Army Service Corps, M.T. Tom was the Son of John and Mary Daniel, of 4, New York, Cwmann, Lampeter. Not much is known of his war service, but he served in the Motor Transport branch of the Army Service Corps. During the Great War, as with all wars, the Army had to be constantly supplied with prodigious amounts of food, clothing, equipment, armaments and ammunition. The static nature of the front-lines on the Western Front allowed for development of a huge supply line to be established. Items arriving at the various ports in France were moved by the Army Service Corps, and Tom was a part of this huge machine. Tom managed to survive the War, but was overcome during the great Influenza Epidemic of late 1918. He was brought to Chiseldon Hospital where he Died of Sickness aged 31, on 18 February 1919. He is buried at Lampeter (St. Peter) Churchyard.

 


Private James Davies, 4843, 16th Battalion, London Regiment (Queen's Westminster Rifles). James is listed with SDGW as residing at Carmarthen. He enlisted at Westminster into the Queen's Westminster Rifles, part of 169 Brigade, 56th (London) Division. The Division were initially used to reinforce other Divisions, but reformed in France in January, 1916, seeing their first major action at Gommecourt, as part of the Diversionary attack on the Somme. They then fought at Ginchy, before taking in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, where James was Killed in Action on 19 September 1916. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

 


Private James Llewellyn Davies, 536557, Royal Army Medical Corps. James was the Son of Mr. John Davies, of Derlwyn House, Cwmann, Lampeter. He enlisted into the Royal Army Medical Corps at Chelsea, being posted to the 2/2nd Northumbrian Field Ambulance, which was attached to the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. The Division had moved to France during April, 1915, fighting at Second Ypres, then during the Battle of the Somme. They then fought during the Battle of Arras, and at Passchendaele, before being hit by the German Spring Offensive of 1918. They were in the St. Quentin area when the German struck with brutal efficiency. James was Killed in Action on 31 March 1918 during the great struggle to defend St. Quentin, and is buried at Namps-Au-Val British Cemetery.

 


Private John Davies, 533257, 15th Battalion, London Regiment (P.W.O. Civil Service Rifles). John lived at No. 3, Treherbert, Cwmann, and enlisted at Porth into the Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles, part of 140 Brigade, 47th Division. The Division had moved to France during March, 1915, seeing action at Aubers, Festubert, Loos, Vimy and on the Somme. They later fought at Messines and Cambrai, before taking part in major fighting throughout 1918. It was during the Second Battle of Bapaume that John was Killed in Action, on 5 September 1918. He is buried in Peronne Communal Cemetery Extension.

 


Private Llewellyn Davies, 30422, 15th Battalion, the Welsh Regiment. Llewellyn was born at Cwmann. He enlisted at Pentre, into the 15th Welsh (the Carmarthenshire Battalion), part of 114 Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division. The Division had moved to France at the end of 1915, being deployed around the Armentieres sector, before moving south to take part in the attack on Mametz Wood, part of the greater Battle of the Somme. After taking the wood, the Division had suffered so heavily that it wasn't used again for almost a year, until taking part in the successful Battles of Pilckem Ridge and Langemarck. They fought with distinction throughout the great advance of 1918, and were pushing toward the Hindenburg Line in the Cambrai area when Llewellyn was wounded during the Battle of Cambrai. He Died of Wounds on 8 October 1918 and is buried in Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt.

 


Private William Lewis Davies, 47412, 10th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. William was born in Pencarreg, the Son of Mr. and Mrs. Davies, of Penrhiw, Pencarreg, Llanybyther. He enlisted at Preston into the Royal Fusiliers, then later transferred into the 10th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, part of 68 Brigade, 23rd Division. The Division had landed at Boulogne during August, 1915 and fought during the Somme Battles, before moving to Ypres, and fighting at Messines. They fought on the Menin Road and at Polygon Wood, before moving to try and take the village of Passchendaele, which is where William was sadly Killed in Action aged 25, on 17 October 1917. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

 


Private David C. Evans, 534577, 15th Battalion, London Regiment (Civil Service Rifles). David was born at Llanfihangel, end enlisted at London into the 15th Battalion, the London Regiment (Civil Service Rifles), part of 4 (London) Brigade, 2nd (London) Division. The Division was a Territorial Division, created in 1908. They sailed for France during March, 1915, seeing action almost immediately upon being deployed to the front in Flanders, during the Battles of Aubers and Festubert. They later fought at Loos and Vimy, then moved to the Somme during the latter stages of the Battle of the Somme, 1916. They later fought during the Battle of Messines, before moving to the Arras area, taking part in the Battle of Cambrai, where David was sadly Killed in Action on 30 November, 1917. He is buried at Point-Du-Jour Military Cemetery, Athies. The War Memorial states that David was of Cilcell-Isaf, and served in the 21st London Regiment and died on 8 May 1918, but there are no records to match anyone to these details at all, so it is probable that the details are incorrect.

 

 


Lance Corporal Thomas Evans, 17757, 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Tom was born in Taliaris, and enlisted at Neath into the 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, part of 22 Brigade, 7th Division. The Division was a Regular Army Division which landed in Zeebrugge on 6 September 1914. Regarded as one of the best British Divisions of the War, hey fought at First Ypres, Neuve Chappelle, Aubers, Festubert, Givenchy and Loos, before moving south, to take part in the opening actions of the Battle of the Somme. At the Somme, the Division were stationed in the Fricourt area, moving forward and capturing the village of Mametz. It was during this opening stage of the battle that Thomas was wounded. He was brought back by rail to the Base Hospital at Boulogne, where he sadly Died of Wounds on 9 July 1916. He is buried at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery. Again, the Memorial details don't add up. It states that Thomas, of 2, Gwargate, died on 28 January 1920. Again, there is no record of a man matching these details, who died near that date, so it is probable that the incorrect details are again on the Memorial.

 


Writer Cecil G. James, Royal Navy. The Memorial states that Cecil G. James served as a Writer, aboard HMS Birmingham, and that he was of Bryn Teify, Cwmann. It gives his date of death as 15 September 1921. No records can be found of him at present, but the Royal Naval archives show that a Cecil George James, born in Milford Haven on 27 January 1900, served in the Royal Navy. This is the only man of the same initials, and there is no record of his death with the CWGC.

 


Private John Jones, 320234, 24th Battalion, the Welsh Regiment. John was the Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Jones, of Sunny Cottage, Gwernogle, Nantgaredig. He enlisted at Carmarthen into the Pembroke Yeomanry, which later merged to form the 24th Battalion the Welsh Regiment, part of 231 Brigade, 74th Yeomanry Division. The Division fought in Palestine, and were in the midst of the Third Battle of Gaza when John was wounded. He Died of Wounds aged 26 on 6 November 1917 and is buried in Beersheba War Cemetery.

 


Gunner Ben Lloyd, Royal Garrison Artillery. The Memorial states that Ben, of 10, Treherbert, Cwmann, served in the Royal Garrison Artillery, and died on 28 April 1919. Again, no-one matching these details can be found at present.