Robeston Wathen War Memorial

The Great War, 1914-1918

Robert Adams, Private, 761, Welsh Regiment. Robert was the Son of James Adams, of Lands End, Robeston Wathen. He had served with the 4^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment during the Great War, and Died of Pneumonia aged 26 on the 27^th April, 1921. He is buried in Robeston Wathen Churchyard. Details of Roberts war service are unknown at present, but the 4^th Welsh had served with the 53^rd (Welsh) Division in Gallipoli and Palestine.

Ernest Bowen, Private, 200043, Welsh Regiment. Ernest was the Son of Mrs. Mary Bowen, of Church House, Robeston Wathen, Narberth. He enlisted at Narberth into the 15th Battalion, the Welsh Regiment. The 15^th were raised by the Carmarthenshire County Committee during October 1914. They became part of 114^th Brigade, 38^th Welsh Division on the 29^th April 1915. The brigade landed at Havre during December 1915. They fought through some of the hardest and most famous battles of the Great War-at Mametz during the Battle of the Somme, and at the Pilckem Ridge during the battle of Passchendaele. During March 1918, the 15^th Battalion was in reserve at The Laundry, Erquinghem. On the 6^th March they relieved the 13^th Welsh in support trenches at Houplines. Eight men were wounded by gas on the 9^th March, and for the next few days the area was continually shelled and gassed by the Germans. After taking part in the initial defence in Flanders, the Division was rushed to the Somme, where they were positioned north of Albert, in the heart of the old 1916 Battlefields. Here they fought in the heroic defence of the lines, which prevented the German breakthrough, until the tide was turned on the 8^th August, by an Australian victory at Villers-Brettoneux. The Allies now held the initiative, and quickly began pushing the Germans back toward the Hindenburg Line, and on the 18^th September the Division took part in the Battle of Epehy. Ernest was Killed in Action this day, aged 23. He had been attached to the 114^th Trench Mortar Battery, and was at the forefront of the fighting when he was killed, and he is now buried at Gouzeaucourt New British Cemetery.

Thomas Jones, Private, 1756, Welsh Guards. Thomas was born at Robeston Wathen, and enlisted at Haverfordwest into the 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards. The Welsh Guards had been formed on the 6^th February, 1915 by Royal Warrant, and on the 17^th August 1915 embarked at Southampton for France, and they arrived at Le Havre that day. On the 27^th September the Battalion left Le Havre for Loos, as part of 3^rd 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, fighting at Flers-Courcelette and Morval. Thomas was Killed in Action at Morval on the 26^th September 1916. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

David Morgan, Private, 54295, Welsh Regiment. David was born at Robeston Wathen, the Son of John and Ann Morgan, and the husband of Rachel Williams (formerly Morgan), of the Police Station, Goodwick. He enlisted at Aberbargoed into the 15^th Battalion, the Welsh Regiment, which were raised by the Carmarthenshire County Committee during October 1914. They became part of 114^th Brigade, 38^th Welsh Division on the 29^th April 1915. The brigade landed at Havre during December 1915. They fought through some of the hardest and most famous battles of the Great War-at Mametz during the Battle of the Somme, and at the Pilckem Ridge during the battle of Passchendaele. During March 1918, the 15^th Battalion were in reserve at The Laundry, Erquinghem. On the 6^th March they relieved the 13^th Welsh in support trenches at Houplines. Eight men were wounded by gas on the 9^th March, and for the next few days the area was continually shelled and gassed by the Germans. David had been brought home before this though, and Died of Sickness at home on the 17^th March, 1918 aged 35. He is buried in Robeston Wathen Churchyard.

William Henry Morgan, Private, 2524, Australian Imperial Force. William was the Son of Lewis and Mary Morgan, of Robeston Wathen, Narberth, and had emigrated to Australia, where he worked as a Blacksmith. William enlisted at Bathurst, NSW on the 6^th June 1916 into the 54^th Battalion, Australian Infantry. His papers show him to have been 33 years and 5 months old, and that he trained for 9 years with the 7^th Welsh Territorials. He embarked from Australia on the 30^th September, 1916 and arrived at Plymouth on the 19^th November. On the 22^nd December William arrived at Etaples, and joined his unit on the 10^th February, 1917 in the field. On the 15^th March William was wounded, suffering gunshot wounds to the face and hands and was sent via the 15^th Australian Field Ambulance to Hospital. On the 5^th April he left Hospital, rejoining the Battalion on the 15^th, but just a month later he was wounded again, and after months of treatment was transferred to the 5^th Divisional Headquarters staff, as he was not fit enough for the infantry. In October, 1917 William was granted leave, and spent two weeks back home, and on his return to the front he was made Shoeing Smith. William was court martialled on the 25^th January, 1918, for stealing a bag of oats, and he was found guilty and sentenced to 70 days Field Punishment Number 2. He rejoined his Battalion on the 14^th April, as the German Spring Offensive was under way, and reverted to Private due to his misconduct. He was immediately seconded for duty with the 2nd Division HQ. Traffic Control, but was admitted to Hospital on the 22^nd October, suffering from Influenza. William died of influenza on the 4^th November, 1918 aged 36, and is buried at Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension.

John Evan Phillips, Private, 337, Pembroke Yeomanry. John served during the Great War with the Pembroke Yeomanry, and died on the 12^th August, 1916. He is buried in Robeston Wathen Churchyard. It is unknown at the moment if he served overseas with the Battalion, or if he served in the UK with their Reserve Battalion, but the Battalion were serving in Palestine at that time.

Edwin Thomas, Private, 15904, Welsh Regiment. Edwin was born at Robeston, and enlisted at Haverfordwest into the 10th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was raised in the Rhondda Valley by D. Watts Morgan, M.P. in September 1914. They moved to Codford St. Mary in 76^th Brigade, 25^th Division, then on the 30^th September went to join the other locally raised units in 129th Brigade, 43rd Division at Rhyl. On the 29^th April, 1915 the formation became 114^th Brigade, 38^th Division, and in December, 1915 they landed at Havre, from where they were posted to the ‘Nursery Sector’ near Armentieres, where Edwin was sadly Killed in Action soon after on the 12^th January, 1916. He is buried in Pont-Du-Hem Military Cemetery, La Gorgue.

Hugh Williams, 2nd Lieutenant, Pembroke Yeomanry. Hugh was the Son of Mr. J. and Mrs. M. Williams, of Landers Hook, Treffgarne, and the husband of Anna Williams, of Old Gate House, Robeston Wathen, Narberth. He was commissioned into the Pembroke Yeomanry, and was attached to the 7^th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, attached to the 8^th Brigade, 3^rd Division. The Division were at Ypres from October, 1915 onwards, until moving to the Somme to take part in the big offensive, and fought at the Battles of Albert, Bazentin, Delville Wood and the Ancre. In March, 1917 they fought in the Battle of Arras, at the Scarpe and at Arleux, and then moved to Ypres later in the year, where they fought during the Battle of the Menin Road, and Polygon Wood. In November they fought in the Battle of Cambrai, and lost many men over the coming months in the area. The Division were still in the area of Cambrai and St. Quentin when the German Spring Offensive hit them, and they then moved north to Flanders, where they were hit again, fighting at the Battles of Estaires and Hazebrouck. They had been pushed back toward Bethune, when Hugh was Killed in Action, aged 29 on the 28^th July, 1918. He is buried at Sandpits British Cemetery, Fouquereuil.