Llanwrda War Memorial, The Great War, 1914-1918

Sidney John Arthurs, Private, 15509, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Sidney was the Son of Cornelia J. Arthurs, of 280 Huntingfield Rd., Putney, London, and the brother of Ethel Duffield of 61 Spring Grove Crescent, Lampton, Hounslow, Middlesex. Prior to the war, he resided at Paris House, Llanwrda, and he enlisted at Carmarthen into the 10th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, attached to 76 Brigade, 3rd Division. The Division were at Ypres when Sidney joined them, and he took part in the actions at the Bluff and of the St. Eloi craters. In June 1916 the Division moved to the Somme, and they took part in the Battle of Albert, the Battle of Bazentin, and the Battle of Delville Wood, where they captured Longueval Village. Sidney was Killed in Action on 20 July 1916, aged just 22, and is buried at London Cemetery & Extension, Longueval.

 

Robert Philip Behrens, Lieutenant, South Wales Borderers. Robert was the Son of George Benjamin Behrens and Helen Elizabeth Behrens (the daughter of John Morgan Davies of Llanwrda, and the sister of Oswyn St.Leger Davies), of Vron Yw, Denbighshire. Robert was the Husband of Helen Elizabeth Davies, of Carmarthen. Educated at Cordwalles, Maidenhead he had gained a commission in the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers. The 2nd SWB were stationed in China at the outbreak of war, and fought at Tsingtau against the German forces stationed there. On 4 December 1914 they embarked at Hong Kong, and returned to England, landing at Plymouth on 12 January 1915. Here they were attached to 87 Brigade, 29th Division, and on 16 March 1915 sailed from Avonmouth to Egypt. On 10 April the Division moved to Mudros, where the invasion force was building up ready for the invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula, and on the morning of 25 April 1915 the Division landed at Cape Helles. Sadly Robert was shot during the landing at De Tott's Battery. He died at sea and was buried from HMS Cornwallis that same day. Robert is remembered on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli. Robert is not commemorated locally.

James Thomas Davies, M.M., Private, 4020, Welsh Guards. James was born at Llanwrda, the Son of John and Margaret Evans, of Dan Y Graig, Llanwrda. He enlisted at Pentre into the Welsh Guards. The Welsh Guards had been formed on 6 February 1915 by Royal Warrant, and on 17 August 1915 embarked at Southampton for France, and they arrived at Le Havre that day. On 27 September the Battalion left Le Havre for Loos, as part of 3rd Guards Brigade, Guards Division. They fought during the Battle of Loos, before moving to Ypres in June 1916, which is where David joined the Battalion. In September they moved to the Somme, where they remained until the end of November. After a spell in reserve, they moved north to Ypres again, and they fought at Third Ypres before moving to take part in the Cambrai Offensive. When the German Spring Offensive was launched on 21 March 1918, the Guards Division were in the St. Quentin sector, and fought in the First Battle of Bapaume, where the German pushed their way back across the old Somme Battlefields towards the coast. They were halted at Albert, where the Guards Division took part in the desperate defence there. After the Germans were stopped in their tracks on 8 August at the Battle of Villers-Brettoneux, the Guards Division took part in the great advance, fighting at the Battle of Bapaume, Havrincourt, the Canal du Nord, Cambrai, the Selle and the Battle of the Sambre, where James was wounded. He died of wounds on 7 November 1918, and is buried at Villers-Pol Communal Cemetery Extension, France.

Morgan Rees Davies, Private, 58397, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Morgan was born at Llanwrda, the Son of David and Catherine Davies, of Tirallen, Llawrda. He enlisted at Chepstow into the 14th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, which were attached to 113 Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division, and embarked with the Division for France in December 1915. The Division served in the Armentieres sector, where they were initiated into trench warfare, before moving South to take part in the Battle of the Somme. The task allotted to the Division was the capture of Mametz Wood, and after a stuttering start to the offensive, finally succeeded in capturing the wood at heavy cost. They were put into reserve for almost a year before taking part in the Battle of Third Ypres, capturing Pilckem Ridge, and saw considerable action during Spring 1918, when the German Offensive was launched. They remained in the area until the tide of war was turned on 8 August 1918, and then began the push back toward the mighty Hindenburg Line. Morgan was Killed in Action, aged just 19, on 24 August 1918 and is buried at Ovillers Military Cemetery, France.

 

David William Evans, Private, 1270, Welsh Guards. David lived at Pantyrhedyn, Caio. He enlisted at Bridgend into the 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards, who were formed on 26 February 1915. They moved to France on 18 August 1915, as part of 3rd Guards Brigade, Guards Division. The Division moved to the Loos Sector, and on 25 September 1915 took part in the Battle of Loos. David was killed two days into the battle, on 27 September 1915. He has no known grave, and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France. David is listed on the County War Memorial roll as a Llanwrda man, and is also listed on the Welsh Guards roll as the same.

 

John Evans, Private, 45037, Welsh Regiment. John was born at Tillwydhir, the Son of John and Harriet Evans, later of Llethyfagwyren, Llansadurnen, Llanwrda. He enlisted at Ammanford into the 2nd Battalion, the Welsh Regiment, which was attached to 3 Brigade, 1st Division. The Division had been one of the first to arrive in France, fighting at the Battle of Mons, and taking part in the retreat to the Marne, where the Germans were stopped. They then fought at the Aisne, and at Chivy, before being moved North to Ypres. Here they fought at the First Battle of Ypres, where they again stopped the German Offensive, before wintering in Flanders. The following year saw them in action again at the Battle of Aubers, before moving South to Loos, where they fought during the Battle of Loos, and the action at the Hohenzollern redoubt. Again they were required for a major offensive, moving South to the Somme, where they fought during the opening of the Somme Offensive at the Battle of Albert, then at Bazentin, Pozieres, Flers-Courcelette and Morval. They followed the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in early 1917, and were then briefed for an operation on the Flanders Coast, and moved there during the Summer of 1917. While training on the coast, the Battle of Third Ypres had stalled in the mire, and the Division were recalled to Ypres, where they fought at the Second Battle of Passchendaele. After spending another Winter in Flanders, they were near Estaires when the German Spring Offensive caught them, fighting through the Battles of Estaires, Hazebrouck, and Bethune before being moved South again to Arras, fighting at the Battle of Drocourt-Queant, and at the Battle of Epehy, after the tide had been turned in the favour of the Allies. The Division pushed on towards the St. Quentin Canal, where John was Killed in Action on 25 September 1918, aged 36. He is buried at Roisel Communal Cemetery Extension. John is not commemorated locally.

Morris Evans, Private, 8136, Welsh Regiment. Morris was born in Llandovery, and resided at Cwmdwr Llanwrda. A pre-war regular, he enlisted at Ferndale into the 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was sent to France as part of 3 Brigade, 1st Division which were one of the first Divisions in France, landing at Havre on 13 August 1914. After the retreat from Mons to the Aisne, they were moved to Ypres, where Morris was Killed in Action during the First Battle of Ypres, on 23 October 1914. He is buried at Perth Cemetery (China Wall), Belgium. His younger brother Evan served with the 13th Welsh.

 

Clifford Andrew Loveluck, Second Lieutenant, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Clifford was the Eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. G.D. Loveluck, Central Pharmacy, Aberavon, Glamorgan, and the Grandson of Mr. John Davies, Llanwrda House, Llanwrda. Clifford was educated at Llandovery from 1908 until 1910, and on leaving Llandovery became a Dental student at Guy's Hospital, London. Clifford was commissioned from the Royal Army Medical Corps into the 5th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 27 February 1918, and in July 1918 was attached to the 26th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, which was on the Western Front, as part of 176 Brigade, 59th Division. The Division took over a sector near Arras on 25 July 1918 and came under the command of Third Army. On 21 August 1918 an offensive was launched by the British on the Somme, and the Division took part in an attack near Ablainzeville. Two days later, it held the British front line as the British attacked across the valley of the River Scarpe near Arras. As the Armies advanced, the 59th was used to follow up the attacking units. It then took part in the Advance in Flanders, where it operated in the area of the River Lys. On 16 October 1918 the Division advanced to the Bassée Deule canal, and by 23 October had advanced to near Valenciennes on the Belgian border. When the fighting ended on 11 November 1918, the forward units halted north-east of Tournai, in Belgium. Clifford had been taken ill during this last period of the war, and had been sent to the Base Hospital near Boulogne to recover. However, he sadly died there on 20 November 1918, aged 24, and is buried at Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, France. Clifford is not commemorated locally.

 

Thomas Henry Rolfe, Private, 48404, Royal Fusiliers. Thomas was the Husband of Mrs. R. A. Rolfe, of 4, Chapel St., Hythe, Kent. He resided at Smithfield, and enlisted at Hythe into the 10th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers which were attached to 111 Brigade 37th Brigade. The Battalion were known as the Stockbrokers Battalion, as it was formed from a nucleus of businessmen. On 30 July 1915 they landed at Boulogne, and they saw their first significant action during the diversionary attack at Gommecourt but due to heavy losses suffered by the 34th Division on the Somme, 111 and 112 Brigade were temporarily attached to them from 6 July until 22 August, 1916. Upon their return to the Division, they fought on the Ancre, and were at Arras in March 1917, where they fought at the Scarpe, capturing Monchy-le-Preux. After the Arras offensive ahd ground to a halt they moved to Ypres, where Thomas was Killed in Action on 4 August 1917. He is buried at Cabin Hill Cemetery, Ieper, Belgium.

 

David Williams, Private, 320254, Welsh Regiment. David was the Son of Thomas and Anne Williams, of Ellis Cottage, Pumpsaint, Llandilo, and he resided at Llanwrda prior to the outbreak of war. He enlisted at Carmarthen into the Pembroke Yeomanry, which had formed in Tenby for Home Defence, as part of the South Wales Mounted Brigade. They arrived in Egypt in March 1916, and on 2 February 1917 were disbanded, joining with the Glamorgan Yeomanry to form the 24th Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, as part of 231 Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division. The Division first saw action during the Second Battle of Gaza, and took part in the capture of Jerusalem before being sent to the Western Front, due to the terrible casualties that had been inflicted upon the British Army by the German Spring Offensive in March 1918, and landed at Marseilles on 7 May 1918. Here they fought in the Battle of Epehy, where David was Killed in Action on 21 September 1918, aged 32. He is remembered on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, France.

 

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Porthyrhyd War Memorial, The Great War, 1914-1918

William Thomas, Private, 2181, Pembroke Yeomanry. William was born at Colwyn, and resided at Drovers, Porthyrhyd, Llanwrda prior to the war. He enlisted at Llandovery into the 1st/1st Battalion, Pembrokeshire Yeomanry, which sailed for Egypt in March 1916, as part of the 1st Mounted Division, and joined the Western Frontier Force, tasked with guarding the Suez Canal defences. The Pembroke Yeomanry took part in several actions against the pro-Turkish Senussi tribesemen over the coming months, and it was in one such action that William was wounded. He died of his wounds on 11 January 1917, and is buried at Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.

 

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