Llangain War Memorial
The Great War, 1914-1918
John Davies, Private, 320373, Welsh Regiment. John was from Glyn Cottage, Llangain and enlisted at Carmarthen into the Army. He was posted to the 24th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was formed early in 1917 from the amalgamation of the Pembroke & Glamorgan Yeomanry, and was attached to the 231st Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division. The division had been formed in Egypt in January, 1917 and took part in the march through Palestine, fighting at the three battles of Gaza, before finally capturing Jerusalem at the end of the year. John was killed at the Third Battle of Gaza on the 6th November, 1917. He was 34 years old, and is buried at Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel. His brother William Charles Davies also fell.
William David Davies, Private, 52657, Welsh Regiment. William was the Son of John and Mary Davies, of Greencastle, Llanstephan Road, Carmarthen. He enlisted at Cardiff into the Army and joined the 9th Battalion, Welsh regiment, attached to the 58th Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. The Division crossed to France between the 11th and the 21st July 1915, and moved to positions near Loos. The Division fought during the opening attack of the Battle of Loos, and then moved to the Somme, where they took part in the second wave of the attack on Ovillers-La Boiselle on the 1st July, capturing the village at heavy cost, and fought through the Somme Battles of Pozieres and the Ancre in 1916. They then moved North to Ypres, taking part in the Battle of Messines, and fought on the Menin Road and at Polygon Wood, before moving up to Broodseinde, Poelcappelle and Passchendaele Village itself. In 1918 they were caught up in the German Spring Offensive near St. Quentin, where they suffered terrible casualties, and fought at the Battle of Bapaume. They moved to Ypres, but were caught up in the German attack at Messines, and at Bailleul, and Kemmel. William was wounded during the terrible fighting at Kemmel, and evacuated to hospital where he died on the 25th April, 1918. He was 21 years old and is buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, France.
William Charles Davies, Private, 3365, 10th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. William was born in Guildford, Surrey in 1886. His family moved to West Wales, where William's mother Mary lived at Dyffryn Factory, Llanstephan Road, Carmarthen. William had emigrated to Western Australia, where he found work as a Groom near Blackboy Hill, which is where he enlisted on the 17th October, 1916. William embarked at Fremantle aboard the H.M.A.T. Berrima, and arrived at Devonport on the 16th February, 1917. After several months in camps at Larkhill and Dorrington, where William was court martialled for being Absent Without Leave (for over a week), William was sent among a batch of reinforcements to the 10th Battalion, arriving in France on the 22nd August, 1917. His papers show that he was Wounded in Action on the 1st October that year, rejoining the Battalion on the 5th. The next entry on his papers show that he deserted his post on the 1st January, 1918, and was apprehended by the Military Police two days later. His trial on the 15th February, 1918 ended up in his being awarded 5 years penal servitude, but on the 7th March this was suspended and William rejoined his Battalion at the front. The Battalion were by now in Northern France (French Flanders), and the German Offensive was in full swing, with the Australian Corps in the Borre area. William was Killed in Action near Borre on the 30th May, 1918 and is buried in Borre British Cemetery, Grave I. D. 20. He was 31 years old. His brotehr David Davies also fell.
David Idwal Griffiths, D.C.M., Private, 29403, South Wales Borderers. David was the Son of John and Margaretta Griffiths, of Cochybarlys, Llangain, Carmarthen. He enlisted at Carmarthen into the Army, and joined the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, who were attached to the 87th Brigade, 29th Division. The Division moved to Gallipoli via Egypt, landing on the 25th April, 1915. They remained here until evacuation to Egypt on the 11th January, 1916 and then moved to the Western Front on the 15th March. The Division took part in its first major action in France during the 1916 Somme Offensive, and fought at the Battles of Albert and Le Transloy, suffering heavy casualties. In the Spring of 1917 they fought at the Battle of the Scarpe, which was part of the Arras Offensive, and then moved further north to Ypres. Here they fought at the Battle of Langemarck, and then at the Battles of the Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde and Poelcappelle, before moving to Cambrai. Here they fought at the Battle of Cambrai in November and December, 1917 before moving back to Flanders early in 1918. The German Spring Offensive hit the British on the Somme on the 21st March, 1918, and hit in Flanders just weeks later. The 29th Division fought at the desperate defensive battles of Estaires, Messines, Bailleul and Kemmel, before the war turned in favour of the Allies after a series of successes on the Somme in August. The Division then took part in the Offensive in Flanders, where they took part in the Action of Outtersteene Ridge, and then at the Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Courtrai. It was during the terrible fighting at Outtersteene that David showed his mettle, and for his brave actions was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The citation for the award, listed in the London Gazette of the 10th January, 1920 read 'for conspicuous gallantry and determined courage at Outersteene on 18th August 1918. When his platoon was held up by heavy machine gun fire, he and another man crept forward and rushed the post, capturing two machine guns, killing three enemy and taking five prisoners. After the objective was reached, these two worked forward and captured a sniper who was causing casualties during consolidation.' Sadly just weeks after this, David was wounded at Ypres. He died of his wounds on the 3rd October, 1918 aged just 20 and is buried at Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Belgium.
William Howells, Gunner, 122051, Royal Artillery. William was born at Ferryside, the Son of Lewis and Mary Howells, of Neptune Villa, Ferryside, and enlisted at Carmarthen into the Royal Artillery. He was posted to the 'X' 32nd Trench Mortar Battery, which was allocated to the 32nd Division, which from April 1915 had become part of the Fourth Army. The Division fought on the Somme in 1916, moving to Arras in the Spring of 1918. After the Battles of Arras in 1918, where the German Offensive failed to take the City, the Division moved South to the old Somme battlefield, where the tide was turned against the German advance. From then on, they pushed the Germans back toward the Hindenburg Line, where their offensive had started off, and the 32nd Division fought their final Battle at the Sambre during early November, 1918. William was Killed in Action during this engagement on the 4th November, 1918, aged just 23. He is remembered on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Panel 3 and 4.
World War Two, 1939-1945
Thomas Henry Davies, Sergeant, 991591, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Thomas was the Son of David and Mary Ann Davies, of Werncorgam Fach, Llangain, Carmarthen. He served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, in 103 Squadron, which flew the Avro Lancaster III, based at Elsham Wolds. On the night of the 18th October, 1943, the squadron formed part of a massive force of 260 Lancasters sent to bomb Hannover. Eighteen aircraft were lost on the raid, one of which contained Thomas, who was lost with his fellow crewmen. Thomas was 23 years old, and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Thomas Lloyd, Sergeant, Home Guard. Thomas was the son of Jane Lloyd, and the husband of Hannah Mary Lloyd, of Llangain. Being too old for overseas service, he served at home in the 1st (Carmarthenshire) Battalion, the Home Guard, and Died at home, aged 45, on the 22nd July, 1941. He is buried at Llangynog Churchyard. (Not commemorated on the Llangain War Memorial).
Lawrence Walters, Warrant Officer, 1316296, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Lawrence was the Son of Mrs. P. Jones, and the grandson of Mr. W. J. Walters, of Ffordd, Llangain, Carmarthen. He served with 681 Squadron, which had been formed at Dum Dum in India in 1943, flying on coastal defensive work. The Squadron was initially equipped with the Spitfire IV, but was re-equipped with the Mosquito IX in August that year. In October they received a batch of brand new Supermarine Spitfire XI's, and moved to Alipore in May, 1944. The Squadron flew missions over the Far East throughout its time at war. Little is known of how Lawrence was killed, but he is recorded as having died on the 22nd February, 1945 aged 23, and is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial. Many thanks to Nigel Anstey for the photograph used below.
