Newchurch War Memorial
The Great War, 1914-1918
Daniel Davies, Lance Corporal, 120472, Machine Gun Corps. Daniel was born at Newchurch, and enlisted at Carmarthen into the Welsh Regiment. In 1916 he was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps, and served with the 74th Company, attached to the 25th Division. The Division landed in France on the 26th September, 1915, and were posted to the Vimy area, where they defended Vimy Ridge against a German attack in May 1916, then moved to the Warloy area and attacked on the 3rd July near Thiepval. They fought throughout the Battle of the Somme, then moved to Plougsteert, where they held the line, until taking part in the Battle of Messines in June, 1917. They fought at Pilckem, before moving south again, taking up positions around Bullecourt in reserve, and were used to reinforce the badly depleted British units that were hit in the area by the German Spring Offensive. They moved north to Flanders to rest, but they were again hit by a renewed German Offensive, and fought at the Battle of Estaires, Bailleul, Messines and Kemmel, and moved to the Aisne at the beginning of May to recuperate from their ordeal at Fismes, 20 miles SE of Soissons in the Champagne. However, on the 26th May, intelligence confirmed a heavy German attack could be expected. 25th Division was in reserve and ordered up into a closer support position, up to the area of Guyencourt - Muscourt - Ventelay, south of the River Aisne and north east of Fismes, when the enemy struck south across the Chemin des Dames. By the 9th June, a decision had been taken to break up what was left of the Division to reinforce other formations. On 24 June, Divisional HQ with the artillery, Field Ambulances and Machine Gun Battalion entrained for Hesdin. HQ returned to England on 30 June 1918 to begin the process of rebuilding. The infantry was assigned to other Divisions. The reformed Division moved back to France in September 1918, moving at first to St Riquier near Abbeville. Late in the month, it entrained for Fourth Army, coming under XIII Corps which was by now engaged in the more or less continuous and eventually victorious advance across Picardy, and took part in the Battle of Beaurevoir. Daniel was killed in action here on the 21st September, 1918. He has no known grave, and so is remembered on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, France.
William Scurlock Davies, Private, 97818, Machine Gun Corps. William was the Son of Thomas and Mary Davies, of Cwmgwili Farm, Bronwydd Arms, Carmarthen. He enlisted at Carmarthen into the Welsh Regiment, and later transferred into the Machine Gun Corps, serving with the 37th Company, attached to the 12th (Eastern) Division. The Division landed at Boulogne on the 31st May 1915, and took over the line at Ploegsteert Wood. They then moved south and fought in the Battle of Loos, and the subsequent actions of the Hohenzollern Redoubt, and remained there until March 1916. By June they were in position at the Somme, and attacked Ovillers on the 2nd July. They fought at Pozieres and Le Transloy before being moved to the Arras area during October, 1916, where they fought in the March 1917 Battle of Arras, taking part in the First Battle of the Scarpe, and the Battle of Arleux. They then fought at the Third Battle of the Scarpe, and helped capture Roeux. The Division remained at Arras until taking part in the Battle of Cambrai in November, 1917. William was killed in action here on the 2nd December, 1917. He was just 21 years old, and is remembered on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval.
David Evans, Corporal, 55430, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. David was born at Newchurch, and enlisted at Carmarthen into the Pembroke Yeomanry. He later transferred into the 16th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, which was attached to the 113th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division. The Division had landed in France during December 1915 and had spent their first winter in the trenches near Armentieres. In June they marched south to the Somme, where they were tasked with the capture of Mametz Wood. The attack on the wood began on the 7th July, but met with fierce resistance, and it took until the 14th July to clear the wood. The Division suffered terrible casualties at Mametz, and were taken out of the line, and moved to Ypres to rebuild. Here they fought at Pilckem Ridge, which is where David was killed on the 30th July, 1917. He has no known grave, and so is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. Not on Memorial.
Evan Griffiths, Private, 320472, Welsh Regiment. Evan was the Son of Timothy and Mary Ann Griffiths, of the "Plough and Harrow," Newchurch, and enlisted at Carmarthen into the Pembroke Yeomanry. The Battalion formed during August, 1914 and continued to serve at home until after the evacuation from Gallipoli, when the South Wales Mounted Brigade was sent to reinforce the Middle East. Here a detachment of the Yeomanry joined the Imperial Camel Corps, whilst the remainder of the Battalion combined with the Glamorgan Yeomanry to form the 24th Battalion, Welch Regiment in 74th (Yeomanry) Division. The Division had formed in Egypt in January, 1917 and had fought through the Palestinian Campaign, and at the three Battles of Gaza. Evan was killed during the Third Battle of Gaza, on the 6th November, 1917. He was just 22 years old, and is buried at Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel.
John Griffiths, Sergeant, 13126, Welsh Regiment. John was born at Llanpumsaint, and enlisted at Tumble into the 9th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was 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. After suffering terribly again, they moved South to the quieter French sector to rebuild, but were caught up in the German offensive on the Aisne, and fought during the Battle of the Selle, Valenciennes, the Sambre and the Passage of the Grand Honelle. John was killed during the Battle of the Sambre, on the 4th November, 1918. He is buried at Cross Roads Cemetery, Fontaine-Au-Bois.
David Jeremy, Gunner, 166601, Royal Garrison Artillery. David was the Son of John and Hannah Jeremy, of Mount Pleasant, Ffynonddrain. He enlisted at Carmarthen into the Royal Garrison Artillery, and served with the 49th Siege Battery. The Battery were at Ypres during the First Battle of Passchendaele, when David was wounded. He died at the Casualty Clearing Station at Dozinghem on the 21st October, 1917 aged 38, and is buried there, at Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium.
William Jeremy, Private, 56867, Welsh Regiment. William was the Son of Stephen and Margaret Jeremy, of Park Lodge, Carmarthen. He had been born at Newchurch, and enlisted at Carmarthen into the Pembroke Yeomanry. He later transferred to the 13th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was attached to the 114th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division. The Division had landed in France during December 1915 and had spent their first winter in the trenches near Armentieres. In June they marched south to the Somme, where they were tasked with the capture of Mametz Wood. The attack on the wood began on the 7th July, but met with fierce resistance, and it took until the 14th July to clear the wood. The Division suffered terrible casualties at Mametz, and were taken out of the line, and moved to Ypres to rebuild. William was wounded at Ypres, and died there on the 27th March, 1917 aged just 21. He is buried at Bard Cottage Cemetery, Belgium. Not on Memorial.
Henry E Jones, Driver, T2/025600, Royal Army Service Corps. Henry was born at Newchurch, and served with the Royal Army Service Corps, in the 12th Divisional Train, which served the 12th (Eastern) Division. The Division landed at Boulogne on the 31st May 1915, and took over the line at Ploegsteert Wood. They then moved south and fought in the Battle of Loos, and the subsequent actions of the Hohenzollern Redoubt, and remained there until March 1916. By June they were in position at the Somme, and attacked Ovillers on the 2nd July. They fought at Pozieres and Le Transloy before being moved to the Arras area during October, 1916, where they fought in the March 1917 Battle of Arras, taking part in the First Battle of the Scarpe, and the Battle of Arleux. They then fought at the Third Battle of the Scarpe, and helped capture Roeux. The Division remained at Arras until taking part in the Battle of Cambrai in November, 1917. They were relieved at the beginning of December, and moved to positions near Albert to rest. The Division relieved the 38th (Welsh) Division in the Fleurbaix front line in February, 1918, and on the 22nd March orders were received warning the Division of an imminent move. Two days later the Division, less its artillery, concentrated in the Busnes area and moved that night by motor lorry to Albert, where they took part in the First Battle of Bapaume, where they tried to stem the German Offensive, before falling back, and fighting at the First Battle of Arras. After suffering heavy losses, the Division withdrew at the beginning of April, to Toutencourt. April to July were spent in the area of Auchonvillers and Mailly-Maillet, where new drafts arrived to replace the losses. On 1 July, two years to the day that the British offensive had opened on the Somme, the Division carried out an attack at Bouzincourt. After initial success, counter attack drove the attacking units back at a cost of 680 casualties. The Division was relieved on 10 July and came under orders of XXII Corps. It was moved to the area south of Amiens, where it took part in the Battle of Amiens, and then moved back to Albert, taking part in the Battle of Albert on the 22nd August, pushing right across the wilderness of the old Somme battlefield, capturing Meaulte, Mametz, Carnoy, Hardecourt and Faviere Wood, which was reached after a week's continuous fighting. The Division was relieved on 30 August by 47th (London) Division and moved back to the Carnoy-Briqueterie area. On the 4th September, 1918 the Division relieved 18th (Eastern) Division east of the Canal du Nord and just south of Manancourt, for an attack on Nurlu, and the Division pressed on, fighting at the Battle of Epehy. They then took part in the Battle of the St Quentin Canal, pushing through and past the Epehy defences, where they secured the vantage points up to the St Quentin Canal and covered the left flank of the 27th Division of the United States Army which was attacking under orders of Fourth Army. This successful action gave the US Division, 46th (North) Midland and Australian Divisions to the right the chance to break through the Hindenburg Line on this most important day in the final offensive. The Division was now 26 miles from where the offensive had begun on the 8th August, and was withdrawn for rest in the areas of Savy, Acq and Aubigny and left III Corps at this point. On the night of the 6th October, the Division relieved 20th (Light) Division in Third Army, and then took part in the Final Advance in Artois, and pushed on through Courcelles, Henin-Lietard, past the Canal de la Haute Deule. By the 23rd October, the Division was crossing the River Scarpe at St Amand and four days later were at the Scheldt Canal. The Division was withdrawn for rest on 30 October and as events turned out, had finished its war. Henry died in France on the penultimate day of the war, on the 10th November, 1918. He is buried at Brebieres British Cemetery, France. Not on Memorial.
William Lewis, Private, 267153, Notts & Derby (Sherwood Foresters). William was the Son of John and Anne Lewis, of Pentrefynis Farm, Peniel. He enlisted at Hounslow into the 1/5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, which was attached to the 139th Brigade, 46th (North Midland) Division. They moved to France between the 23rd to the 28th February 1915, and saw its first action at the Hohenzollern Redoubt near Loos. The Division suffered large numbers of casualties during the attack, which was its first large-scale action. On the 23rd December, 1915 the Division was ordered to proceed to Egypt, leaving the Divisional Ammunition Column (for the 55th Division), the Divisional Train (with the 56th Division) and the Mobile Veterinary Section. Most units reached Egypt via Marseilles by the 13th January, 1916. However on the 21st January, 1916 the move of the Division was countermanded and the units were returned to France, whereupon the other units rejoined. Here the Division took part in the Attack on the Gommecourt Salient, which was a diversionary attack on the 1st July, 1916 intended to draw attention away from the main attack on the Somme, but the Division again suffered large numbers of casualties during the attack. They rested for several months at Arras, and at the end of 1916 took part in Operations on the Ancre. During March, 1917 the Division followed the German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line, and then fought in the Battle of Arras, taking part in the Battle of Hill 70. In 1918 the Division took part in the Advance in Flanders, and then moved south, where they were tasked with the breaking of the Hindenburg Line. They fought at the Battle of the St Quentin Canal at the end of September, where the 137th Brigade completed one of the finest feats of arms in British military history, when it forced the crossing of the St Quentin Canal at Riqueval. William was killed soon after, on the 3rd October, 1918. He was 27 years old, and is buried at Ramicourt British Cemetery, France.
