LEST WE FORGET
List of Barry’s War Dead – September 1917
The Third Battle of Ypres continued in the mud of Flanders with the Battle of the Menin Road (20th to 25th September) and the Battle of Polygon Wood (26th September to 3rd October).
Lance Corporal Edward James Rawlings of the 2/2nd Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers),
died on the 2nd September, 1917. He was buried in Gwalia Cemetery, Belgium. He had previously served as a Private in the Army Service Corps in France from 27th September, 1916, transferring to the London Regiment on 5th August, 1917. Aged 29, He was the son of Mary Ann Dando (formerly Rawlings), of 18, Quarella Street, Cadoxton, Barry, Glamorgan, and the late William Rawlings.
Private William Francis Jackson of the 14th Battalion, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers
was killed in action by a shell, on Sunday, 2nd September, 1917. He is buried in Canada Farm Cemetery, Belgium. The Barry Dock News reported that Private Jackson had been killed after serving in France for only six weeks. He had enlisted in the South Wales Borderers in March this year, and was transferred to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Aged 32, born in Newport, Gwent, he was the son of Mr and Mrs F Jackson of 6, Hill Street, Barry Dock, and the husband of Mrs Edith Jackson of 86, Woodlands Road. He left a widow and two children.
Sapper Sydney Randolph Howells, 151st Field Company, Royal Engineers, was killed in action on 4th September, 1917. He was buried in Bard Cottage Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium. After enlisting he arrived in France on the 4th December, 1915. Aged 24, he was the son of Alban and Lucy Howells, of 64, Bradford St., Caerphilly, Cardiff. He was born in Barry in 1893, and in 1901 was living with his parents and siblings at 16, Wynd Street, Barry Dock.
Private Richard William Thomas of the 75th Company, Labour Corps,
was killed in action on 9th September, 1917. He was buried originally in Brielen Military Cemetery, then exhumed and reburied in Hagle Dump Cemetery, Belgium. He had previously served in the 10th Labour Company and the King's (Liverpool Regiment) before transferring to the 75th Company, Labour Corps. Aged 30, he was the husband of Cornelia Emmeline Thomas, of 53, Clodien Avenue, Heath, Cardiff. He was born at Cadoxton, Barry, and lived at Oban Street Cadoxton.
Engine Room Artificer George Dewi John of the Royal Navy Reserve
was drowned in the accidental loss of the HM Submarine “G9” in the North Sea on the 16th September, 1917. Aged 26, he was the son of the late Thomas and Margaret John of 34, Tynewydd Road, Barry. He was born on 28th February, 1891 and was educated at Holton Road, School Barry Dock. Commanded by Commander, The Hon. B P Cary, DSO, HMS/M G9 had left the Tees on 9th September, 1917. On the 16th she was on patrol off Norway between latitudes 60 degrees 30 minutes north and 61 degrees north 30 minutes north. It was very dark and there was heavy rain, a German U-Boat was thought to be in the area. HM-S/M G9 was sunk by the destroyer HMS Pasley after it mistook HMS Pasley for a U-boat in the foul weather on the night of 16th September, 1917 and fired two torpedoes at her. The first struck the destroyer on her starboard quarter, but too acutely to detonate; the second passed astern. On seeing the submarine's wash, Pasley's officer of the watch, Midshipman Frank Wallis, RNR, turned the boat hard to starboard and rammed G9 just aft of amidships all but cutting her in two, and she sank less than one minute later with the loss of all but one of her crew, Stoker William Drake. The Commanding Officer of HMS Pasley had received no instructions regarding probable presence of British submarines in this area. The subsequent Court of Enquiry attributed no blame to the Captain of HMS Pasley, Commander Charles Ramsey.
Private Thomas Duchien of the 1st/4th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, died of wounds on the 16th September, 1917. He is buried in Deir El Belah War Cemetery, Palestine. Aged 32, he was the son of Jane Ricketts (formerly Duchien) and John Ricketts (Stepfather); husband of Margaret Duchien, of Workman's Hotel, Lower Holmes Street, Cadoxton, Barry, Glamorgan.
Lieutenant Colonel James Robert Angus, 16th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, attached to 11th Battalion, South Wales Borderers was accidentally drowned when bathing in the River Lys on the 17th September, 1917. He was buried nearby in Erquinghem-Lys Churchyard Extension, near Armentieres, France. Aged 45, he was the husband of Edith Angus, of 8, Ash Grove, Graig, Hengoed, Cardiff. The Aberdare Leader had reported in August that: “Major J. R. Angus, of the Welsh Regiment, is about to take command of a battalion of the South Wales Borderers. The new Lieutenant Colonel was an Inspector of Police at Barry and Abercynon and was mentioned in dispatches for his service, in France with the battalion of the Welsh Regiment raised by the late Colonel Frank Gaskell, and since commanded by Colonel Fred Smith, D.S.O., also an Inspector in the Glamorgan Constabulary. Both served in the Boer War and the promotion of both has been rapid....
...Lieutenant Colonel Angus,
who is in his 46th year, spent his early days in Brecon, where his father, a Crimean veteran, was a sergeant-major. He married a daughter of the late Alderman Prosser, of Treharris. He had served in the Boer War and had also been Mentioned in Despatches.” The Barry Dock News reported: “Barry received the news last Friday with deep regret of the sad death in France of Lieutenant Colonel J. R. Angus, who was in charge of a service battalion of the South Wales Borderers. The gallant officer was drowned whilst bathing in a canal behind the lines on the previous Monday, when it is supposed he was seized with cramp. Colonel Angus was police officer at Barry when war broke out, and before receiving his commission into the Cardiff City Battalion he was the first drill instructor of the Volunteer Training Corps at Barry. He was an exceedingly smart officer, had served in the South African War as reservist of the Grenadier Guards, and held the Queen's and King's Medal. The sad and untimely death of so capable and popular an officer is deeply regretted.”
Private Ernest Church of the 11th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps, was killed in action on the 19th September, 1917. He has no known grave and thus is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial. Aged 23, He was the son of Frederick Church, of 7, Jenkin Street, Cadoxton, Barry, Glamorgan, and the late Lucy Church. A lieutenant of his regiment wrote to Mr. F. Church, to sympathise with him in the loss of his only son, and said the deceased young soldier "showed great bravery and coolness, and was well liked by his regiment." Rifleman Church enlisted at the first appeal made by Lord Kitchener, and had been in France 27 months.He was previously employed on the Barry Railway.
Corporal George Raymond Lawday of the 21st Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps was killed in action on the 20th September, 1917. He has no known grave and thus is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial. Aged 25, he was the son of George and Ellen Lawday, of 6, Lower Morel Street, Barry Dock, Glamorgan . He was born on 22nd July, 1892 and resided in Barry. He was educated at Archdeacon Cambridge School, Twickenham. He enlisted in Canada in November, 1914, in the Canadian Field Artillery. His occupation was given as electrician and he stated he had previous service in the Glamorgan Yeomanry. In 1915, he was discharged from the Canadian Army being unfit for duty due to disease. He returned to the UK and was employed by the Barry Railway Company.
Private Frederick William May, ‘D’ Company, 20th Australian Infantry Battalion, 5th Australian Brigade, 2nd Australian Division, was killed in action on the 20th September, 1917. Aged 24, he is buried in Birr Cross Roads Cemetery, near Ypres, Belgium. He was born in Boston, USA, the son of Mr. Henry May of 252, Holton Road, Barry. He later moved to Sydney, Australia and enlisted in Liverpool, New South Wales. Red Cross and Service records confirm that in the attack on Westhoek Ridge “he was hit in the head and body and died instantly”. He had previously served in Gallipoli and France. The Barry Dock News reported on Friday 12th October, 1917: GALLANT BARRY-AUSTRALIAN KILLED. “The death occurred in France on September 20th of Private Frederick May, Australian Light Horse, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. May, 252 Holton Road, Barry Docks. Private May joined early in 1915, and was in Gallipoli nine months, after which he was shell-shocked and had enteric fever....
...He was transferred to England, and then sent to France. At the taking of Poziere in August 1916 he was one of a bombing party in company with a lieutenant and a corporal. After descending into a German dug-out which they had bombed, they found at the far end of the dug-out 64 Germans in hiding, and they were taken prisoners. Private May was to be recommended for the military medal, but both captain and lieutenant were killed before his brave deeds had been notified. He was wounded by shell fire, but went to France again in June this year, and was killed with four other soldiers by an enemy shell.” He was 24 years of age, and formerly a pupil at Holton Road Council School, Barry Docks. He joined the Australian Forces in Sydney.”
Second Lieutenant Llewellyn Price Jones of the 9th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, (formerly Assistant Paymaster RN)
was killed in action 20th September, 1917. Llewellyn was the second son of William Price Jones and Gertrude Jones of 12, The Parade, Barry, later “Bryn Rhos,” 37, Romilly Park Road. He was born on 18th September 1893 and was educated at the Barry County School, the Cathedral School, Llandaff, and then Llandovery College from 1908 until 1910. In 1911, Llewellyn joined the Royal Navy as an assistant clerk, then clerk, then Acting Assistant Paymaster. For reasons unknown, his name was removed from the Navy List on 18th October, 1916 (it is believed there were no vacant positions for Paymasters). He then enlisted in the Army in Barry on the 12th December, 1916, and was commissioned on the 26th April, 1917 into the 3rd Battalion, Welsh Regiment. He was then posted to the 9th Welsh, which was attached to the 58th Brigade,19th (western) Division...
...By September 1917 Llewellyn was at the Front. The Division was at Ypres, and took part in an attack from the Ypres-Comines Canal to the railway north of Langemarck. Conditions were atrocious with heavy clinging mud preventing the troops from keeping pace with the artillery barrage, which had been deliberately accelerated to keep them clear of any enemy counter barrage. However, thus exposed the attack came under heavy enemy machine-gun fire which resulted in many casualties. Llewellyn was killed here on the first day of the Battle of Menin Road on the 20th September 1917. He was 24 years old, has no known grave and thus is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing, Belgium.
Lieutenant and Quartermaster Gwilym Robert Lougher of the Welch Casualty Clearing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps
died on the 22nd September, 1917 and is buried in Cairo War Memorial Cemetery. Born in Llanvythin, Llancarfan in 1879, he married his wife Margaret Howells in 1914 and lived at 6, Archer Road, Penarth.
Fireman and Trimmer John Gardner of the SS Trongate, Mercantile Marine, drowned on the 22nd September, 1917 as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine. Aged 49, he was the husband of Mrs. E. C. Gardner, of 4, Holmes St., Cadoxton. He was born at St. Christopher, British West Indies and is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London. SS Trongate was a 2,553 grt British Merchant steamship. On the 22nd September,1917, when on route from Tyne for France she was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-71 when 5 miles North from Flamborough Head, Yorkshire. two lives were lost. The vessel was owned by Turnbull, Scott & Co, London.
Private Albert Kitt of the 21st Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps, died of his wounds on the 23rd September, 1917. He was buried in Westouter Churchyard and Extension, Belgium. Aged 19, he was the son of Albert and Margaret Kitt, of 54, Hengoed Rd., Penpedairheol, Pengam, Cardiff. He was born in Barry Dock, Glamorgan.
Sergeant Henry George Maycock of “C” Coy, 2nd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, was killed in action on the 26th September, 1917. He has no known grave and thus is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial. Aged 24, he was the youngest son of the late Thomas Maycock, and Mrs. Agnes Maycock, of 1, Evelyn Street, Barry. He was born in Chiswick on the 13th June, 1893, and educated in the County Council School, Beckton Road, Chiswick. In 1911 the family were living at 7, Thompson Street, Barry Dock, Henry’s occupation was given as a shop assistant in a Butchers. He joined the Welsh Territorials in 1910, and was called up on mobilisation in August, 1914 and transferred from the Welsh Regiment to the Welsh Fusiliers. He was for some time Sergeant Instructor in Scotland, Hartlepool and Durham. He served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders and was killed in action at Polygon Wood and buried where he fell (his grave was subsequently lost).
Private Richard John Brown, a Machine Gunner with the 10th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers,
was killed in action on the 27th September, 1917. He has no known grave and thus is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. Aged 21, he was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Brown, 2, Commercial Road, Cadoxton, Barry. It was reported in the Barry Dock News that Private Brown:“…was shot through the head and died instantaneously in action in France on 26th September. There are two other brothers in the Army, Private Moses Jones, Welsh Regiment, and Private Joseph Jones, Dragoon Guards.”
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.