Eglwyswrw War Memorial
Evan Owen Davies, Corporal, 30370. 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 of the Machine Gun Corps, which was created by Royal Warrant, on the 14th October, 1915. Evan’s Company, the 46th, were attached to the 15th (Scottish) Division from the 11th 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 the 13th October, 1916. His body was lost on the Somme Battlefield, and so he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
John Griffiths, Private, 302302. John was born at Eglwyswrw, the son of Jacob & 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 2/8th Battalion, the Manchester Regiment, part of the 199th Brigade, 66th Division. The Division concentrated on the Western Front by 16th 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. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Joshua Clement James, Private, 202507. Joshua was born at Eglwyswrw, the son of Mr. S. D. & Mrs. R. W. James, of Frochest Farm, enlisted at Carmarthen into the 1/4th Battalion, the Welsh Regiment, which was a Territorial Battalion, thus showing that Joshua was probably a pre-war Territorial. The Battalion formed part of the 159th Brigade, 53rd (Welsh) Division, and they were shipped to Alexandria in July 1915, then onto Gallipoli, where they landed on the 9th August. 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 around the end of 1915/ beginning of 1916, Joshua was sent home via Hospital Ship, seriously ill. He Died on the 23rd February, 1917, aged 29, and was buried in Eglwyswrs (St. Cristiolus) Churchyard.
John Herbert Lloyd, Private, 38519. John was born at Eglwyswrw, the son of David & Elizabeth Lloyd, of Rofftcharles. He enlisted at Carmarthen, originally serving with the South Wales Bordererers, but was transferred to the 8th Battalion, the Gloucestershire Regiment, which formed part of the 57th Brigade of the 19th (Western) Division. The 19th 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. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Idris Mathias, Rifleman, R/37992. Idris was born at Eglwyswrw, and enlisted at Cardiff into the 13th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps. The Battalion formed part of the 111th Brigade, 37th Division. The Division concentrated in France between July and August 1915, and fought throughout the Battles of the Somme and the Battle of Arras, before moving to Flanders to take part in the Passchendaele Offensive. During the Battle of Polygon Wood, Idris was Killed in Action, on the 29th September, 1917. He is another whose body was lost, and so is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.
James Mathias, Sapper, 151206. James was born in Eglwyswrw and enlisted at Ammanford into the Welsh Regiment. He must have been a miner at Ammanford, as he 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 Company were 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 bagan in March, 1918. 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 the 31st May, 1918 and is buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, in Grave XXVIII. F. 4A.
Griffith
Phillips, Private, 56891. 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, the Welsh Regiment, part of the 114th Brigade of the 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 the 1st January, 1918. He is buried in Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, in Grave I. P. 82. He was aged 37.
Haydn Phillips, Private, 29933. Haydn was born in Eglwyswrw, and enlisted at Porth, into the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, who formed part of the 87th Brigade of the 29th Division. The Battalion fought at Tsingtao, China, before being brought back to Gallipoli, landing at Cape Helles on the 25th April, 1915. They made a name for themselves at Gallipoli, before being brought back to France, landing at Marseilles on the 29th 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 the 18th March, 1918, and is buried in Pontyglazier (Bethabara) Baptist Chapelyard.
Oliver Rees, Private, 32954. Oliver was born in Eglwyswrw, and enlisted at Bridgend into the 9th Battalion, the Welsh Regiment, part of the 58th 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 on the 25th September, 1915. He is remembered on the Loos Memorial, on Panel 77/78.
Thomas Walter Thomas, Lance Corporal, 28553. 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 the 49th Brigade of the 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 the 27th April, 1916. He is remembered on the Loos Memorial, Panel 60.
Bryn Gwynne Williams, Private, 67515. Bryn was born in Eglwyswrw, to John and Mary Williams. He enlisted at Carmarthen into the 9th Battalion, the Cheshire Regiment, part of the 56th Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. The Division were caught in the carnage of the German Offensive (Kaisershlacht) during March/April 1918, when Bryn was seriously wounded during the First Battle of Kemmel, South of Ypres. He was taken back to the main Hospital at Etaples, where he Died of Wounds, aged just 18, on the 23rd April, 1918. He is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, in Grave XXIX. L. 5A.
