News - Newyddion

Western Front Association

North Wales Branch

Meeting held at Craig y Don Sports and Community Centre,

Queens Road, Llandudno, LL30 1TE

Saturday 2^nd March 2024 - 2pm

Agenda:

1. Introduction and welcome

2. Remembrance, Exhortation and One Minute Silence

3. Information

4. Presentation

5. Any other business

6. Next meeting

1. Introduction and welcome

Darryl Porrino, Chairman, opened the meeting by explaining that this was also the Branch AGM, it being one year since the Branch re-formed. He welcomed all those attending, a very creditable turnout of twenty-three.

2. Remembrance, Exhortation and One Minute Silence

Les Lord asked the meeting to remember:

2^nd Lieutenant George Edward Cates, VC

2^nd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade

Died of wounds, 9^th March 1917. Age 24. Son of George and Alice Cates of Compton Road, Wimbledon.

On the 8^th March, 12^nd Lt Cates was in charge of a party deepening a recently captured German position – the citation for the ward of the Victoria Cross records what happened next: -

“For most conspicuous bravery and self-sacrifice. When engaged with some other men in deepening a captured trench this officer struck with his spade a buried bomb, which immediately started to burn. 2nd Lt. Cates, in order to save the lives of his comrades, placed his foot on the bomb, which immediately exploded. He showed the most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in performing the act which cost him his life but saved the lives of others.”

He was gravely wounded when the bomb exploded and died the next day. He is buried at Hem Farm Military Cemetery, Hem-Monacu, 13 miles south-east of Albert.

3. Information

AGM

Chairman Darryl Porrino opened the AGM, explaining that each year officers of the Branch had to be nominated and elected by the members, with only members of the national WFA able to vote.

The positions to be filled were Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary -members were asked if there were any additional volunteers willing to stand. There being none, the existing officers were asked if they wished to stand for re-election, that being confirmed each officer was nominated, seconded and then elected by those present.

The committee for 2024-25 is therefore:

Chair– Darryl Porrino

Vice-Chair – Steve Binks

Treasurer – Sian Nevitt

Secretary – John Storey

Sian then outlined the current state of branch finances, with a printed version available to those who wanted a copy.

Branch expenses over the past 12 months were £834, mainly room-hire, refreshments, etc, leaving funds available to the Branch of £94 cash and £1,413 in the bank.

A further £600 is in a Barclays suspense account relating to the old branch set-up. This amount cannot be released until various formalities have been concluded - the original signatories for the Barclays account (not Fiona and Mark) both moved away from the area some years ago and so far, we have been unable to contact them. The alternative being worked on is for the WFA to formally confirm to Barclays that we are the successors to the old branch in order for the funds to be released.

Darryl invited suggestions as to any changes or additions to the format of the meetings or branch activities.

It was agreed that as we have a very healthy supply of donated books, more than sufficient to support the raffle, a selection would be available to purchase at each meeting. This would boost branch funds and be of more direct benefit to the members than selling excess stock at a book fair or similar.

The members were happy with the format of the meetings and with the combination of local and branch speakers. This had been the norm for the past 12 months whilst the branch was re-established – the branch funds are now such that more high-profile national speakers could be engaged if we wished but the general feeling was that the branch had been well-served by the existing speaker policy and that should continue for the next 12 months.

Darryl confirmed that we have a full speaker programme for the next 12 months and there were several more contacts who were willing to give talks after that.

Steve raised the possibility of a Branch battlefield trip to France (sharing our own vehicles and renting a gite) in Spring 2025 and asked for an indication as to how many might be interested – a show of hands suggested that at least 18 were, in principle. Given that level of support we will develop the idea further over the coming months.

Darryl concluded the AGM section of the meeting by thanking the members for their continued support – it had enabled the Branch to be resurrected and with that support the future looks rosy.

Bulletin Magazine

We still await the long-overdue arrival of the latest Bulletin to see if Darryl and Steve’s submissions have survived the Editor’s cut.

Future meetings.

• April 13^th, second Saturday of the month, 2.30pm start. “Four Nurses and One Vicar” – Keith Walker
• May 4^th: “Keeping the Home Fires Burning” – Phil Carradice
• June 8^th, second Saturday of the month, 2.30pm start. Open day for members to discuss any WW1 topic or item of interest.
• July 13^th, second Saturday of the month, 2.30pm start. Heswall Methodist Church Memorial – John Crowther
• August 3^rd: Away Day – “Great War Graves in Rhyl Town Cemetery” – Darryl Porrino
• September 7^th: Fred Birks VC, MM – Tony Griffiths
• October 5^th: “Enhancing the Redemption Narrative. The 38th (Welsh) Division After Mametz Wood 1916” - Jon Williams
• November 2^nd: TBC
• December 7^th: Christmas Social.

Branch Website

Please continue to support the branch website by logging in to www.nwwfa.org.uk

and also to contribute new content via Darryl on the branch email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

4. Presentation

The theme for the day’s presentation was Research and the various sources available to obtain further information about individual or events from the Great War.

Joy Thomas went through the resources available that could supply local news and information.

The British Newspaper Archive (on Find My Past) has 75.5m pages and growing. Free searches are available online but you have to subscribe to Find My Past to download any articles. Access to the database is also available free in many local libraries and record offices but usually have to pay per sheet for printing. A more limited number of newspaper archives are also available on Ancestry UK.

Welsh Newspapers Online – this is a separate project run by the National Library of Wales. It is a free resource with over 15m articles available, including many in Welsh, and covers the period up to 1919. The archive covers the usual range of local news – enlistment, casualties, photos, letters home, etc. The original project was on microfilm with free access via local libraries but not all microfilms have been digitised yet.

A word of warning from Joy – use several sources for cross reference as you cannot always believe what you read in the papers!

Other less obvious sources which may provide good local colour or background are church magazines, year books, commercial directories etc. There have been numerous publications over the years relating to WW1, both by individuals and organisations, including local histories – again a word of warning, these can contain errors.

Rolls of Honour are often found in public buildings and institutions etc, similarly Memorial Books, but these may not be complete lists so, again, check the detail.

Check also war memorials, including those in churches, regimental chapels, together with plaques and private memorials, CWGC headstones and additions to family graves for any extra information or to confirm any detail you already have. Parish Registers may be available on Find My Past and Ancestry UK (for Wales).

Next Keith Walker, ably assisted by Phil, mentioned the three main sources that can be used to track down and check an individual’s biographical details. Joy had covered the newspapers in some detail - the other two are the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the National Census data.

Census data is available from 1801, and at ten-yearly intervals, right up until the most recent in 2021 – with one exception, the 1931 census records were destroyed in the blitz.

Not all years are very informative – the census for 1801, 1821 and 1831 record no personal details, these were collected for the first time in 1841. The really big change in information recorded came in 1911 when the head of household filled in the form, and in more detail, rather than the census enumerators who had compiled the household information previously. This did not necessarily mean it was more accurate and individuals might be missing for a variety of reasons e.g. suffragettes objecting to registration, hospitals and halls of residence not recording everybody in their care, felons not wishing to be traced etc.

The 1921 Census is the latest that is publicly available, subsequent collections are closed under the “100 year” rule to protect the privacy of those still living.

Although no census information is available post 1921 the 1939 National Registration Act data is publicly available and provides basic information for each household in the country – address, names, age, place of birth and occupation. In a similar vein to the census proper, the 1939 Register does not have a record every individual in the country – some individuals are missing for a variety of reasons. The Register was produced in anticipation of the creation of the NHS but was particularly useful when war broke out in September 1939. It was used for the issue of ID cards until 1952 and carried on for National Insurance and NHS numbers subsequently.

In 1961 computers were used for the first time and in 2021 the form was available for on-line completion.

Steve Binks then ran through “Number Crunching” – using regimental numbers to determine Great War service.

Two questions asked most often are “where did he enlist/was conscripted?” and “when and where did he serve overseas?”.

Most of the service records for other ranks were destroyed in the blitz so other sources have to be used, below is a selection: -

1. Silver War Badge records -provides date of enlistment but did not have to serve overseas to qualify.
2. Medal Rolls - give date of embarkation.
3. Medal Index Cards – if served before 31/12/15 then date at bottom.
4. Service Records, if they survived, will confirm whether enlisted or conscripted, overseas service, home leave, promotion, and conduct.

What if records are incomplete? Steve produced an example – Rifleman David Davies, South Lancashire Regiment. He died in the Great War, but his MIC and Medal Roll had no information and his service file was one of those destroyed in WW2. A search of the CWG site reveals three David Davies’ of the South Lancs killed in WW1.

To identify the correct individual other resources have to be used- “Soldiers Died In The Great War” is available on Ancestry can provide basic information – the most useful being the regimental number for each person.

The regimental Service Number was issued by regiments of the line and the numbers were sequenced – for example the Queens Regiment had the number sequence 1-9999. Regular, Special Reserve and Territorials all had different number sequences (of the same regiment) – for Great

War service battalions the regiments generally used the existing regimental numbers sequence but other used a pre-fix so the end result can be confusing.

A good website that has gone a long way to clarify army service numbers for the period 1881-1918 is: - armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com

This has compared service numbers against regimental records but not all regiments have been processed to date.

Medal Rolls are in alphabetical order – upon recruitment or conscription the individual was attested but not issued with a regimental number at that stage – the lists were taken away and the numbers issued at a later date.

All Territorial Force members were renumbered in 1917 – for example all of the men in all companies of the 5^th Royal Welsh Fusiliers were allocated numbers in the range 24001- 26500.

Reverting to David Davies – Steve explained that using the “burnt records” (WO363) to search for regimental numbers as close to Rifleman David Davies as possible will narrow down the possibilities. His number was 242673 so first enter his regiment, the South Lancashire, and then the first 4-digits of his number, 2426 and two wild cards for the rest of his number, thus 2426**.

This gave Steve several near hits from which he was then able to make safe assumptions about Rifleman Davies’ service.

See Steve’s comment column in the table below.

He was able to narrow the choice of likely service number by looking for a close match of regimental service numbers in the various information sources, particularly the medal rolls.

The numbers either side of David Davies’ number are David E Davies (242662) and William Thomas (242675) – working out the number sequence between these two confirms that David Davies was given the original service number of 6521. It is a fairly safe assumption, from the info in the table, that David Davies went overseas in February 1917.

Darryl Porrino then concluded the days proceedings with a short presentation on the free websites you can use to find information about a particular individual.

The free Welsh Newspapers Online can be a very useful site and has already been mentioned above.

If the subject of your research is known to have died then the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is the first port of call when seeking information. Searching the database is relatively easy but can throw up long lists if looking for someone with a common surname – if you know the service number it will refine the list considerably.

If you have tracked down the right individual it may be possible to obtain a photo of their grave or memorial via the Find A Grave website, this is an extensive list of worldwide burials going back to the 1800’s but a particular effort has been made to provide a photograph military casualty memorials from both world wars.

If the subject of your search may have become a prisoner of war, then the International Red Cross archive can be most helpful. It can be difficult to search but start off with just the surname. You can provide further information but sometimes less is better. In theory the database will list names in alphabetical order but you may find that names have been misspelt (the database is in French but the information was provided to the IRCC in German so some spelling is a bit phonetic so search around your target name for any variations).

The database is in the form of a card index, any reference numbers alongside the individual’s card will access other information held by the IRCC – this could be cards listing individual’s details, next of kin, place and date of capture, POW camps held in etc. There are also lists of soldiers repatriated during and after the war with dates. The most poignant are cards where next of kin have enquired as to whether their missing relative is being held a prisoner and the card records that a “negatif envoiee”, literally a letter saving “no”, has been sent.

Darryl has put a short video on Facebook covering the above and will upload more info later.

End

5. Any other business

There was no AOB

6. Next Meeting

The next meeting is April 13^th, please note that this is the second Saturday of the month and that we will start at the later time of 2.30pm.

The subject of the presentation is an intriguing one - “Four Nurses and One Vicar” by Keith Walker

The Western Front Association

North Wales Branch

Meeting held at Craig y Don Sports and Community Centre,

Queens Road, Llandudno, LL30 1TE

Saturday 4^th November 2023 - 2pm

Agenda:

1. Introduction and welcome

2. Remembrance, Exhortation and One Minute Silence

3. Information

4. Presentation

5. Any other business

6. Next meeting

1. Introduction and welcome

Darryl Porrino, Chairman, opened the meeting by welcoming all those present, particularly those attending for the first time. Attendance was a record headcount of thirty-seven.

2. Remembrance, Exhortation and One Minute Silence

Stephen Binks asked the meeting to remember:-

77391 Private Percy Carter, 14^th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Son of Robert and Lydia Carter of Roath, Cardiff, Percy died on the 4^th November 1918 during the Second Battle of the Sambre. The 14^th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, were engaged as part of the 38^th (Welsh) Division, attacking up to and through the Forest of Mormal towards Mons.

Percy was nineteen and is buried in the CWGC plot in the communal cemetery of Forest, a small village of five miles SE of the Forest of Mormal.

Darryl then led the meeting in the Minutes Silence followed by the Exhortation.

3. Information

Latest Trench Lines Newsletter from the WFA

Darryl asked if the WFA members present had received the latest Trench Lines newsletter email from the WFA. He was particularly pleased that the North Wales branch had been mentioned in the upcoming branch events section. The newsletter featured some particularly interesting developments, notably digitisation of all 40 years of back-issues of “Stand To” (and other publications) and the ability to search for topics.

Non-members were invited to consider joining as the annual subscription of £29 allows access to an immense the digital resource including TrenchMapper, the pension records, webinars etc.

General Information

Darryl has made another submission to the “Bulletin”, summarising the recent Branch activity, and we await with interest to see if it will be published.

All our allocation of WFA 2024 calendars have been sold, contributing £50 to branch funds.

The original branch digital projector had given up the ghost and a new one had been purchased for £180.

Leaflets and business cards with information about the branch, and contact details, are available for members to distribute to any interested parties or organisations.

Branch Website

As Usual – A reminder to please visit the branch website: www.nwwfa.org.uk

Trevor’s son-in-law has done a very professional job in updating the site. Please can members contribute new content (via the branch email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for inclusion? Daryll will pass branch content to Trevor, who has access to the site.

Future meetings.

-          January: Niall Cherry will give a talk on Mons and the make-up of the BEF in 1914

-          February: Adrian Hughes, of the Home Front Museum, Llandudno, will give a talk about Llandudno in the Great War

4. Presentation

 The Knutsford (and area) Lads Who Never Came Home

By Tony Davies

 Darryl introduced the days speaker, Tony Davies from Knutsford. Tony is an historical interpreter, historian and author of several books telling the stories of men from Knutsford and nearby localities who died in the Great War. He explained that his interest in WW1 stems from an early age when he was shown a letter home that had been written by his Grandfather – who had enlisted aged fourteen. His Grandfather was reluctant to talk about the war, except when watching programmes about it on TV, when he would open up and make all sorts of interesting comments and observations.

Another spur to Tony’s interest in the men of Knutsford and its surrounds may have been when he was waiting to get married in St Peter’s Chapel on the Tabley estate. He noted the fine war memorial plaque with the names of nine men from the estate who were killed in the Great War and wondered about their lives and background.

In a wide-ranging talk Tony drew upon the results of his research to talk about the Knutsford area at that time and to introduce several of the personalities involved.

He started with Madeline Simmonds, a vicar’s daughter from Knutsford. She is the only known female recruiting officer and was responsible for the recruitment of more than four hundred soldiers before conscription.

Next came Arthur John Berry, a footman at Toft Hall, near Knutsford. He joined the Manchesters in 1915 and had the usual photo taken in his new uniform before going overseas. A boyhood friend who had joined the Artists Rifles had his photograph taken at the same time and Arthur borrowed his swagger stick for the photo. After training Arthur went to Gallipoli with the 1/6^th Battalion of the Manchesters in October 1915, and in January 1917 from there to Egypt. The battalion returned from the Middle East to France and Arthur was promoted to Sergeant. He was awarded the Military Medal for taking command during an attack on enemy lines after all the officers had been killed or wounded. In April 1918 he led a successful bombing raid on a German machine gun post but upon returning to the British front line he was killed in an accident when a fellow soldier dropped a live grenade. Arthur was killed on St George’s Day, 22^nd April 1918 and is buried in Couin New British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France.

In the course of Tony’s educational activities he attended the Tatton Flower Show, where he was approached by a member of the public who said they had some family WW1 memorabilia and would he like it? They duly presented Tony with some photo’s of Arthur, his memorial scroll – and the Artist’s Rifles swagger stick!

The next profile was of Private Sydney Leicester, who was born in Tabley and went on to work for the Cheshire Lines Railway Company. Sydney was a sniper with the 12^th Battalion, Manchester Regiment when, on 7^th July 1916, the battalion was ordered at very short notice to attack Quadrangle Support trench, an earlier attack by two other battalions having failed. The attack was also a complete failure and led to the loss of most officers and 539 OR’s killed, wounded or missing. Sydney was one of the missing and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. His name is one of those recorded on the roll of honour in St Peter’s chapel on the Tabley estate.

In similar vein Tony went on to discuss other local men – such as John Hulse, a budding poet from Peover. He was killed on the 12^th April 1917 whilst serving with the Machine Gun Corps and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial.

Fred Dickens from Great Budworth - he joined the Cheshires, serving with the 9^th Battalion and was wounded at Gallipoli on the 25^th August. After spending time at a dressing station he was evacuated by hospital ship bound for Egypt but unfortunately his condition deteriorated and he died of wounds on the 6^th September. He was buried at sea and his family later received a long letter from Sister Cunningham, one of the nurses which had cared for him, in which she recounted how he was thinking of the family and how bravely he bore his suffering.

Ernest Williams, son of a publican in Knutsford, joined the Manchesters in 1914 and was sent to Gallipoli, arriving on the 5^th May. 10 days later he was one of a party of four who tried to recover a wounded comrade lying out in the open. They were ambushed by the Turks - Ernest was one of two killed, a third was wounded, the fourth regained the trenches unscathed. Ernest’s body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Helles memorial.

John and Mary Vernon of King Street, Knutsford lost the two youngest of their three sons, both had joined up in 1914.

The youngest, Percy, was with the 70^th Field Company, Royal Engineers, when he was wounded at Loos on 18^th October 1915. He died two days later and is buried in Lillers Communal Cemetery.

The middle brother, Harry, served with the Royal Field Artillery and was killed by a direct hit on his gun on 3rd June 1917, two years and a day after his arrival in France. He is buried in Bunyans Cemetery, Tilloy-les-Mofflains, Pas de Calais.

George Riley was born on the Tabley Estate and was working at a chemical works in Lostock Gralam when he joined up in 1915. He was not a well man and spent two years with the Reserve battalion of the Cheshires but in 1917 he was sent to front, joining the 16^th Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment. On the 21^st October 1917, the Cheshires attacked the German positions through the shattered remains of the Houlthust Forest but were unable to hold the ground gained.

George was reported missing on the 22^nd but the Germans found him 3 days later and he was transferred to their military hospital in Ghent where he died 10 days later. He is buried in Ghent City Cemetery, Belgium

A particularly sad and well known account related to James Holland, who worked on the Arley estate and enlisted at the outset of war in 1914. James served with the 10^th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment and was promoted to Lance Corporal.

In May 1916 he was in charge of a small party of men holding a post in a sap ahead of the front line. James was in ill health, suffering from loss of blood due to chronic piles and severe headaches. He requested to see the MO, but his Sergeant told him to wait for the officer to come round. In the darkness a number of Germans approached the sap and jumped into the trench, intending to surrender. Subsequent events are unclear but it would appear that the party thought they were under attack and ran back to the front line, despite orders being given to the whole battalion that their positions should be held at all cost. Holland seen to be firing his rifle but when he reached the main trench he did not have his weapon. James was charged with cowardice in the face of the enemy and leaving his post without permission from an officer.

By the time of his Court Martial many of the potential witnesses for the defence were either dead or had been posted. He was sentenced to death.

The 10^th Battalion had a somewhat poor reputation and although the Divisional commander recommended clemency on the grounds of ill health the Corps commander (Byng) decided that an example should be made.

James was executed on the 30^th May 1916. The men under his command, those still alive, were exonerated. James is buried in Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont St Eloi - he was given a posthumous pardon in 2006.

Finally, an unusual account concerning Haron Baronian, son of Zarch, a wealthy cotton trader, and Shusha Baronian, both officially Turkish citizens but of Armenian heritage. Haron was a clever student and gained a place at Manchester University (UMIST) where he studied Chinese with a view to entering his father’s business, which traded mainly with China. Whilst at university he joined the OTC where he also excelled but when he volunteered in January 1916 he was refused a Commission, no doubt due to his foreign background. Bizarrely he was posted to Gallipoli with the 8^th Cheshires, which would have been doubly awkward if he had been captured, being of Turkish parentage and also given the enduring enmity between the Turks and their Armenian minority. He survived the Gallipoli campaign despite being wounded in the hand during his time there. The Cheshires then transferred to Mesopotamia, again fighting the Turks, and here he was killed, in fighting near Deli-Abbas, Iraq, on the 11^th April 1917. He is commemorated on the Basra Memorial.

The family commissioned a life-size bronze statue by Hamo Thornycroft RA, this stood for many years in the garden of the family home on Legh Road, Knutsford. It was donated to the local community by his sister when the family moved away from the area in the 1930’s and was adopted as part of Knutsford’s War memorial. The official memorial was the town’s War Memorial Hospital, controversially demolished last year - the statue has now been repositioned and rededicated as Knutsford’s main memorial to those who died in both world wars.

The statue shows Haron in uniform, not saluting as many assume, but shielding his eyes from the sun as he looks for his parent when boarding his train at Manchester Victoria station – his parents last vision of him.

Photographs of the soldiers featured in these minutes are from the excellent website and ongoing project “The Cheshire Roll of Honour” – visit www.cheshireroll.co.uk for more information.

Tony requested that, in lieu of a speaker’s fee, a donation be made by the Branch to the Royal British Legion, which the Branch are happy to do so.

Two of Tony’s books.

Others in the series are

“The Tabley Lads Who Never Came Home”

“The Great Budworth Lads Who Never Came Home”

5. Any other business

The next meeting will be the Christmas social event which will include a quiz (set by Steve) and refreshments. Members and guests are invited to bring in their favourite book or artefact that they may wish to describe to the assembled multitude. Darryl will send an email with further information and also requesting numbers for catering purposes

6. Next meeting

The next meeting will be on 2^nd November at Llandudno

Christmas Social Event at Craig y Don

 End

Meeting held at Craig y Don Sports and Community Centre,

Queens Road, Llandudno, LL30 1TE

Saturday 7^th October 2023 - 2pm

Agenda:

1. Introduction and welcome

2. Remembrance, Exhortation and One Minute Silence

3. Information

4. Presentation

5. Any other business

6. Next meeting

1. Introduction and welcome

Darryl Porrino, Chairman, opened the meeting by welcoming all those present, a “cracking” turnout, given that the meeting coincided with events in Wrexham and Rhyl. Attendance was 23 members and guests, with apologies received from a further 10.

2. Remembrance, Exhortation and One Minute Silence

Stephen Binks asked the meeting to remember:-

47246 Corporal Jonnie Williams, 412^th Protection Company,

Royal Defence Corps

Born in Colwyn Bay in 1878, he was drowned when RMS Leinster, sailing from Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) to Holyhead, was torpedoed by a German U-boat on the 10th of October, 1918 .

Corporal Williams is buried at Grangegorman military cemetery, Dublin.

Darryl then led the meeting in the Minutes Silence followed by the Exhortation.

3. Information

Branch Website

As Usual – A reminder to please visit the branch website: www.nwwfa.org.uk

Trevor’s son-in-law has done a very professional job in updating the site. Please can members contribute new content (via the branch email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for inclusion? Daryll will pass branch content to Trevor, who has access to the site.

Post Meeting Note

Darryl has finally, after months of trying, been able to get a resume of the branch activities to date published in the September issue of Bulletin. Thank you, Darryl, for your perseverance!

Future meetings.

-          December: Branch Christmas social, including quiz, member’s favourite books and buffet.

-          January: Niall Cherry will give a talk on Mons and the make-up of the BEF in 1914

-          February: Adrian Hughes, of the Home Front Museum, Llandudno, will give a talk about Llandudno in the Great War

4. Presentation

Flint War Memorial

Darryl introduced the days speaker, Peter Metcalfe, a regular attendee at the meetings and a family historian, whose talk was about the servicemen commemorated on the Flint War Memorial.

Peter started his research in 2005 and had his first book published in 2014, followed by a second volume in 2022. (“Remembered Again; Recalling Flint’s Fallen Heroes of WW1”, volumes 1 and 2).

Peter’s presentation was delivered through a series of photographs and images, supported with newspaper articles and his own research notes.

The first of 14 servicemen stories (and 1 civilian) was the story of :-

Private Harold Jones, 10^th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Harold was employed as a shop assistant and played football for a team called “Flint Wednesday”, so named since the players were all traders or, in Harry’s case, worked for a trader. He married Sarah Helen Roberts in November 1914, and they then ran a shop of their own.

Harry enlisted in the army in late 1915 and subsequently posted to France. His battalion was fighting in the Monchy trenches, which were heavily shelled throughout the day, and Harry was killed in action along with five others. He is buried in Delville Wood cemetery, France.

Peter’s images, particularly those of the servicemen, were of high quality as he used original family photographs, rather than the usually poor-quality newspaper photographs. Peter continued through his talk and mentioned the story of:-

CSM John Clark 10^th Battalion , Royal Welsh Fusiliers

A particular favourite story of Peter’s it featured several moving letters home- the following is an extract from one to his daughter, Edith.......

“But I want you to remember, that your Daddy went to war not because he was ambitious, or loved the cannon’s roar, for he loathes the cruel monster, which has caused such grief and woe. But honour called and duty, so your Daddy had to go to fight for home and beauty, dear old England great and free. “

CSM John Clarke was killed in action during an attack on German trenches at Guillemont on the 16th of August, 1916. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial to the missing.

Another personal favourite of Peter’s is the story of young soldier,

Private Hugh Jones, 1^st Garrison Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers,

Hugh was born in Flint in 1880 and married Sarah Ann Harrison in 1902 in Birkenhead. He appeared to have an alcohol problem - in March 1903 he was arrested for drunkenness and his case was reported in the County Herald.

“Hugh James, 24 years of age, and residing in Commercial Road, was brought up on a charge of being drunk and disorderly on the 24th of March. PC Davies proved the case, and there was a long list of convictions for various offences against defendant since 1895. The mayor said the Bench had decided to fine him 5 shillings and costs or 14 days, and to place him on the blacklist, where he would have three years in which to become a teetotaller. It was, he said, perfectly disgraceful that a young man like him should have allowed these cases against him.”

 He enlisted in the army in March 1915, but he was not a good soldier by any means for he committed numerous offences:-

-          Absent from duty, ten times.

-          Not complying with an order, twice.

-          Drunkenness, seven times.

-          Creating a disturbance. three times (including once outside the Officer’s Mess).

-          Smuggling liquor into the barracks, once.

-          Improper conduct in the ranks, twice.

-          While stationed in Italy - being in Genoa without a pass contrary to Depot standing orders.

On the evening of the 12th of June 1918 Private James, with another soldier, left camp and went into the town of Praglia, Italy, and was seen to fall in the river and drowned. Peter read out several statements from witnesses to the incident. (Darryl was able to add to Private James’s story, through his own research of RWF servicemen; it seems that Private James may have fell into the river attempting to retrieve his cap!)

Private Hugh James is buried in Montecchio Precalcino communal cemetery extension, Italy.

Peter closed by reading a poem, “Lest We Forget, they died that we may live”, written by Dick Thomas of Penyball, Holywell, and published in the County Herald newspaper, 22^nd November 1929.

 Sleep, brave warriors, in your bed of clay

Until Reveille sounds, on that Great Day,

When we shall meet again to part no more

With our Heavenly Father on that golden shore.

Eleven years have passed, yet still we don’t forget

To honour you, who helped to pay that debt

Of Sacrifice, so that we all should live

Unfettered, free, what more, then, could you give?

Fear not, your names will never be forgot,

Nor deeds of valour on some foreign spot,

You gave your life, your all, without regret,

God bless you, lads! We shan’t forget;

When duty called, you gave up home and love

To serve your King and Country and your “King above,”

You nobly did your duty, while others calmly slept,

You gave your all – we don’t forget.

‘Tis well perhaps you died, not lived to see

Your comrades, some in dire poverty;

For work and promises they ended all in smoke,

And now they’re homeless, destitute, and broke.

‘Twas not for this you fought and nobly died,

And when in danger oft your foes defied;

The honour of your flag you bravely kept

You did your duty – we must not forget.

Sleep on, old comrades, you are safe at last,

All your troubles over, and your dangers past;

Again, we hope that someday we may meet you yet,

Farewell, dear comrades – God does not forget.

After the member’s and visitors showed their appreciation in the usual manner, Darryl thanked Peter for his talk, adding that he understood on a personal level the emotion that went in to delivering a presentation of one's own work.

5. Any other business

Ceri Thomas has an original fireman’s tunic and hat, discovered in the garage of a house her parents bought some years ago, which she wishes to pass on if anyone was interested. It was suggested that Adrian Hughes, at The Home Front Museum, Llandudno, may be able to use them in his collection.

6. Next meeting

The next meeting will be on 4^th November at Llandudno

Tony Davies from Knutsford will give a talk on Cheshire lads from that locality who did not come home.

The Western Front Association

North Wales Branch

Meeting held at Craig y Don Sports and Community Centre,

Queens Road, Llandudno, LL30 1TE

Saturday 2^nd September 2023 - 2pm

Agenda:

1. Introduction and welcome

2. Remembrance, Exhortation and One Minute Silence

3. Information

4. Presentation

5. Any other business

6. Next meeting

1. Introduction and welcome

Darryl Porrino, Chairman, opened the meeting by welcoming all those present, an excellent turnout with 25 attendees.

2. Remembrance, Exhortation and One Minute Silence

Pam Hall asked the meeting to remember all those killed, missing, or injured during the Battle of the Somme, in particular one soldier killed on the 13th August 1916.

2nd Lt John Hayes Fearnhead, 1/7 Battalion, The King's Liverpool Regiment.

Jack was Pam’s grandmother's sweetheart.  They both came from Manchester and had adored each other from being five years old.  He went to Manchester Grammar School, was a keen sportsman, clever and known as being mischievous, fun and a risk taker.

Jack enlisted as a private in September 1914 and in August 1915 was Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant. In May 1916 he was in training in Blackpool when he received the telegram to leave for the Western Front;  two days later, on the 29th May, he was in France. 

He had his 21st birthday in the trenches on the 23rd June and was killed on the 13th August, 1916 at Guillemont. He was buried just behind the front line but his grave was subsequently lost - he is now believed to be buried in Guillemont Road Cemetery.

Darryl then led the meeting in the Minutes Silence followed by the Exhortation.

3. Information

Old Colwyn War Memorial – 100^th Anniversary Presentation

3pm Saturday 11^th November at Sure Hope Church, Abergele Road, Old Colwyn LL29 9YF

Diege and Steve will make a presentation to mark the 100^th anniversary of the unveiling of the Old Colwyn War Memorial on 11^th November 1923. The presentation will outline a brief history of the memorial followed by short biographies of those men and women recorded on the memorial together with others who made the sacrifice but who are not named.

All members of the public are welcome and the presentation will take about an hour. Light refreshments will be provided, free of charge, courtesy of support provided by Colwyn Bay Town Council.

If you are interested in attending please let Steve know so that he has an idea of numbers for catering purposes. Steve’s email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Memorial itself is located nearby at St Catherine’s Church on Abergele Road.

“They Also Served” – Broughton and District In the Great War

Keith Walker explained that Broughton District History Group had published a book in 2018 entitled “ Broughton At War”, a record of the men listed on the Brynteg and Southsea war memorials. It soon became apparent that there were others from the area who had not been commemorated and so the group have been working to locate and record the details of all the men and women from Broughton, Brymbo, Gwersyllt and Southsea who served in the Great War, including those that survived.

The group is now presenting the results of this research in a new publication “They Also Served” – the book runs to 596 pages, covering 2000 names, and is available at £35 plus £10 postage.

Branch Website

As Usual – A reminder to please visit the branch website: www.nwwfa.org.uk

Trevor’s son-in-law has done a very professional job in updating the site. It is now up to members to ensure they send their content (via the branch email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for inclusion. Daryll will pass branch content to Trevor, who has access to the site.

Future meetings.

-          November: Tony Davies from Knutsford will give a talk on Cheshire lads from that locality who did not come home.

-          December: Branch Christmas social, including quiz, member’s favourite books and buffet.

-          January: Niall Cherry will give a talk on Mons and the make-up of the BEF in 1914

-          February: Adrian Hughes, of the Home Front Museum, Llandudno, will give a talk about Llandudno in the Great War

4. Presentation

The Accrington Pals

Darryl Porrino gave a presentation to the meeting about the Accrington Pals – first brought to wider public attention and now mostly remembered for the appalling losses suffered on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1^st July 1916.

Darryl explained that as the events of that fateful day were well known, he was going to use the memoirs, and letters to focus on some of the lesser-known aspects of the Accrington Pals experience. The subsequent talk was profusely illustrated with photographs of those mentioned and various locations where the battalion served.

“Pals” battalions were partly a phenomenon of the 1914 rush to join up “before the war was over” and as response to Lord Kitchener’s appeal for 100,000 men to join the colours, an appeal made by Kitchener because, conversely, he realised this was not going to be a short war.

“Community” battalions were the result – the first ones being formed in London by stockbrokers and other professionals but they were soon outnumbered by northern contingents, such as that sponsored by Lord Derby which became 17th Battalion, The Liverpool Regiment. Subsequently those referred to as “Pals” battalion were predominantly those raised in northern England.

Accrington as initially considered too small to raise a battalion but an anonymous letter in The Accrington Observer and Times on the 29^th April 1914 posed the question “why not Accrington?”. The Mayor of Accrington, Captain John Harwood, contacted the War Office and offered to raise a half battalion – the reply was a whole one or nothing. On the 12^th September he asked for volunteers – on the 14^th September, the first day of recruitment, 104 men in Accrington volunteered in the first 3 hours – in 10 days sufficient men for a whole battalion had enlisted from Accrington and the surrounding area – A Company from Accrington, B Company from Accrington district, C from Chorley and D Company from Burnley.

There are the usual anecdotes regarding enlistment, of 16-year-olds aging 2 years after being rejected and being invited to go outside and come back in again. A new one is that attributed to Major Ross, who told an aspiring recruit with rather large feet “You’ll need those feet to keep up with me!” He later realised why – the unfortunate Tommy had to march with full kit, whilst Major Ross rode ahead on horseback!

The Accrington Pals were absorbed by the War Office as the 11^th (Service) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment. Recruitment in the wider area was so successful that the War Office requested that an extra 750 men be used to form a brigade of the Royal Field Artillery. (Commanded by Lt Col Percy Harrison Fawcett, an eccentric who subsequently disappeared in 1925 leading an expedition into the Amazon rain forest to search for “The Lost City of Z”).

Initially the recruits drilled in their own civilian clothes, only boots were provided by the authorities. An order for uniforms was placed, split into three lots to try and avoid profiteering by the manufacturers. The uniforms arrived but were not khaki, which was in short supply, but Melton blue, alternatively known as Kitchener Blue – and similar to that worn by tram drivers, a nickname that was soon applied to the new recruits.

After initial training, the battalion departed for Caernarfon in North Wales, arriving on a Sunday - which prompted one unimpressed individual to write to his parents, saying that “it’s like a cemetery”.

Whilst at Caernarfon, Lt Col Arthur Rickman, a retired regular officer, took over command. In contrast to the usual perception of a “dug-out” colonel he was extremely competent and immediately increased the level and standard of training.

Subsequent moves to training bases at Rugeley, Ripon and Salisbury Plain culminated in departure for Egypt. Leaving Devonport on the 19^th December 1915 on HMT Ionic, they arrived at Port Suez on 5^th January 1916, having been attacked on the way by a German submarine – but this was not deemed sufficiently “under fire” for the men to qualify for the 14/15 Star!

The stay in Egypt was short – the battalion was shipped back to France, landing at Marseille on 8^th March where they entrained for the Somme, arriving at Pont Remy on the 11^th March – still clad in their thin tropical uniform despite the freezing weather.

Once properly equipped the battalion had spells in and out of the front line, usually in the Beaumont Hamel/Serre sectors where they were to go over the top on the 1^st July. Periods out of line were spent training for the attack on Serre – often capturing it three times a day!

The events of the fateful day are well known – the enemy was protected in deep shelters, when the British barrage lifted the Germans had time to drag out their machine guns and organise their defence. The wire was uncut and the British tactics were optimistic and naïve.

Captain Arnold Tough of the Accringtons led the first wave of the attack, blowing his whistle at 7.20 and despite being wounded immediately, he led his men 100 yards out into No Mans Land to lie down and await the lifting of the barrage at 7.30. At the appointed time they rose again and advanced steadily toward the German wire. Tough was wounded again and then, with men falling all around him from the withering rifle and machine gun fire, he was also killed.

Captain Harry Livesey led the second wave, which fared little better. Livesey was wounded three times, the first when climbing out of the British front line, the second when advancing across no mans land and a third time when getting through the German wire. Having entered the German lines, he was unable to hold it with the handful of men accompanying him and he died in the attempt.

The original Accrington Pals were effectively wiped out that day - of the 720 who went into battle 235 were killed and 350 were wounded – only 7 were taken prisoner.

The peculiarity of recruiting northern “Pals” battalions from tight geographical areas meant that these close-knit communities of terraced streets and local mills were particularly hard hit by the high number of casualties.

Lessons were learnt from the experience of the Pals battalions. Subsequent recruitment policy in WW1 recognised the effect on morale of such high local losses and replacements for battle casualties were drawn from across the country.

The view from the Accringtons’ front line today – Queens Cemetery, Pusieux, lies just 200 yards away, in the middle distance and halfway to the crest of the slope. It is one of several battlefield cemeteries in a line across the landscape here, marking the front of the German wire, the limit of the advance for many. The bodies of those who fell on the 1^st July 1916 lay out in no man’s land until the Allies took the ground the following Spring.

Queens CWGC now contains 311 graves. 180 are identified, of which 50 are Accrington Pals, and further 131 are unknown.

 5. Any other business

Darryl has ordered 10 copies of this year’s WFA calendar and will bring them to the October meeting. The price is £10, of which £5 will go to branch funds.

6. Next meeting

The next meeting will be on 7^th October at Llandudno

Peter Metcalfe will talk about the men of Flint who lost their lives in the Great War and who are in his two volumes, "Remembered Again".

 End