The pretty village of Eglwyswrw stands in the North of Pembrokeshire, in the Hundred of Cemais. There is no War Memorial to speak of in the Village, but there is a plaque in the Church of St. Cristiolus. The Village History Society are currently investigating the possibility of erecting a War Memorial to the men of the Village, and so research is ongoing. Below are the men of Eglwywrw who have been discovered so far. Many thanks to Paul Sambrook of Eglwyswrw for supplying the photographs of the Grave of Joshua James, and the photograph of Oliver Rees, and also to Robert for the photograph of the plaque inside St. Cristiolus Church.

Eglwyswrw War Memorial, The Great War, 1914-1918

Evan Owen Davies, Corporal, 30370, Middlesex Regiment. Evan was born in Eglwyswrw, and enlisted at St. Dogmael's into the Middlesex Regiment, with the Army Number 156. He transferred into the 46th Company, Machine Gun Corps, which was created by Royal Warrant on 14 October 1915. Evan's Company, was attached to the 15th (Scottish) Division from 11 February 1916 onwards. The Division fought in the latter stages of the Somme Battles of 1916, and were in the middle of the Battle of Le Transloy when Evan was Killed in Action, on 13 October 1916. His body was lost on the Somme Battlefield, and so he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, France.

John Griffiths, Private, 302302, Manchester Regiment. John was born at Eglwyswrw, the son of Jacob and Mary Griffiths, latterly of Cwm, St. Dogmaels. He was the husband of Margaret Ann Griffiths, of Fairfield, St. Dogmaels. John enlisted at Cardiff into the army, and was posted to the 2/8th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, part of 199 Brigade, 66th Division. The Division concentrated on the Western Front by 16 March 1917, moving to the Ypres sector. It was the opening day of the Battle of Poelcappelle, where John was Killed in Action, aged 39, on 9 October 1917. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.


Joshua Clement James, Private, 202507, Welsh Regiment. Joshua was born at Eglwyswrw, the son of Mr. S. D. and Mrs. R. W. James, of Frochest Farm, and enlisted at Carmarthen into the 1/4th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was a Territorial Battalion. The Battalion formed part of 159 Brigade, 53rd (Welsh) Division, and they were shipped to Alexandria in July 1915, then onto Gallipoli, where they landed on 8 August 1915. They suffered heavy casualties at Gallipoli, necessitating the Battalion to merge with the 1/5th Welsh to form the 4/5th Composite Battalion. After the evacuation of Gallipoli, the Division moved to Palestine, and sometime during 1916, Joshua was sent home via Hospital Ship, seriously ill. He Died on 23 February 1917, aged 29, and was buried in Eglwyswrs (St. Cristiolus) Churchyard.

Walter Charles Little, Private, 320352, Welsh Regiment. Walter was the Son of Mrs. M. A. Hume, of 3, Badeley Square, New Street, Chelmsford. He lived in West Wales prior to the war, and enlisted at Carmarthen into the Pembroke Yeomanry, with the Service Number 4688. The Pembroke Yeomanry formed at Tenby during August, 1914 as part of the South Wales Mounted Brigade, 1st Mounted Division. In 1916 they were sent to Egypt and guarded the Suez Canal Defences, but early in 1917 were disbanded, with the Battalion merging with the Glamorgan Yeomanry to form the 24th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, attached to 231 Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division. The Division had formed in Egypt in January 1917 and had fought through the Palestinian Campaign, at the Battles of Gaza and the Battle and capture of Jerusalem. Due to the terrible casualties suffered by the British on the Western Front in March and April 1918 the Division was recalled to the Western Front, and arrived at Marseilles during May 1918. They then fought at the Second Battle of Bapaume during the great offensive, and fought in Flanders before returning to the Somme and fighting at the Battle of Epehy, as part of the offensive towards the Hindenburg Line. Walter was wounded here, and evacuated to the Casualty Clearing Station at Doingt, where he sadly died of his wounds on 21 September 1918. He is buried at Doingt Communal Cemetery Extension, France.

 

John Herbert Lloyd, Private, 38519, South Wales Borderers. John was born at Eglwyswrw, the son of David and Elizabeth Lloyd, of Rofftcharles. He enlisted at Carmarthen, originally serving with the South Wales Bordererers, but was transferred to the 8th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, which formed part of 57 Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. The Division fought at Loos and the Somme, then moved to Flanders, where they fought in the Battle of Passchendaele. It was on the opening day of the Battle of the Menin Road that John was Killed in Action, aged just 19, on 20 September 1917. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

Idris Mathias, Rifleman, R/37992, King's Royal Rifle Corps. Idris was born at Eglwyswrw, and enlisted at Cardiff into thearmy. He was posted to the 13th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps. The Battalion formed part of 111 Brigade, 37th Division, and concentrated in France between July and August 1915. It fought throughout the Battles of the Somme and the Battle of Arras, before moving to Flanders to take part in the Passchendaele Offensive. It was during the Battle of Polygon Wood, that Idris was Killed in Action, on 29 September 1917. He is another whose body was lost, and so is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

James Mathias, Sapper, 151206, Royal Engineers. James was born in Eglwyswrw and enlisted at Ammanford into the Welsh Regiment. Hehad worked as a miner at Ammanford, and was transferred into the 255th Tunneling Company, Royal Engineers. The war on the Western Front had bogged down by November 1914, and both sides faced the need to break through the enemy's defensive trenches. It was not long before an ancient art was remembered and used most effectively: mining under the enemy lines, placing explosives and blowing them up. This was the role of the various Tunneling Companies, and it is at Ypres where James put his experience to good use. The 255th Tunnelling Company was used at Vimy, to dig the Grange Subway, and constructing underground water reservoirs near Souchez. They were moved to Givenchy in late 1917, then in April 1918 were in Flanders when the great German Offensive struck the British on the Lys. They were urgently sent to help consolidate Front Line trenches to try and stem the German advances, and it was during this maelstrom that James was mortally wounded. He died in the Hospital at Lijssenthoek, West of Ypres, on 31 May 1918 and is buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium.


Griffith Phillips, Private, 56891, Welsh Regiment. Griffith was born in Eglwyswrw, the son of Mrs. Ellen Phillips, of Pantycelyn. He enlisted at Neath into the Pembroke Yeomanry, but was later transferred into the 13th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, part of 114 Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division. The Division landed in France in December 1915, and were blooded at the Battle of Mametz, where they suffered so badly that they were not used again for a year. They then took part in the Passchendaele Offensives, at the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, and at Langemark. They were in the French Flanders sector at the end of 1917, and it was during a tour in the front line near Fleurbaix that Griffith was Killed in Action, on 1 January 1918. He is buried in Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, France. He was 37 years old.

Haydn Phillips, Private, 29933, South Wales Borderers. Haydn was born in Eglwyswrw, and enlisted at Porth, into the army. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, who formed part of 87 Brigade, 29th Division. The Battalion fought at Tsingtao, China, before being brought back to Gallipoli, landing at Cape Helles on 25 April 1915. They made a name for themselves at Gallipoli, before being brought back to France, landing at Marseilles on 29 March 1916. They fought on the Somme, Passchendaele and Cambrai, but at some time during the fighting in France, Haydn took ill, and was shipped back to Hospital in the UK. He died of sickness on 18 March 1918, and is buried in Pontyglazier (Bethabara) Baptist Chapelyard.

Oliver Rees, Private, 32954, Welsh Regiment. Oliver was born in Eglwyswrw, and enlisted at Bridgend into the army. He was posted to the 9th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was attached to 58 Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. The Division landed in France throughout July 1915, where it remainded throughout the War. It was during the Divisions first major engagement, at the Battle of Loos, that Oliver was Killed in Action during the famous charge of the 9th Welsh across No Mans Land, near Givenchy, on 25 September 1915. He is remembered on the Loos Memorial, France.


Thomas Walter Thomas, Lance Corporal, 28553, Inniskilling Fusiliers. Thomas was born in Leamington, but resided in Eglwyswrw, the son of T. and Hannah Thomas, of Pencnwcmawr. He enlisted at Leamington, into the Welsh Regiment, but was transferred into the 7th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, part of 49 Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division. The Division moved to France in December 1915 and concentrated around Bethune. They wintered in the Loos area, and it was during this quieter period, after the Battle of Loos, that Thomas was Killed in Action, aged 23, on 27 April 1916. He is remembered on the Loos Memorial, France.

Bryn Gwynne Williams, Private, 67515, Cheshire Regiment. Bryn was born in Eglwyswrw, to John and Mary Williams. He enlisted at Carmarthen into the army, and was posted to the 9th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, which was attached to 56 Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. Bryn probably joined the battalion in France late in 1917, after it had suffered heavy casualties during Third Ypres. The Division was caught in the carnage of the German Offensive (Kaisershlacht) of 21 March 1918, and saw heavy fighting during the coming days. The battered Division was moved to positions near Ploegsteert Wood to rebuild, but were caught up in a fresh German offensive on the Lys the following month. Bryn was seriously wounded during the First Battle of Kemmel. He was taken back to the main Hospital at Etaples, where he Died of Wounds, aged just 18, on 23 April, 1918. He is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, France.