Due to the sheer number of men commemorated on the Milford Haven War Memorial, it has been split into several sections, otherwise a single page would prove too long and difficult to negotiate. The men commemorated on this page were the men who served in the Merchant Navy and of the various Flying Services, who died during the course of the Great War.

Milford Haven War Memorial

Merchant Navy and Air Force Personnel who fell in the Great War, 1914-1918

Merchant Navy

Edwin Cox, Cooks Boy, Mercantile Marine. Edwin was born at Swansea, and was the Son of Edwin and Florence Cox (nee Risk). The family moved to 12, Dartmouth Street, Milford Haven, where Edwin joined the Mercantile Marine as a Cooks Boy, aboard the London Registered SS Sandhurst. Edwin drowned, as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine UB 72, 6 miles NW off Corsewall Point, when Sandhurst was sunk with the loss of all hands. He was just 15 years old, and is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

John William Humphries, Third Mate, Mercantile Marine. John was the Son of Ellen Louisa Humphries, of 13, Dartmouth Gardens, Milford Haven. He served as Third Mate aboard the SS Bulgarian, a Glasgow registered vessel. John died aged 24 on 20 January 1917, when Bulgarian was sunk by a German submarine. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

George J. Rudge, Cook, Mercantile Marine. George was born in Hull, but resided at Milford prior to the war. He served as Cook aboard the Steam Trawler Victoria, a Fleetwood registered vessel. He was killed, aged 56, on 1 June 1915 when Victoria was attacked and shelled by a German U-Boat. George is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

 

John (Stevo) Stevenson, Skipper, Mercantile Marine. Stevo was from Milford, and served as Skipper of the Steam Trawler Victoria, a Fleetwood registered vessel. He was killed on 1 June 1915 when Victoria was attacked and shelled by a German U-Boat. Stevo is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London. Also killed were Stevo's nephew, James Jones, who went on the boat for a trip, Albert Cole, Chief Engineer, of Milford (who is not commemorated on the War Memorial), George Rudge of Hook, and Frank Slade of Haverfordwest.

 

 

Albert Henry Tucker, Skipper, Mercantile Marine. Albert was the Son of John and Eliza Jane Tucker, of Brixham, Devon, and the husband of Miriam Berry Tucker, of 43, Dewsland Street, Milford Haven. He was Skipper of the 'Friendship', and was drowned when she was sunk by a German submarine on 13 February 1917. Albert was 42 years old, and is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

Royal Flying Corps/ Royal Air Force/ Royal Naval Air Service

Richard Eldon Bush, Flight Lieutenant, Royal Naval Air Service. Richard was the Son of Philip Wathen Bush and Maria Louisa Bush, of The Old Manor House, Keynsham Bristol. Richard learnt to fly the Caudron Biplane, at the Royal Naval Flying School, Eastchurch, gaining his Aviators Certificate on 20 August 1915. He was one of the first airmen to be based at Fishguard Naval Air Station RNAS, and on his first flight there took off in a Sopwith Baby seaplane, N1033, on the morning of 22 April 1917 on a test flight, carrying a full load of bombs, but sadly the seaplane failed to gain height at take off and struck power cables, which sent it crashing into the cliff face. At great risk to himself, a saldier of the King's Liverpool Regiment who had been watching, pulled Richard out of the burning wreckage, and he was taken to the nearby Bay Hotel, where he was treated by a local Doctor. Sadly Richard succumbed to his terrible injuries, and died on 24 April 1917. He was 26 years old, and was buried with full military honours at Keynsham Cemetery, England.

John Evans Edwards, Private, 278199, Royal Air Force. John was the Son of Benjamin and Mary Edwards of Milford, and the husband of Gertrude E. Edwards, of 88, Portfield, Haverfordwest. He had been conscripted into the Royal Air Force, and was based at the Armament School when he died  in an air crash at Uxbridge on 22 October 1918. John was 35 years old, and is buried at Milford Haven Cemetery.

 

Edmund Sydney Howells, Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps. Edmund was the Son of Canon Edmund and Mrs. Emily Maud Blanche Howells, of The Vicarage, Milford Haven. He had previously served with the 11th Battalion, Welsh Regiment in France and Salonika, before becoming a pilot in 120, Squadron Royal Flying Corps. The Squadron was formed at Lympne in January 1918, and trained with the DH 9, but Edmund was killed in an accident while flying Armstrong Whitworth FK 3 A1505, on 27 March 1918. Edmund was just 19 years old, and is buried at Milford Haven Cemetery. His Observer, 2nd Lieutenant John Armstrong, was also killed in the accident. The statue of an airman on top of the Milford Haven War Memorial was allegedly based on Edmund. Edmunds obituary in 'Flight Magazine' reads; 'Lieutenant EDMUND SYDNEY HOWELLS, R.F.C., who was killed accidentally, while acting as flying instructor, on March 27th, was the eldest son of the Rev. E. Howells, B.D., vicar of Milford Haven. He was educated at the King's School, Worcester, where he represented the school on the river, and was passing from the sixth form to Oxford when the war broke out. He received a commission in the Welsh Regiment directly from the O.T.G., and served with it in France, being wounded in 1916. On recovery he returned to his regiment on another front, where he was transferred to the R.F.C., and served for some time in Egypt. Last year he was recalled to act as instructor at home.'  Many thanks to Les Nixon for the photograph of Edmund's grave.

Lawrence Vaughan, Air Mechanic 2nd Class, 20264, Royal Air Force. Lawrence was living at 122, Priory Road, Milford when he joined the Royal Air Force. After training as an Air Mechanic, Lawrence was posted to 79 Squadron in France, which flew the Sopwith Dolphin. Until the end of the war it carries out fighter patrols and ground attack missions with Dolphins and after the Armistice moved to Germany as part of the occupation forces, disbanding there on 15 July 1919. Lawrence died in Germany of influenza on 5 February 1919. He is buried at Cologne Southern Cemetery, Germany.