Merlins Bridge War Memorial
The Great War, 1914-1918
Alfred Thomas Evans, Lance Corporal, S/11676, Rifle Brigade. Alfred was born in Little Haven, and was the Husband of G. A. Williams, (formerly Evans), of 81, Albert Town, Portfield, Haverfordwest. He enlisted at Haverfordwest into the 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade, which was attached to the 11th Brigade, 4th Division. One of the first Divisions to move to France, arriving just in time to join the hard-pressed Divisions of II Corps at The Battle of Le Cateau. They then took part in the epic retreat to the Marne, where the German Offensive was halted, and in the advance to the Aisne. The Division was then moved north to Flanders, and took part in the Battle of Messines, where Units of 4th Division took part in the famous Christmas Truce while they were still in this area, in trenches near Ploegsteert Wood. In 1915 the Division fought at the Second Battle of Ypres, and in the summer of 1916 were on the Somme, where they were one of the first Divisions into battle, going over the top on the 1st July, 1916. Alfred was one of 20,000 men who were killed in the first few hours of the Battle of the Somme that day. He was 22 years old, and is buried at Serre Road Cemetery, No. 2, France.
W. J. Evans, Private. This man cannot presently be positively identified.
John Elliott James, Private, 31589, South Wales Borderers. John was born at Haverfordwest, and enlisted there into the 6th Battalion, South Wales Borderers. The Battalion was attached to the 25th Division as Pioneers. The Division landed in France on the 26th September, 1915, and was posted to the Vimy area, where they defended Vimy Ridge against a German attack in May 1916. They then moved to the Warloy area and attacked on the 3rd July near Thiepval. They fought throughout the Battle of the Somme, and then moved to Ploegsteert, where they held the line for the months leading up the Battle of Messines in June, 1917. After fighting at Messines, the Division moved north, and fought at Pilckem, before moving south again, where they took up positions around Bullecourt in reserve. Here the Division was used to reinforce the badly depleted British units that were hit in the area by the German Spring Offensive. John was wounded here, and died of wounds on the 28th March, 1918. He is buried at St. Hilaire Cemetery, Frevent, France.
William Hubert James, Private, 36053, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. William was the Son of Richard James, of Barnsley, Redhill, Haverfordwest. He enlisted there into the Cheshire Regiment with the Regimental Number 4/9038, and later transferred into the 16th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. The Division had been on the Western Front since the early days of the war, and had fought throughout most of the major Battles. On the 14th August, 1918 5th Division was withdrawn for rest and placed in GHQ Reserve, after months of heavy fighting. Two weeks later it entered into what became a series of complex, endless, overlapping Allied attacks that forced the German Army into retreat. Fighting through Albert (back on the old and devastated Somme ground of 1916), the Division was in more or less continuous action until late October 1918, fighting at the Battle of Albert, the Battle of Bapaume, the Battle of Epehy, and the Battle of the Canal du Nord. William was killed in action during the Battle of the Selle, on the 21st October, 1918. He was just 19 years old, and has no known grave, and so is remembered on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, France.
Gilbert Bowen Morgan, Private, 20621, Welsh Regiment. Gilbert was the son of Matthew and Margaret Morgan, of Green's Farm, Merlin's Bridge, Haverfordwest. He enlisted at Llanelli into the 15th (Service) Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, which was raised as the Carmarthenshire Battalion, as part of Kitchener’s New Army in 1914. In 1915 the Battalion became part of the 114th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division, and moved to the Western Front in December, 1915, taking up positions near Fleurbaix. They fought with distinction at Mametz Wood the following year, and in 1917 played a major part in the capture of the Pilckem Ridge during Third Ypres. They were rushed to the Somme in spring 1918 to help stem the German push towards Amiens, and then took part in the great offensive of August, 1918, where they forded the flooded River Ancre on the night of the 22nd August, 1918 which began the great drive to victory. The Division pushed steadily through Pozieres and Longueval, capturing the village of Morval before pushing on to Sailly Saillisel, which is where Gilbert was killed on the 4th September, 1918. He was 26 years old, and is buried at Sailly-Saillisel British Cemetery.
Albert John Nash, Private, 54458, Welsh Regiment. Albert was born at Towerton in Somerset, but at the outbreak of war resided at Merlins Bridge. He enlisted at Haverfordwest into the 14th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was the Swansea City Battalion. The Battalion joined the same Brigade as the 15th Welsh, the 114th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division, and fought alongside them throughout the war. In the spring of 1918 they were on the Somme, in positions near Martinsart, when Albert was wounded. He was moved to the Hospital at Le Treport, where he died of wounds on the 22nd May, 1918, and he is buried there, at Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport.
Hubert William Thomas, Private, 44378, Kings Liverpool Regiment. Hubert was originally from Martletwy, and resided at Haverfordwest prior to the war. He enlisted there into the Welsh Regiment, with the Regimental Number 40477. Hubert then transferred into the Labour Corps, and his Number changed to 130033. This was probably as a result of wounds, which forced him to be medically downgraded. Hubert then transferred to a Labour Company of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, and remained in Britain on Home Service. He died at home on the 20th May, 1917 and is buried at St. Thomas A Beckett Churchyard, Haverfordwest.
World War Two, 1939-1945
John Edwin Devonald, Engineman, LT/KX 99905, Royal Naval Patrol Service. John was the Son of Edwin and Martha Elizabeth Devonald, and served as an Engineman aboard H.M. Drifter Reed. She had been Requisitioned in September 1939 as a minesweeper, and converted to an auxiliary patrol vessel in August 1940. She was sunk by a mine in Thames Estuary on the 7th November, 1940, killing John, who went down with the boat. He was 25 years old, and is commemorated on the Lowestoft Naval Memorial, Suffolk.
William Henry Hughes, Chief Engineer, Merchant Navy (Fishing Fleet). William was a married man, and lived at Hill Crescent, Merlin's Bridge, Haverfordwest. He served as Chief Engineer aboard the Fishing Vessel John Baptish (Milford Haven). She was a Castle Class steel sided trawler, with coal boilers, which had been built in 1918. In 1938, she was transferred and registered at Milford Haven. The John Baptish was on a fishing trip when she disappeared, presumed mined South of Coningbeg Light Vessel, and lost with all hands on the 7th September, 1940. William was 41 years old when he died, and he is commemorated alongside his crewmates on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.
J. Jones, Private, 2nd New Zealand Contingent. This man cannot yet be positively identified.