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HEDDLU DE CYMRU • SOUTH WALES POLICE

THE

GREAT WARCENTENARY1914-1918 2014-2018

LEST WE FORGETREMEMBERED WITH PRIDE IN 2016

THOSE WHO DIED IN 1916

L E A R N • E N G A G E • R E M E M B E R

1916LED BY IWM

T H E G R E A T W A R C E N T E N A R Y • 19 1 6

First World War silk postcard

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This is the third of the bookletswhich we have produced annuallysince 2014 to remember thosepolice officers from ourpredecessor forces of Glamorgan,Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyr whodied during the First World War.

2016 is, of course, of particularimportance since we commemoratethe centenary of the Battle of theSomme. If there is one aspect of theWar which is well known to mostpeople in Britain and, indeed, whichdefines it for them, it is whathappened in the area near the riverSomme in northern France onehundred years ago. The huge loss oflife for the British Army on the firstday alone, when nearly 20,000 mendied, is, despite the passage of theyears, still difficult to comprehend.

The police officers from theforces mentioned bore many losses.Five from the GlamorganConstabulary lost their lives atMametz Wood at the beginning of July.

The heroic assault by the 38th(Welsh Division) on the Wood has,fittingly, been the subject of manycommemoration events during the year.

It is, however, easy to forgetthat the Battle of the Somme wasnot just fought during the summerof 1916. It went on in variousphases until November when themud and the awful conditions sooften associated with it became anadditional burden for the soldiers tobear. It was during the later stagesin September that thirteen of ourpolice officers died: ten fromGlamorgan and one each fromMerthyr, Swansea and Cardiff.

There are too those who diedelsewhere and whose stories aretold in this booklet.

We remember all those whoserved, their endeavours and theirsacrifices and hope that this booklet will stand as a worthytribute to them.

Peter Vaughan QPMChief Constable, South Wales Police

INTRODUCTION

WE REMEMBER THEM ALL WITH PRIDE. YN ANGOF NI CHANT FOD.

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The work of the Group during thepast year has largely beenconcentrated on the researchwhich has been required toproduce this booklet. It containsmore biographies than thebooklets for 1914 and 1915 puttogether. This is, of course, a sadreflection, in particular, of the scaleof the loss of life in the BritishArmy during the various phases ofthe Battle of the Somme betweenJuly and November 1916.

It is pleasing to note, despitethe passage of the years, howmuch information we are,generally, able to gather and, inparticular, how many photographswe come across of the individualswe are remembering.

Another aspect of the work ofthe Group, which is particularlyrewarding, is the contact we havebeen able to establish with therelatives of some of those whodied and with others who areinterested in researching thisperiod. This shared history isproving to be a valuable point ofcontact with our communities.

Some other highlights of our work are:

• Attendance at the WelshGovernment and Imperial War

Museum Partnership Day atAberystwyth University inJanuary which provided anopportunity to learn about thecommemoration activitiesbeing undertaken throughoutWales.

• The creation of electronicversions of our booklets whichare now available on the SouthWales Police Museum website:

www.south-wales.police.uk/en/about-us/museum/first-world-war-centenary/

and the Welsh Government’scommunity history portal, thePeoples’ Collection:

www.peoplescollection.wales/users/9665.

(Indeed due to the amount ofmaterial which we have for thisyear we have not been able toinclude it all in the hard copy ofthis booklet. There is,therefore, a longer electronicversion available on thewebsites referred to).

• Attendance by members of theGroup at the Welsh NationalService of Commemorationand associated events atMametz Wood on the Sommein July.

FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT GROUP

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I was also pleased, with theChief Constable’s support, toaccept an invitation to join theWelsh Government’s CentenaryProgramme Board chaired byProfessor Sir Deian Hopkin, theFirst Minister’s Expert Adviser onthe First World War.

I would like to take theopportunity not only to thank theother members of the ProjectGroup, whose names appear onthe rear cover of this booklet, fortheir unstinting support during thepast year, but also others who haveassisted us, notably: the SouthWales Branch of the Western FrontAssociation, Dr. Jonathan Hicks,Mr. Gwyn Prescott, Mrs. RhianDiggins, Senior Archivist atGlamorgan Archives, PoliceSergeant Sara Tomkinson and hermother for information andmaterial regarding PC 68 ThomasVoyle Morgan, Mr. Peter Pope forinformation relating to his greatuncle PC 225 William JamesWilliams and the Welsh Guardsthrough their Regimental Adjutant,Colonel (Ret’d) Tom Bonas and Mr. Christopher Mooney.

As in past years, particularthanks go to Ian Oakley and hisstaff in the South Wales PolicePrinting Department and especially

graphic designer Peter Williams,for their expert assistance.

We hope that our efforts willbe regarded as a worthwhilecontribution to rememberingthose within the pages of thisbooklet who have gone before usand made the ultimate sacrifice.Gareth Madge OBEChair, First World War Project Group

The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing ofthe Somme where 15 police officers whodied in 1916 are commemorated

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6TH JANUARY

PC 61 Walter Archibald Stubbs ofthe Merthyr Borough Police diesof wounds in France.

8TH JANUARY

The evacuation of Allied forcesfrom the Gallipoli Peninsula iscompleted successfully bringingan end to the campaign there.

27TH JANUARY

The Military Service Act receivesthe Royal Assent to come intoforce on 2nd Marchimplementing compulsorymilitary service for all unmarriedmen between the ages of 18 and41 subject to some exemptions.A further Act in May 1916extends conscription to marriedmen.

20TH FEBRUARY

PC 760 David Taffinder of theGlamorgan Constabulary dies ofwounds in France.

21ST FEBRUARY

The start of the Battle of Verdunwhen German forces attackFrench defences. In the tenmonths of the battle, total Frenchand German casualties amount toover a million men.

7TH MARCH

PC 270 Joseph Patrick Deehan ofthe Glamorgan Constabulary diesof tuberculosis contracted whilston active service with the RoyalMarines Artillery.

13TH MARCH

PC 533 John Alfred Griffiths of theGlamorgan Constabulary is killedin action in France.

25TH MARCH

Institution of the Military Medalfor NCO’s and other ranks foracts of bravery. The first awardsare announced on 5th April 1916and one of the first two recipients

is PC 187FrederickWilliam Mallinof theGlamorganConstabularyfor braverywhilst serving

with the Royal Garrison Artilleryduring the bombardment ofHartlepool by the German Navyin December 1914.

11TH APRIL

German spy, Ludovic Hurwitz, aPeruvian by birth, is executed byfiring squad at the Tower ofLondon.

1916 A SUMMARY


24TH APRIL

The Easter Rising by Irishnationalist forces in Dublinattempts to overthrow British rulein Ireland. It leads to hundreds ofdeaths and injuries. Subsequentlyleaders of the uprising areexecuted.

29TH APRIL

The besieged Allied garrison atKut-el-Amara in Mesopotamia(Iraq) surrenders after 143 days.13,000 British and Indian troopsare captured by Turkish forcesmost of whom die of disease andstarvation in prison camps.

8TH MAY

PC 62 Edward John Taylor of theGlamorgan Constabulary is killedin action in Belgium.

21ST MAY

British Summer Time isimplemented for the first time.

25TH MAY

PC 68 Thomas Voyle Morgan ofthe Merthyr Borough Police diesof wounds in France.

31ST MAY

The biggest naval action of thewar, the Battle of Jutland,

commences. By 1st June theGerman High Seas Fleet hasinflicted substantial damage andlosses on the Royal Navy’s GrandFleet but in doing so suffersconsiderably itself with the resultthat it does not put to sea againduring the war.

5TH JUNE

The British Secretary of State forWar, Lord Kitchener, is drownedwhen the ship which was takinghim to Russia, HMS Hampshire,hits a mine off the Orkney Islands.643 others also lose their lives.

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Recruiting poster featuring Lord Kitchener © IWM (Art.IWM PST 2734)

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1ST JULY

The start of the Battle of theSomme. 750,000 Allied soldiersare involved and by the end of theday there are nearly 60,000 Britishcasualties of whom nearly 20,000are dead. The Battle is to continuethrough several phases toNovember 1916.

PC George Henry Lock of theCardiff City Police and PC 225William James Williams of theGlamorgan Constabulary, arekilled in action in Belgium.

4TH JULY

David Lloyd George is appointedSecretary of State for War.

7TH JULY

The Battle for Mametz Wood (thelargest wood in the Sommeregion), commences. The 38th(Welsh) Division sustains 4000casualties before the wood iscaptured from German forces on12th July.

PC 122 Robert John Harris, PS200 Richard Thomas and PC 89William Edward Trinder, all of theGlamorgan Constabulary, arekilled in action at Mametz Wood.

10TH JULY

PC 205 Edward Beresford and PC766 William Henry Loud, of theGlamorgan Constabulary, arekilled in action at Mametz Wood.

12TH JULY

PC 363 Richard Hamer, of theGlamorgan Constabulary, dies ofwounds in France.

18TH JULY

PC 138 Ernest Robert Helson, ofthe Swansea Borough Police, diesof wounds in Belgium.

3RD AUGUST

Irish nationalist, Sir RogerCasement, is hanged atPentonville Prison, London, fortreason after inciting Irish supportfor the German war effort.David Lloyd George © IWM (Q 41927)

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3RD SEPTEMBER

The first German Zeppelin airshipis shot down over Britain by theRoyal Flying Corps.

10TH SEPTEMBER

During the Battle of the Somme,PC 576 Edward John Edwards, PC117 Henry Morgan Jones, and PC77 Arthur Richmond Perkins, ofthe Glamorgan Constabulary, andPC 57 Reginald Lovis of theMerthyr Borough Police are allkilled in action. PC 684 WilliamJones, of the GlamorganConstabulary, and PC 26 Aubrey

Alfred Smale, of the SwanseaBorough Police, die of wounds.

14TH SEPTEMBER

PC 634 Frederick Charles Lord, ofthe Glamorgan Constabulary, diesof wounds during the Battle of theSomme.

15TH SEPTEMBER

The first ever use of tanks inaction takes place during theBattle of the Somme.

PC 629 George Robert Guy, ofthe Glamorgan Constabulary, iskilled in action during the Battle.

A German Zeppelin (This one was shot down in France in February 1916) © IWM (Q 58481)

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16TH SEPTEMBER

PC 270 John Farley and PC 526Augustus Harris, of the GlamorganConstabulary, and PC HerbertJames Fisher, of the Cardiff CityPolice, are all killed in actionduring the Battle of the Somme.

22ND SEPTEMBER

PC 292 Arthur Pugh, of theGlamorgan Constabulary, dies ofwounds during the Somme Battle.

25TH SEPTEMBER

PC 730 Sidney Ambrose Phelps,of the Glamorgan Constabulary, iskilled in action on the Somme.

18TH NOVEMBER

The end of the Battle of theSomme. The British have sufferedover 400,000 casualties in theBattle.

7TH DECEMBER

David Lloyd George becomesPrime Minister and forms acoalition government.

8TH DECEMBER

PC 132 Jack Randall Birch, of theSwansea Borough Police, is killedin action in France.

Horse, soldier and mud: Beaumont Hamel, Somme, November 1916 © IWM (Q 1565)


The Roll of Honour which followsremembers those police officersfrom our predecessor forces whodied during 1916. As in previousyears we have sought to provideas much information regardingthem as we have been able toobtain through our researches.

1916 was, of course, the yearof the Battle of the Somme whichlasted from July to November.Eighteen of the total of twentynine policemenwho died duringthe year, losttheir lives in theBattle. Five ofthem died at ornear MametzWood at thebeginning of July,four from theWelsh Regimentand one from

the South Staffordshire Regiment;the remaining thirteen, all fromthe Welsh Guards or theGrenadier Guards, died during alater phase of the Battle inSeptember.

In order to avoid repetition inthe individual biographies, weprovide in this Introduction a briefsummary of the background tothe Battle and the fighting. Itshould also be mentioned that

fullerinformationregardingMametzWood iscontained inour booklet“RichardThomas:Policeman,Sportsman,Soldier.”

ROLL OF HONOUR INTRODUCTION

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It began at 7.30am on 1st July buthad been preceded by a massive,week long, artillery bombardmentof German positions. Theintention of the Allied offensivewas to break the stalemate whichhad developed in the trenchwarfare of the Western Front andalso to relieve pressure on Frenchforces at the Battle of Verdun.

The bombardment was lesssuccessful than anticipated withthe result that the British infantry

which attacked suffered heavylosses on the first day: nearly20,000 killed out of total casualtiesof nearly 60,000.

Whilst there were somesuccesses, the battle ebbed andflowed over the next four monthsuntil November by which time ithad reached stalemate in thewinter mud and was brought to anend. By then total British andCommonwealth casualties wereover 400,000.

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

British artillery Fricourt-Mametz, August 1916 © IWM (Q5817)

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Mametz Wood was the largestwood in the Somme area. The38th (Welsh) Division, wasordered to take it from theoccupying German forces.

The Division was made upmainly of soldiers who hadvolunteered from across Wales inresponse to the recruitmentcampaign by Lord Kitchener,Secretary of State for War, for“New Armies” to meet thedemands of the war.

Included in the Division wereBattalions of the Welsh Regimentin which there were manypolicemen from our predecessorforces: the 16th (Cardiff City)Battalion, commanded by

Lieutenant Colonel Fred Smith,formerly a Glamorgan PoliceInspector, the 14th Battalion, (the“Swansea Pals”), and the 10th (1stRhondda) and 13th (2ndRhondda) Battalions.

The main attacks were madeon 7th July in which the CardiffCity Battalion suffered manycasualties and 10th July when theSwansea and Rhondda Battalionswere involved.

Eventually after much heavyfighting, the Wood was capturedon 12th July. Nearly 4000 men ofthe Welsh Division had beenkilled, wounded or were missingas a result of the battle.

THE BATTLE FOR MAMETZ WOOD

British officers in Mametz Wood, July 1916 © IWM (Q 868)

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During early July the Welsh Guardswere in positions near Ypres. On1st July, as part of the increasedaction in the sector to divertattention from what was happeningin the Somme area, the 1stBattalion launched an attack on theruins of an estaminet or cafe atMortaldje which was being used bythe Germans as a machine gunpost. Although successful the raiddid have its cost with 96 WelshGuardsmen killed or wounded.The History of the Regiment in theFirst World War stated:

“It would not be such a wildstretch of the imagination to saythat the Guards Division firsttook part in the Battle of theSomme while they were at Ypres.They were, at least, preventingtroops and guns from taking partin that battle.”

Soon the Battalion was to beinvolved in the Somme area itselfand took part in critical actionsduring September as part of theGuards Division.

The small village of Ginchy hadbeen the scene of bitter fightingand on 9th September theBattalion supported an attack tocapture it. Confusion arose as,although part of the village had

been taken, it had not beencompletely secured. At dawn thefollowing day the Germans counterattacked and there followed fiercehand to hand fighting whichultimately led to success butinevitably at a cost as the Battalionsustained 205 casualties.

Then on 15th September theGuards Division received orders tocapture the village of Lesboeufs,near Ginchy. The attack that daywas held up and had to berenewed the following day. It wasraining heavily and again there wasgreat loss for the little groundwhich had been gained, the WelshGuards suffering 144 killed,wounded or missing.

After a brief interlude theattack on Lesboeufs was taken upagain on 25th September and wasmore successful. By mid afternoonthe Battalion had achieved all itsobjectives other than one enemyposition which was subdued afterbeing attacked by a lone tank.(Tanks had been used in battle forthe first time in the British attackon 15th September).

The Welsh Guards had,therefore, played their part in thecapture of both Ginchy andLesboeufs.

GINCHY AND LESBOEUFS

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British troops waiting to attacknear Ginchy, 25th September 1916

© IWM (Q 4290)


6TH JANUARY

PC 61 WALTERARCHIBALD STUBBSMERTHYR BOROUGH POLICEPRIVATE 9463 2ND BATTALION,GRENADIER GUARDS

Walter was born inMonmouth in 1879,the second son ofHenry and MaryStubbs both of

whom were fromHerefordshire.

At the time of the census of1891 the family was living inRedruth in Cornwall whereWalter’s father worked in a hotel.In addition to Walter and hisparents also there were his sistersAlice, Annie and Charlotte and hisbrothers Alfred, Harry andFrederick.

Walter was educated at aprivate school in Ross inHerefordshire where his fathercame from. By the time of thecensus of 1901 he had joined theGrenadier Guards since he wasthen at the Guards Depot atCaterham in Surrey.

He served for seven years as aregular soldier and then left thearmy to join the Merthyr Borough

Police. At the census of 1911 hewas living in the Borough policestation in Treharris as a lodger,along with another constable andthe station’s sergeant and hisfamily. Whilst with the forceWalter played for its footballteam.Walter married ElizabethDoe of Ton Pentre at Pontypriddin 1912 and on 14th May 1913their son, Albert Ernest Walter,was born.

As a reservist Walter wasrecalled to the army on theoutbreak of war in August 1914re-joining his old regiment, theGrenadier Guards. It appears thathe then served as an instructor atthe Guards Depot before going toFrance on 6th November 1915and joining the 2nd Battalion ofthe Grenadiers.

The Battalion’s war diaryindicates that on 6th January1916 the Battalion was intrenches at Riez Bailleulin Northern Francewhen it suffered twocasualties, bothwounded.

1916 ROLL OF HONOUR

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Walter in hisfootballingdays

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One of those was Walter whodied of his wounds later that dayat the 9th Field AmbulanceDressing Station.

Walter is buried nearby atEstaires in the CommunalCemetery and Extension. Itcontains 875 casualties of the FirstWorld War.

Walter is also remembered onthe Merthyr Police MemorialPanel at the Police Station inMerthyr.

At a meeting of the MerthyrBorough Watch Committee heldon 15th September 1916, it wasagreed to make a payment toWalter’s dependants from thepolice fund which the ChiefConstable, Mr J.A. Wilson, statedwould be about £30.

20TH FEBRUARY

PC 760 DAVIDTAFFINDERGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYLANCE SERGEANT 2311716TH BATTALION, WELSHREGIMENT

David wasborn in 1894in Ely, Cardiff.He was theson of Williamand Sarah JaneTaffinder bothof whom were

originally from Somerset.

At the time of the census of 1901William and Sarah were living withtheir children in Bowens Row, Ely.As well as David also there wereDavid’s brothers, William andAlbert, and his sister Ethel whowere all older than him, togetherwith his younger brother, IvorJohn.

By the census of 1911 David wasliving with his parents and IvorJohn, in Britway Terrace,Cowbridge Road in Ely. Hisfather’s occupation was given ascaretaker whilst David and Ivorwere both labourers.

In 1913 David joined theEstaires Communal Cemetery and Extension

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Glamorgan Constabulary and atthe time of the outbreak of thewar in August 1914 he wasstationed in Maesteg. TheGlamorgan Gazette of the 7th ofthat month contained a report ofa case involving a man who wasaccused of breaking into thestores of the Bell Inn, Aberkenfig.The licensee, it was reported:

“..stated that he saw thedefendant with other men gotowards the stores where beerwas stored and try to open thedoor, which was locked. In a fewminutes they went away, andlater he saw defendant with hisboots off, go towards the storesagain. Other men were withhim, and they forced the dooropen. He went after them, andsaid something to the effect thathe had a ‘good mind’ to blowtheir brains out. They then ranaway.

P.C. Taffender, 760G, stated thathe found the frame-work abovethe lock of the door very muchdamaged, and not far from thestores he discovered a pair ofboots which fitted defendant. Inreply to the charge defendantsaid, ‘I know nothing at all about it.’

Defendant repeated thisdeclaration in Court, but he wassent to gaol for a month.”

Following the outbreak of war,David enlisted in the 16th (CardiffCity) Battalion of the WelshRegiment at Bridgend. He went toFrance with the Battalion, as partof the 38th (Welsh) Division inDecember 1915. In due course hewas promoted to Lance Sergeant.

On 19th February 1916 theBattalion took up position in thefront line trenches at Locon nearFestubert. In a letter to David’sparents, Sergeant Stevens of theBattalion described whathappened to him:

“Our battalion was in thetrenches at the time, and about5am, your son was sent onpatrol duty. Whilst thus engagedhe received two wounds fromsnipers’ bullets. His cry for helpwas heard by the lads of hissection, and immediately two ofthem went to his assistance andbrought him in under heavymachine gun fire.

The news of his death came as agreat shock to us all, as hemade so light of his wounds thatwe thought they were slight.

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‘Taff’ as we called him, wasloved by all the lads, and theywould have followed himanywhere. He was my pal...andright-hand man. We werealways together in dug-out orbarn.”

David died of his wounds on 20thFebruary 1916 and is buried at LeTouret Military Cemetery,Richebourg-L’Avoue. There areover 900 other First World Warcasualties buried there. Inaddition, there is a memorial toover 13,000 servicemen who diedin the area before September1915 and who have no knowngrave.

On 16th February 1917, thefollowing notice appeared in theGlamorgan Gazette:

“In Loving Memory of DavidTaffinder, who died of woundsreceived in action on February20th, 1916

Though death divides,

Fond memories cling

- from Lizzie Davies”

David is commemorated on theGlamorgan Police War Memorialat Police Headquarters, Bridgend.

His brothers, Albert and John alsoserved in the army during the war.Both survived.

Le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L’Avoue

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7TH MARCH

PC 270 JOSEPHPATRICK DEEHANGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYGUNNER 10001ROYAL MARINES ARTILLERY

According to naval servicerecords, Joseph was born inMungret near Limerick in Irelandon 17th March 1884. (His policerecords differ and give his date ofbirth as 9th March 1885). Heenlisted in the Royal Marines atLondonderry on 3rd April 1902prior to which he had worked as afarm labourer.

He served for 12 years beforebeing discharged on 2nd April1914 whereupon he became areservist in the Royal FleetReserve. During his regularservice he saw service on thefollowing ships:

HMS Empress of India: thiswas a battleship of 14,000 tonswhich was built at PembrokeDock in 1889 and launched in1891. She had a crew of over700. Joseph served on it fromFebruary 1904 to February1905. She and other battleshipsof her class were superseded bythe Dreadnought battleshipsand she was sunk as a targetship in 1913.

HMS Hannibal: another preDreadnought battleship, she wasbuilt at Pembroke Dock andlaunched in 1896. Of 16,000tons she had a crew of over 600men. Joseph served on herbetween February and August1905 when the ship formed partof the Channel Fleet. Laterduring the First World War shesaw service as a troopship duringthe Gallipoli campaign. After thewar she was sold as scrap andbroken up.

HMS Trafalgar: a battleship ofover 12,000 tons built inPortsmouth and launched in1887. She had a crew of nearly600 men. Joseph served on herbetween February 1906 andJanuary 1907 when she was inreserve and used at varioustimes as a guardship and fordrills. She was sold for scrap in1912.

HMS Indefatigable: built atDevonport and launched in1909, this was a battlecruiser ofover 18,000 tons. Joseph servedon her between February 1911,when she was firstcommissioned into the RoyalNavy, and December 1913.Indefatigable was sunk on 31stMay 1916 by shells from aGerman ship during the Battle of

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Jutland, the largest naval battleof the First World War. Only twoof her crew of 1,019 survived.

After his discharge from theRoyal Marines in 1914 Josephjoined the GlamorganConstabulary but served for only ashort period as he resigned fromthe Force on 2nd August 1914when he was recalled to navalservice shortly before the formaldeclaration of war by Britain. Atthat time Joseph was stationed atLlanishen, Cardiff as a constable.

He served with the RoyalNaval Air Service Armoured CarSquadron in France in Septemberand October 1914 and with theRoyal Marines Artillery at Ostendin October 1914. Between Augustand October 1915 he was withthe Royal Marines Artillery AntiAircraft Brigade in France. Itappears he then contracted

tuberculosis which led to himbeing discharged from the RoyalMarines at Londonderry Hospitalon 26th January 1916. He diedfrom the disease at 55 DungavinRoad, Londonderry, on 7th March1916. It appears that he left asister, Winifred, and a brother,John.

Joseph’s place of burial is notknown but he is commemoratedon the Commonwealth WarGraves Commission’s 1914-1918Memorial at BrookwoodCemetery in Surrey which recordsthe names of those who diedduring the First World War andwho are not commemoratedelsewhere. Joseph’s details wereaccepted by the Commission forcommemoration in 2005. Joseph’sname also appears on theGlamorgan Police War Memorialand on the Memorial at St Isan’sChurch in Llanishen, Cardiff.

The 1914-18 Memorial at Brookwood Cemetery

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13TH MARCH

PC 533 JOHN ALFRED GRIFFITHSGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYSERGEANT 1794514TH BATTALION WELSH REGIMENT

John was aPembroke-shire manhaving beenborn atWalwyn’sCastle nearHaverford-

west in February 1889. He had anolder brother, Joseph StephenGriffiths, who subsequently livedin Aberaman, Aberdare. Theirmother was Mary who latermarried a George Richards whohad been born in Deptford,London. At the time of the censusof 1911, John, his mother and hisstep father lived at 5 Fleet Street,Pennar, Pembroke Dock whereGeorge Richards was employed inthe Naval Dockyard as ashipwright. Also living at homewere John’s half brothers Alfred,Thomas, Frederick, Walter,George and Ivor along with hishalf sister, Lucy. At that time Johnwas employed as a labourer. On29th November 1913, John joined

the Glamorgan Constabulary andat the outbreak of war in 1914 hewas stationed at Mumbles, nearSwansea. On 20th November1914 he resigned from the policeforce in order that he could, threedays later, enlist in the 14thBattalion of the Welsh Regiment,the “Swansea Pals”. They formedpart of the 38th (Welsh Division)and, after training in North Walesand southern England, went toFrance on 2nd December 1915.

John seated left with Glamorgan Policecolleagues from Mumbles, PC Roberts(standing) and PC Hamens (seated),who also joined the Swansea Battalion

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Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy near Bethune

John’s leadership qualitieswere clearly recognised early onbecause he had a succession ofpromotions: Lance Corporal on9th December 1914, Corporal on13th February 1915, LanceSergeant on 18th May 1915 andfinally to Sergeant on 27thNovember 1915.

In France, after a period oftraining in trench warfare, theSwansea Battalion was in the frontline at Givenchy by March 1916.On the 13th of the month theBattalion’s War Diary records thatit suffered 12 casualties: 1 killedand 11 wounded. John was theman killed in action.

When he died he was 27 yearsof age and single. He was clearlyhighly regarded in the Battalion, asevidenced by a letter written tohis father by Lieutenant H. Jones

Williams and subsequently quotedin the South Wales Daily Post:

“I assure you that you have theheartfelt sympathy of everyofficer and man in our company.I, personally, shall miss your sonvery much, and I feel as if I hadlost one of my best friends. Hewas a splendid soldier, and inyour great sorrow you have theconsolation of knowing that hefell bravely fighting for King andCountry and his loved ones athome.”

John is buried in the GuardsCemetery, Windy Corner,Cuinchy near Bethune inNorthern France. It contains3,445 burials andcommemorations of the FirstWorld War.

John’s name also appears on theGlamorgan Police War Memorial.

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8TH MAY

PC 62 EDWARD JOHN TAYLORGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYLANCE CORPORAL 13851ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Edward was born at LlanvihangelGobion near Abergavenny in1890, the son of George andSusan Taylor. He had severalbrothers and sisters. His fatherwas a farm labourer who wasoriginally from Herefordshire andhis mother was from Breconshire.

At the census of 1911, Edwardwas living with his brother Williamand his wife and children atLlanddewi Rhydderch, anothervillage near Abergavenny. Williamworked for the Great WesternRailway Company whilst Edward’soccupation is described as“waggoner on farm.”

Edward joined the GlamorganConstabulary in 1914 and wasstationed at Maesteg at theoutbreak of war. He enlisted inthe army on 10th May 1915 atBridgend, joining the WelshGuards. After a period of trainingat the Guards Depot at Caterham,he sailed from Southampton to

France on 16th September 1915and joined the 1st Battalion on29th September.

By May 1916 the Battalion wasat Potijze near Ypres in Belgium.On the 7th the Battalion cameunder heavy fire from Germanartillery and trench mortars andsuffered 5 casualties, 1 killed and 4wounded. Patrols were sent outinto No Man’s Land and gatheredwhat the Battalion’s War Diarydescribed as “useful information.”

The history of the regiment inthe First World War contains thefollowing description of what itwas like on 7th May:

“We went back to Ypres by trainon the 7th and found the Hunswere shelling hard-the roads, therailway and the town. When wemarched into the town we foundthe roads blocked with traffic-amass of transport wagons andartillery limbers. The Hun waspumping shells into the Squareand the Menin Gate. Every nowand then an artillery limberwould disentangle itself and gogalloping across, making afiendish noise on the cobbles.Finally we got across the Square,and when we reached the MeninGate found the Hun was shelling

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the road like mad. I don’t knowwhy we were not caught. Ourluck was that most of the shellsfell by the side, and those thatfell on the road did not fall onus. This went on till the earlyhours of the morning, andstarted again at midday. Theyconfined themselves mostly tothe roads, but it was a heavyaffair.”

On the 8th there was windand rain all day and the Germanbombardment did reduce.Nevertheless there were 7casualties during the day includingtwo killed, one of whom wasEdward. Also killed that day wasPrivate 864 Percy Larkham Price

of the Welsh Guards who wasaged 21 and the son of Howelland Annie Price of 156 JubileeRoad, New Tredegar.

The Abergavenny Chronicle of2nd June 1916 reported thatEdward had been killed andreferred to a letter to his motherfrom the Battalion’s Chaplain whowrote:

“His loss is much felt by thebattalion. He was a first-ratesoldier and had been latelyrecommended for promotion tofull corporal. He was buried atdawn in a cemetery reserved forsoldiers, and everything wasdone as reverently as possible:

Potijze Burial Ground Cemetery, near Ypres

24


I was able to take the funeralservice without undue hurry. Itwas very solemn and quiet. Hisgrave will be cared for as muchas possible, and the battalionwill have it marked with a whitecross bearing his name.”

The newspaper report wenton to state:

“Corporal Taylor was a finesoldier, physically strong, tall andactive. Always cheerful, hewould keep a company in thebest of spirits, and we are notsurprised to hear that he wasvery popular with the battalion.The greatest sympathy is feltwith his mother, sister andfamily in their loss.”

Edward was 26 when he diedand was, as indicated above,survived by his mother, his fatherhaving, by then, died.

Edward and Private Price areburied near each other at PotijzeBurial Ground Cemetery, nearYpres, in Belgium. There are 584burials from the First World Warin the cemetery.

Edward is alsocommemorated on theGlamorgan Police War Memorial.

25TH MAY

PC 68 THOMASVOYLE MORGANMERTHYR BOROUGH POLICEPRIVATE 9511ST BATTALION,WELSH GUARDS

Thomas VoyleMorgan (“Tom” or“TV” as he wasknown) wasoriginally fromCarmarthenshire.He was born atGlancothi Lodge,Cothi Bridge(“Pontargothi”) inthe Parish ofLlanegwad nearCarmarthen on26th December1888. He was baptised atLlanegwad on 5th May 1889.

Tom was the son of JohnMorgan, a policeman, and his wife,Elizabeth Alma. His father hadbeen born in Llanpumpsaint andhis mother had been born inPembrey. Elizabeth’s father,George Voyle, had also been apoliceman.

At the time of the census of1891 the family lived in the villageof Llansteffan in Carmarthenshire.

25


In addition to Tom, also at homeat that time were his brothers,George Osman and Garnet andhis sisters Sarah Rosanna and Mary Alma, all of whom wereolder than Tom. Also there wasTom’s widowed grandmother,Roseanna Voyle.

By 1901 and that year’s

census, the family still lived in

Llansteffan but by then Tom’s

father had retired from the police

and his occupation was given as

postman. There was also another

child, Emily May.

The Morgan family at Llansteffan in about 1896. Left to right at rear: George Osman,Sarah Rosanna, and John (father); front: Mary Alma, Emily May, Elizabeth Alma(mother), Thomas Voyle and Garnet

26


In 1908 Merthyr Tydfil wasgranted borough status and as aresult formed its own police force,the town having previously beenpoliced by the GlamorganConstabulary. Tom became one ofits first constables and during hisservice was stationed atTroedyrhiw and Dowlais.

At the time of the census of1911, Tom was living as a lodgerwith Sergeant William Lewis, alsoof the Merthyr Police, and hiswife, Mary, at 43 Taldwyn Terrace,Troedyrhiw. Sergeant Lewis camefrom Clydach in the SwanseaValley whilst his wife was from thenearby village of Glais. Alsolodging in the house was Tom’sMerthyr Police colleague, PC 57Reginald Lovis who was also to diewhilst serving with the WelshGuards (see later).

Tom enlisted in the army on8th April 1915, joining the 1stBattalion of the newly formedWelsh Guards. He underwent aperiod of initial training and beforeleaving for the front he marriedMary Jane James of Troedyrhiw atEbenezer Chapel, Merthyr, on15th August 1915.

Tom sailed from Southamptonfor France on 16th September andjoined the Battalion on the 29th as

it recovered from the severefighting it had been involved in atthe Battle of Loos.

At Christmas time 1915 theBattalion was in the line atLaventie in France. In a letter tohis family, Tom said:

“I guess you all enjoyed yourselfover the Xmas holidays. I spentmine in the trenches so it wasnot very pleasant. I receivedparcel safe but in a brokencondition. Cake all smashed up....”

By May 1915 the Battalion wasin reserve at Poperinghe inBelgium. On the 12th they werebilleted to the south of the town.During the day there was someGerman shelling in the area.Records indicate that Tomsuffered serious wounds to thehead resulting in a fractured skullpossibly as a consequence of theshell fire. He was treated initiallyat the 3rd Canadian CasualtyClearing Station and then the 10thCasualty Clearing Station both atRemy near Lijssenthoek, Belgium,before being moved to theNumber 6 British Red CrossHospital at Etaples on the Frenchcoast. It was there that he died on25th May 1916 aged 27.

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The Carmarthen Journal for 9th June 1916 carried thefollowing report:

“Another native of Llanstephanhas given his life for his countryin the person of Pte. Tom VoyleMorgan, of the WelshGuards...... He was taken to theRed Cross Hospital at EtaplesFrance, where he died on 25thult. He bore his pain bravely tothe end. Pte. Morgan was a sonof the late ex P.C. John Morganand Mrs. Morgan, formerlyresiding at Ty-mawr, and agrandson of the late ex P.C.George Voyle, Llanddarog, andthe late Mr. Thomas Morgan,Llanpumpsaint Mill. In 1908deceased joined the newBorough Police Force at MerthyrTydfil; he had been stationed atTroedyrhiw and Dowlais, fromwhere he joined the WelshGuards in April, 1915; and wasdrafted to France in Septemberlast, having seen some severefighting since that period. Hevolunteered to go tunnellingabout three weeks ago, and wasonly at this work for a couple ofdays ere receiving the fatalwound. In August last hemarried Miss May James,daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James,

41, Taldwyn Terrace, Troedyrhiw,who today mourns his loss. Hismother also is grief stricken atthe loss of her son, as are alsothe remaining two brothers andthree sisters. During the periodof his youth spent atLlanstephan, “T.V” as he wasfondly known, was a generalfavourite, being a quiet, willingand respectful lad, and the newsof his early death will bereceived by his many friendswith sincere sorrow. The deepestsympathy of the district isextended to the sorrowingwidow and mother, and relatives,who are well known in severaldistricts of Carmarthenshire,where the late Pte. Morgan’sfather, ex P.C. John Morgan, wasstationed while in the CountyPolice Force.”

Tom is buried at the EtaplesMilitary Cemetery which is about27km south of Boulogne. This isthe largest Commonwealth WarGraves Commission cemetery inFrance and contains the graves of10,771 casualties of the FirstWorld War. During the war thearea around Etaples contained agreat concentration of militaryfacilities. At one stage there wereeleven general hospitals, one

28


stationary hospital, four Red Crosshospitals and a convalescent depotwhich could deal with a total of22,000 patients.

Also buried at Etaples isPrivate 103 Albert Hollyman ofthe 1st Battalion, Welsh Guardswho died on 21st October 1918.Before the war he was a constablein the Cardiff City Police.

Tom is commemorated on theMerthyr Borough Police FirstWorld War Panel and also on theLlansteffan War Memorial.

In Etaples, the headstone toTom’s grave has on it aninscription chosen by his wife.They were married for less than ayear before his death. It sums upher sense of loss, and that ofcountless others during the war:

Etaples Military Cemetery

“In life I loved you dearly. In death I do the same.”

29


1ST JULY

PC GEORGE HENRY LOCKCARDIFF CITY POLICEPRIVATE 1347 1ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

George wasborn in Cardiffin 1890, theson of GeorgeHenry Lock,the chiefInspector ofCardiff

Corporation Public WorksDepartment who originated fromDevon.

At the time of the census of1911, George, then aged 20 wasliving at 3 Trade Street,Grangetown in Cardiff. Also livingin the household were his fatherand his father’s mother, Hannah, awidow aged 78, together withGeorge’s married sister, GertrudeAlice Hopgood, aged 24, and herhusband, Ernest Hopgood, aged25. At that time George wasemployed as a bricklayer. Georgeappears to have also had twoother sisters: Grace Evelyn, andEmma Kate, who was married toa Detective Sergeant John Pugsleyof the Cardiff City Police.

George also subsequentlyjoined the Cardiff City Police andserved with them before the warincluding a period of service at theforce’s headquarters.

Newspaper reports referringto George state that he was anaccomplished athlete and tookpart in several sports. Indeed, theWestern Mail of 23rd January 1914reported that in the three alldrawn football match between theCardiff Press and City Policeplayed at Ninian Park, it wasGeorge who, in the last fewminutes of the match, scored theequalising goal. His team was notso fortunate, however, in March ofthat year when George playedagainst the Merthyr Police whoran out winners by four goals totwo, in the presence of Cardiff’sChief Constable, David Williams.

George enlisted in the army atCardiff on 29th April 1915 andjoined the 1st Battalion of theWelsh Guards. He went with theBattalion to France in August1915, landing at Le Havre on the18th. Ahead lay the severe testthat the Battalion faced during theheavy fighting at the Battle of Loosin September and October of thatyear.

30


By the end of June 1916 theBattalion was in the front line nearYpres in Belgium. As preparationswere then under way for theAllied offensive on the Somme tocommence on 1st July every effortwas to be made to keep theGermans occupied around Ypres.

At one point in the Germanline there were the ruins of anestaminet (cafe) at Mortaldjewhich the Germans used as a sitefor machine guns to attack theBritish positions. Orders were,therefore, given to the Welsh

Guards to attack Mortaldje on thenight of 1st/2nd July. It was to beundertaken by Number 4Company and it was during theensuing fighting that George waskilled in action. The History of theWelsh Guards in the First WorldWar gives the followingdescription:

“2nd July - we took the positionlast night, but all is not yet well.When we filed into our places inthe trench all was deathly quiet-much too quiet - and lights weregoing up in a jumpy manner, or

The Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres where George Henry Lock is commemorated

31


so it seemed to me, from theestaminet. I think Evan Thomasstarted to get out slightly aheadof time, which was to be oneminute before the artillery. At allevents, they were seenimmediately, and the Hunsopened fire on them. I heardSergt. Mathias yell out ‘Comeon’, and then our guns startedwith a swish and a roar, and Idon’t quite know whathappened. I heard afterwardsthat Evan Thomas, Sergt.Mathias, Sergt. Jellyman, and aman named Lock, who used tobe the C.O’s servant, arrived farahead of the rest. The Germansfled, though one stayed to firepoint blank at Lock, who waskilled.”

In addition to George, fourothers from the Welsh Guardsdied on 1st July. They were:Second Lieutenant Guy Crawford-Wood aged 21, the son of JamesCrawford-Wood JP of Banbury,Corporal S. Kiernan fromFlintshire, Lance Corporal WilliamJames Williams of the GlamorganConstabulary (see next section)and Private William HenryViggers, aged 24, the son ofGeorge and Martha Jane Viggersof 59 Cecil Street, Roath, Cardiff.

The history of the Regimentreferred to Crawford-Wood’sdeath:

“Crawford-Wood was a greatloss. He was a good looking,most gallant and activeyoungster, and feared nothing inthe way of a German or any oftheir weapons.”

George was 25 years of agewhen he died. He has no knowngrave but is commemorated onthe Menin Gate Memorial atYpres. He is also remembered onthe Cardiff City Police Memorialat the Cardiff Bay Police Station.

1ST JULY

PC 225 WILLIAMJAMES WILLIAMSGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYLANCE CORPORAL 11011ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

William was born in Llantrisant in1888, the son of Richard andCatherine Williams. His father wasoriginally from Menai Bridge onAnglesey whilst his mother wasfrom Llantrisant.

At the time of the census of1901 when William was 13, thefamily lived in High Street,

32


Llantrisant. William’s father’soccupation is given as carpenterjoiner whilst William is describedas a coal miner/hewerunderground. Also in thehousehold were William’s mother,his sisters Ann and Gwendolineand his brothers Thomas, Johnand Baden all of whom wereyounger than him.

On 21st November 1908William joined the GlamorganConstabulary and on 26th August1912 he married Emily Stephensat Whitchurch in Cardiff.

At the outbreak of war Williamwas stationed at Heolycyw nearBridgend but resigned from thepolice on 27th November 1914 sothat he could enlist in the armywhich he did at Bridgend on 30thNovember. He was initially Private5873 in the Dragoon Guards buttransferred to the Welsh Guardson 16th April 1915 and was soonpromoted to Lance Corporal on23rd June 1915.

The Welsh Guards had beenformed in February 1915 andwent to France in August thatyear. It was soon thrust into thebitter fighting during the Battle ofLoos which claimed the lives ofseveral of William’s colleaguesfrom the GlamorganConstabulary. William himselfarrived in France on 16thSeptember just before thecommencement of the Battle onthe 25th.

As has been described in theentry concerning George HenryLock, William was killed in actionon 1st July 1916 during the

PC 225 William James Williams

33


Battalion’s attack at Mortadlje.The Western Mail of 8th Julyreported his death:

“Private William Williams, ofthe Welsh Guards, has beenkilled in action. He was aconstable in the GlamorganForce, and was a magnificentlybuilt man, standing 6ft 1in.Formerly he was stationed atWhitchurch, but latterly atHeolycyw. He was a nephew ofCouncillor James Taylor, Cardiff.”

William is buried at BrandhoekMilitary Cemetery which liesbetween Ypres and Poperinghe.There too lie Second Lieutenant

Guy Crawford-Wood andCorporal Kiernan of the WelshGuards who also died on 1st July.There are a total of 669 FirstWorld War burials in thecemetery.

William left a widow, Emily ofGlancynon Terrace, Abercynon.On the headstone to his grave isthe inscription:

“Though lost to sight, to memory ever dear”

William is also remembered onthe Glamorgan Police WarMemorial.

Brandhoek Military Cemetry

34


7TH JULY

PC 122 ROBERT JOHN HARRISGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYSERGEANT 23140 16TH BATTALIONWELSH REGIMENT

Robert or“Bob”, as heseems to havebeen known,was born on20th January1887 atYnysybwl,

Pontypridd. He was the son ofJohn Harris, originally fromBreconshire, and his wife, Martha,who had been born in Ynysybwl.

At the census of 1901 thefamily lived at Brynteg, Ynysybwl.Also in the household at this time,along with Bob and his parents,were Bob’s six brothers and twosisters. Bob, then aged 14, wasemployed as a coal miner as was his father and two of his brothers.

In due course, Bob left themining industry and, on 31stOctober, 1908, he joined theGlamorgan Constabulary. At thetime of the census of 1911 he waslodging at Nantymoel Police

Station and he later served atAberkenfig.

After the outbreak of war hejoined the Welsh Regiment andserved with the 16th (Cardiff City)Battalion which as part of the 38th(Welsh) Division landed in Francein December 1915.

The Battalion took part in theattack on Mametz Wood on 7thJuly 1916 and suffered heavycasualties, Bob being one of thosekilled in action on that day. Asubsequent newspaper report ofhis death describes him as being“exceedingly popular among theofficers and men of theGlamorgan Constabulary.”

Also killed on the same daywas his police colleague fromBridgend, Richard “Dick” Thomasof the 16th Battalion.

Bob was 29 when he died andwas survived by his parents who,according to Commonwealth WarGraves Commission records, thenlived at Llechwen Farm, Ynysybwl.

Bob has no known grave and iscommemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial, the Glamorgan PoliceWar Memorial and the WarMemorial at Ynysybwl.

35


7TH JULY

PS 200 RICHARDTHOMASGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYCOMPANY SERGEANT MAJOR 24093 16TH BATTALIONWELSH REGIMENT

Richard (or “Dick” ashe was popularlyknown) Thomaswas a notablefigure in thecommunities of

South Walesthrough his service as

a police officer and also hissporting prowess particularly as aWelsh international rugby player.

He was born at 41 Long Row,Ferndale on 14th October 1880the son of Joseph Jones Thomas, acoal miner, and his wife, Mary AnnThomas.

Dick joined the GlamorganConstabulary on 4th November1904 having previously worked asa coal miner. He served as apoliceman in the Aberdare, YstradMynach and Bridgend Divisions ofthe Force. On 16th August 1913,he was promoted to sergeant andwas stationed at Bridgend at thecommencement of the FirstWorld War.

He played rugby for severalclubs-Ferndale, Penygraig, Cardiff,Mountain Ash, Llwynypia, andBridgend-as well as for theGlamorgan Police team which hadbeen established in 1897. Whilstplaying for Mountain Ash he wonfour international caps for Walesthe first being against South Africain 1906. In the following season of1907-8 he played against France(the first time the two countrieshad played each other) and thenagainst Ireland when Walescompleted the Grand Slam for thefirst time. His final internationalappearance was against Scotlandin 1909. He also played for theGlamorgan Police team in its lastgame before the First World Warwhen it beat his home town teamof Ferndale.

36


Whilst Dick was highly regardedin rugby circles as a hard playingand skilful forward, he was also anotable boxer winning theGlamorgan Police heavyweightchampionship on three occasions.In addition he won the Glamorganand MonmouthshireConstabularies assault at armscompetition in 1909.

The Western Mail of 4th March 1914 carried a report of anassault at arms competition heldat the Park Hall, Cardiff in whichDick fought against a ConstableOliver Williams of the NewportPolice in the semi final with thereferee stopping the fight in thefirst round in favour of Dick. Hehad been due to fight against afellow Glamorgan Police officer,PC Charles Hutchings ofWhitchurch, in the final butHutchings had been injured duringhis semi final contest andwithdrew. Dick was, therefore,declared the winner andpresented with what the reportdescribed as “ a valuable silvercup.”

Dick had, however, been lesssuccessful at the fifth WelshAmateur Boxing Championshipsheld at the Park Hall, Cardiff, the

previous month, February 1914,when he had contested the final ofthe heavy weight championshipwith a W.H. Bradley of Cardiffafter Dick had, in the words of theWestern Mail report of 16thFebruary, “knocked out W. Scott(St James’s Newport) with twopunches” in the semi final. It was,however, another story in the finalas the report continues:

“Dick Thomas had to face aredoubtable opponent in W. H.Bradley (of Cardiff) in the final.Bradley…. looked very littletroubled when Thomas startedshooting punches at him withright and left. When the oldinternational tired perceptiblyBradley opened out in reallyclassy style. A shower of uppercuts and straight lefts soon sentThomas to the boards. Beforethe end of the round Bradleybecame the first heavy weightamateur of Wales.”

Along with many otherGlamorgan policemen DickThomas joined the 16th Battalionof the Welsh Regiment after theoutbreak of the war. Among thosewho also did so were InspectorF.W. (“Fred”) Smith and SergeantJ.R. Angus both of whom had

37


been members of the GlamorganPolice rugby team. Dick joined asa private soldier but his qualities ofleadership were soon recognisedand he was in due coursepromoted to be companysergeant major.

He landed in France with the16th Battalion as part of 115thBrigade, 38th (Welsh) Division on4th December 1915. During itsearly days on the Western Frontthe Battalion suffered casualtiesincluding its then CommandingOfficer, Lieutenant Colonel FrankGaskell who was shot by a sniperand died of his wounds on 17thMay 1916. He was buried thefollowing day and the BattalionWar Diary records that FredSmith and Dick were among thosewho attended.

On 7th July 1916 the 16thBattalion attacked Mametz Woodin an attempt to clear it ofGerman troops. It was the largestwood on the Somme and it wasdefended tenaciously. TheBattalion came under heavy fireand Dick was one of nearly 300casualties the Battalion sufferedthat day. Many years later asurviving veteran of the attack,William Davies, described what he

saw in an interview with the BBCre-broadcast in August 2014:

“I remember one man, he wasan old Welsh rugby internationalforward. CSM Dick Thomas fromMountain Ash. He was CSM inthe Cardiff City Battalion. Hewas a big, huge man. Lying downin front of me, not far in front ofme and he got up on his kneesand two hands you know, kneeson the ground. Went down headto the ground. Killed like that.Just in front of me. And I hidbehind him all day.”

Dick’s Glamorgan Policecolleague and CommandingOfficer of his Battalion, FredSmith, wrote to his widow on15th July 1916:

“I am deeply grieved to tell youthat your husband, my old friendDick, was killed in action on the7th July whilst attacking a wood.He died at once and did notsuffer. I had alreadyrecommended him for theMilitary Cross for his gallantryand splendid example to hismen. Poor Sergeant Harris (lateof our force) was killed at thesame time, and of course manyothers in the Battalion. We allmiss Dick’s smiling face, and

38


Dick Thomas with his wife and daughter

39


wish he could return to us, andwe all extend to you our sinceresympathy on this your great loss,yours, Fred Smith, Lieutenant-colonel, O.C..”

The Glamorgan Gazette for21st July 1916 carried thefollowing report under theheading “Local ConstabularyHeroes-International FootballerKilled”:

“The terribleness of the war isbeing brought home to us latelyin Bridgend.” Thus said theRector of Coity (Rev. T.P. Price),writing from Cardiganshire, in asympathetic letter to thebereaved widow of Company-Sergeant-Major RichardThomas, of Bridgend, formerly amember of the GlamorganConstabulary; and the truth ofthis remark is almost dailyinsistently being brought hometo us, as one family afteranother is plunged into grief, andthe community, knowing thefamilies and the circumstances,is called upon to mourn with themourners. The firstannouncement of the death ofCompany-Srgt-Major RichardThomas came from RegimentalSergeant Major John Thomas,

who was his fellow policesergeant at Bridgend. In a letterto his wife, written on July 10thand received on Saturdayafternoon, Company SergeantMajor John Thomas said:-“Just aline to let you know I am allright. Wish I could say the sameabout all the other boys. PoorDick Thomas was killedyesterday morning where the bigfighting that you read about inthe newspapers is going on.Captain Herdman and he wereleading the company into action,and Dick was about the first tobe knocked over. The captainwas wounded. Bob Harris wasalso killed near the same spot.Trinder was wounded and is nowin hospital. No doubt it will be aterrible shock to Mrs. Thomas.Colonel Smith is all right, but weare very much upset over theloss of Dick. He used to keepthe lot of us alive with hisjokes.”

The “Bob Harris” referred to(also exceedingly popularamongst the officers and men ofthe Glamorgan Constabulary)was formerly Sergt. R. J. Harris,who was stationed atAberkenfig, and for a time atNantymoel, and whose home

40


was at Llechwaun Farm,Ynysybwl. Both were in the samebattalion of the WelshRegiment, joining with InspectorFred Smith. “Trinder” is PCWilliam Trinder who wasstationed at Caerau, Maesteg.His home is in Gloucestershire.Captain Herdman, who waswounded in the abdomen andboth arms, is a Bridgend boy,and a son of the late Mr. J.Herdman, mining engineer tothe Dunraven Estate, a positionto which a few years ago Capt.Herdman succeeded on thedeath of his father.”

The report concluded withthese remarks about Dick:

“Only a few weeks ago he spenta brief furlough with his familyat Bridgend. He was of a genialdisposition, and was extremelypopular not only as a footballplayer, but as a police officer inevery place where he had beenstationed. He was 36 years ofage, and leaves a widow and twochildren to mourn the loss of onewho was well beloved by all hiscomrades, and by all the peoplewho knew him in the sphere inwhich he moved.”

A Sergeant Caleb Morris of

Aberdare wrote a poem as atribute to the members of theGlamorgan Constabulary who hadserved during the war. One verseis dedicated to Dick:

“Another hero, strongand tall,A master with the gloves

and ball,A football player, lithe

and bold, An International of old. He won his cap for

strength and dash-I mean Dick Thomas,

Mountain Ash;A Sergeant Major at the

FrontWas in the van, as e’er

his wont.Poor Dick is numbered

with the slain,And buried on a foreign

plain......” Like so many others Dick has

no known grave and iscommemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial to the Missing of theSomme.

Dick is also remembered onthe Glamorgan Police WarMemorial.

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7TH JULY

PC 89 WILLIAMEDWARD TRINDERGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYLANCE CORPORAL 32681 16TH BATTALIONWELSH REGIMENT

William was born in Winstone,near Cirencester on 21st May1886. He was the son of JohnJames Trinder and his wife, Joanna,both of whom were fromGloucestershire, John having beenborn in North Cerney and Joannain Winchcombe.

At the census of 1901 Williamand his parents and his youngersisters, Amy and Annie, wereliving in the village of Syde nearCirencester. It appears from theearlier census of 1891 that Williamalso had two older sisters, Emilyand Clara.

In 1901 William’s father wasemployed on a farm as a cattleman whilst William, then aged 14,was also working on a farm as acarter.

William joined the GlamorganConstabulary on 5th December1908. At the time of the census of1911 he is shown as being aboarder at the Miskin Hotel,Trealaw in the Rhondda along with

a sergeant and five otherconstables from the GlamorganConstabulary. They werepresumably billeted there inconnection with the policing ofthe industrial unrest in the area atthat time.

During his police serviceWilliam was stationed at Caerau,near Maesteg, and the localnewspaper reported on severalcases in which William had beeninvolved:

• In January 1914 William andanother police officer hadattended at a house in Caerauto serve a warrant on the manliving there. He attempted tomake his escape and the policeofficers were attacked by theman’s wife and daughters. TheGlamorgan Gazette for 27thFebruary 1914 reported whathappened (William is the“witness” in the report):

“His wife ....then came out andcaught hold of prisoner and triedto pull him away and shouted forhelp. Her two daughters cameout with bottles in their handsand struck witness and PCRichards on the back and on theback of the neck with them andalso caught hold of their father

42


and tried to pull him away. Theytore all the man’s clothes offhim in the scuffle and it waswith great difficulty that witnessgot the man into the lane at theback. The two girls followed,throwing stones and bottles.Ultimately they got the manaway. For several days witnesscould not move his head owingto the effect of the blows on hisneck.”

Sadly it seems that a baby haddied and was in the house at thetime of the incident althoughWilliam and his colleague wereunaware of that until later. ASuperintendent Davies told thecourt that because of that and thefact the money owed under thewarrant had been paid thearrested man had been released.As for his wife and daughters, asthey had not previously beenbefore a court, they were fined10s each.

• Under the heading of “GOODWORK BY POLICE”, theGlamorgan Gazette for 15th May 1914 reported:

“The lock up shop premises ofMr. Albert Williams,greengrocer, of Caerau Road,Caerau, were discovered to be

on fire by the police at 4.30amon Sunday. Sergt. Davies and P.C. Trinder, with several otherconstables, were on the scene ina few minutes, and found thefire had got a firm hold, and thatthe interior was in a mass offlames. Valuable time was lost inobtaining fire appliances owingto the fact that the key of thefire shed was kept at aneighbouring farm, and was notavailable until the farmer wasawakened. The stand-pipe andhose were attached to a hydrantin Caerau road, and after aboutten minutes’ work the officerssucceeded in getting the fireunder control. Had it not beenfor the splendid work of thepolice, and many willing helpers,including P.C. Culleton (worksconstable), the adjacentbuildings would have beeninvolved. The cause of the fire isunknown. The damage was notvery great. Mrs. Williams statedthat she left the premises aboutmidnight after securing them.”

• In a case reported by theGlamorgan Gazette on 9thApril 1915, William hadinvestigated thefts of severalitems from two pubs inCaerau including money, a

43


wrist watch and false teethwhich had been taken from abarmaid’s bedroom in one ofthe pubs. The man chargedwith stealing the property hadsent them to himself in aregistered parcel. It was atCardiff Post Office thatWilliam later recovered thewrist watch together with thefalse teeth! The Defendantwas sent to prison for fourmonths on each charge.

During 1915 William left thepolice and enlisted in the army atBridgend, joining the 16th (CardiffCity) Battalion of the WelshRegiment with whom he went toFrance in December 1915.

He took part in his Battalion’sattack on Mametz Wood on 7thJuly 1916 and was killed in action.He has no known grave and iscommemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial and the GlamorganPolice War Memorial.

10TH JULY

PC 205 EDWARDBERESFORDGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYSERGEANT 14215 8TH BATTALION, SOUTHSTAFFORDSHIRE REGIMENT

Edward wasborn on 15thMay 1888. Hisplace of birthis describeddifferently indifferentrecords. For

example, the census of 1891 givesit as Oldbury in Worcestershirewhilst the census of 1911 statesthat he was born in Netherton,Worcestershire.

In any event, in 1891 the familywas living in Albert Street East inOldbury. Edward’s father, alsocalled Edward, was from RowleyRegis in Staffordshire and wasemployed as a coal miner, whilstEdward’s mother was Elizabethwho had been born in Oldbury.Also there were Edward’s olderbrothers, William and Ernest, andhis older sister Adelaide.

Edward joined the GlamorganConstabulary on 20th August1910 and police records show

44


that he had previously beenemployed, like his father, as a coalminer.

At the time of the Census of1911 Edward was lodging withanother Glamorgan policeman,Charles Harrison, at 44 High Street,Barry.

Shortly before the start of theFirst World War Edward wasstationed as a constable in Penarthand at this time he became qualifiedin first aid. The Barry Dock News of10th July 1914 carried a reportregarding the presentation, at BarryPolice Court, of certificates to himand a number of other policemenwho had been successful in“ambulance examinations”. TheChairman of the court, Dr. HowellRees, had this to say to them:

“I am very pleased to have theopportunity of presenting thecertificates..... I have no doubtyou will have many opportunitieson your rounds of rendering first-aid, more especially on account ofthe increasing danger of thetraffic on our streets and roadscaused by excessive speeds. Wehave very sad examples of thedanger in the London streets bytraffic, 400 being killed onaverage, and 10,000 injured inthe course of the year. It is a very

terrible toll. I do not know a moreprofitable way of spending anevening during the winter months than in organising classesamongst yourselves, andpractising bandaging and rendering first-aid.”

These words may well have hadgreater significance than Dr. Reesmay have imagined when he spokethem. Within a matter of weeks theFirst World War commenced and,no doubt, Edward, and many likehim, would be called upon to bringtheir first aid skills to bear on thefield of battle.

In September 1914, Edward leftthe Glamorgan Police and enlistedin the army at Penarth joining theSouth Staffordshire Regiment. Heserved with its 8th Battalion,eventually attaining the rank ofsergeant.

The Battalion landed in Franceon 14th July 1915 and on 9th July1916 it was ordered to attackQuadrangle Support Trench on theSomme in order to assist theattacks being made by the 38th(Welsh) Division on nearby MametzWood. At first the Battalion’s attackwas successful and part of thetrench was captured but Germancounter attacks later forced theBattalion to fall back. It was during

45


the fighting on 10th July thatEdward was killed in action.

The Western Mail of 31st July1916 reported:

“ Killed: Sergeant Beresford,South Staffordshire LightInfantry, who prior to the warwas a police constable stationedat Penarth. According to a letterreceived at Cardiff the gallantnon-com died whilst leading hismen forward in a night attack,which was ultimately successful.The letter was from an officer ofhis battalion, who gives him asplendid name for valuableassistance rendered both in andout of the trenches. Deceasedwas a single man, and had beenin the county constabulary forfour years. He volunteered formilitary service on September 7,1914.”

Another contemporarynewspaper report states that hewas the son of Edward Beresfordof Pentre, Rhondda and that hehad three brothers also serving inthe army.

Edward has no known graveand is commemorated on theThiepval Memorial and theGlamorgan Police and PenarthWar Memorials.

10TH JULY

PC 766 WILLIAMHENRY LOUDGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYSERGEANT 23311 10TH BATTALIONWELSH REGIMENT

William wasborn in Worle,near Weston-super-Mare,Somerset, in1894 butsubsequentlymoved with

his family to live in South Wales.

At the census of 1901 theywere living at 40 Tallis Street inCwmparc in the Rhondda. Hisfather was Robert who had alsobeen born in Worle, as had hismother Helen (in the subsequentcensus of 1911 described as“Ellen”). Robert was employed incoal mining. Other members ofthe family in the household at thistime were William’s older sister,Helen, and his younger sistersSarah and Annie.

By the census of 1911 thefamily had moved a few housesalong Tallis Street to number 28.By that time Robert was still

46


employed in coalmining, now as a“sinker”, that is to say he wouldassist in sinking new shafts inorder to extract coal. By this timesister Helen (also described as“Ellen”) had become married withthe surname Trott. William wasnow 16 years of age and alsoemployed in coal mining as acollier/hewer. Also in thehousehold were four furtherchildren who had been born since1901 namely, Alice, Florance,Joseph and Albert together withRobert’s brother, Charles, whowas also employed as a sinker.

In 1914 William left coalmining and joined the GlamorganConstabulary. He was serving inMaesteg at the outbreak of war,after which he enlisted in thearmy at Bridgend joining the 10th(1st Rhondda) Battalion of theWelsh Regiment.

He went with them to Francein December 1915 as part of the38th (Welsh) Division and tookpart in his Battalion’s attack onMametz Wood on 10th July 1916when he was killed in action. Hehas no known grave and iscommemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial and the GlamorganPolice War Memorial.

12TH JULY

PC 363 RICHARDHAMERGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYLANCE CORPORAL 16721ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Richard was the son of HughMorgan Price Hamer andMargaret Hamer and was born on4th April 1892 at Llanddew nearBrecon. His father was originallyfrom Builth Wells and his motherwas from Aberdare.

At the time of the census of1901 the family was living at 5Founders Row, Aberdare. Also inthe household in addition toRichard and his parents were hisolder brother “Calip” (as will beseen later this should be “Caleb”)and younger brother, Ernest.

By 1911 when that year’scensus was taken, the family hadmoved to 2 Tydraw Place,Abernant, Aberdare. Richard, then19, and Ernest, 11, were livingthere with their parents. Richard’sfather was described as a collieryworker and Richard was alsoemployed in the collieries as a coalminer/hewer.

Richard joined the Glamorgan

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Constabulary on 5th January 1914and served at Skewen, near Neathand also at Aberavon. Twonewspaper reports refer to hisduties as a police officer. On 9thOctober 1914 the Cambria DailyLeader referred to the case of ayoung man brought before thelocal magistrates charged withstealing a coat and a vest valued at3s 6d from outside a pawnshop inCwmavon Road, Aberavon. It wasstated that:

“P.C. Hamer, a young constable,saw defendant in a suspiciousattitude outside the shop, andwatched him take the coat andvest and put the coat on in placeof his own, then walk away.Witness arrested him.

Defendant was fined 20 shillingsand costs, and the Benchcomplimented the youngconstable upon his smartness.”

Richard again featured in theCambria Daily Leader on 13thNovember 1914 when, in anothercase at Aberavon Police Court,two young men were:

“.....charged with disturbing aplace of worship, Wern Chapel,by making a row outside duringservice.

Both lads denied the charge, andsaid...... they were only waitingto go to chapel themselves atanother place of worship.

P.C. Hamer said that on Sundaynight he saw the defendantsoutside Wern Chapel. They werejumping over the rail, shoutingand causing a disturbance.When sent away they returneda second time.

Defendants were fined 10s eachinclusive.

The Mayor: there are a lot ofcomplaints of thesedisturbances, and they havebecome a real nuisance. I hopethis will be an example toothers, as any other cases willbe severely dealt with.”

Richard resigned from thepolice force on 11th June 1915 inorder to enlist in the army. Hejoined 1st Battalion, Welsh Guardsand arrived in France on 4thNovember 1915. He was, in duecourse, promoted to LanceCorporal in the Prince of WalesCompany of the Battalion.

On 1st July 1916 the Battalionwas in action at Mortaldje asdescribed in the entries relating toPC’s Lock and Williams. From a

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subsequent newspaper report itappears that Richard sufferedserious wounds on that date. Hedied on 12th July, aged 24, at the2nd Canadian General Hospital atOutreau, and is buried at theBoulogne Eastern Cemetery.

Richard’s grave is one of a totalof 5577 Commonwealth burials ofthe First World War in thecemetery. Like the others theheadstone to Richard’s grave liesflat due to the sandy nature of thesoil. It bears the below inscription.

On 11th November 1916, theAberdare Leader carried a report ofthe unveiling of a Roll of Honourin the town’s St. Elvan’s Church tothose who had lost their lives upto that point in the war. Richardwas one of those included on it.The report stated:

“At the close of the service a“Roll of Honour” of theChurchmen of the Parish whohave died in active service wasunveiled by Mr. T. Lloyd,Churchwarden. The dedication

Boulogne Eastern Cemetery

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith”

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prayer was offered by the Vicar.The “Last Post” was sounded byBugler Ivor Irons, 5th WelshRegiment. Seats had beenreserved for the relatives of thefallen. The offertories throughoutthe day were given to the“Kitchener National Memorialfor Disabled Soldiers.” Therewere over a thousand present atthe evening service.”

The loss of Richard was,however, not the only one to befallthe family. He had an olderbrother whose full names appearto have been Caleb John ThomasHamer. The Aberdare Leader of12th June 1915 reported asfollows:

“Jack Hamer, who has beenkilled in action, was the son ofHugh and Margaret Hamer, 2Tydraw, Abernant, and was abrother to P.C. Hamer, PortTalbot. He met his death in theDardanelles on the 28th of May.He had served with the coloursfive years, and was present atthe capture of Tsingtau in China.The parents are very thankful toall for the great sympathy shownto them in their troubles.”

It appears that official recordsrefer to Jack with the first names“Caleb John” and with “Thomas”

as his surname.He served as aregular soldierwith the 2ndBattalion of theSouth WalesBorderers. InAugust 1914 theysupported Japanese forces incapturing the German port ofTsingtao. Subsequently theBattalion returned to Britainbefore being sent to Gallipoli inApril 1915. It was during thefighting there that Jack was killedin action in May 1915. Again, thereare discrepancies in thedocuments as to the date of deathwith some referring to it as 28thMay. The Commonwealth WarGraves Commission, however,records it as 8th May. In any event,Jack has no known grave and iscommemorated on the Hellesmemorial at Gallipoli.

The Aberdare Leader of 27thMay 1916 carried the followingnotice:

IN MEMORIAM

HAMER-In affectionateremembrance of Jack Hamer,age 26 years, son of Mr. andMrs. Hugh Hamer, No, 2 Tydraw,Aberdare, Private in 2nd SouthWales Borderers. Killed in the

Jack Hamer

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Dardanelles May 28th, 1915.

No mother’s care did himattend,Nor over him did a father bend, No sister by to shed a tear, No brother by his words to hear;Sick, dying in a foreign land, No father by to take a hand, No mother near to close his eyes,Far from his native land he lies.”On 13th July 1918 the

Aberdare Leader again carried apoignant family notice:“HAMER-In proud and lovingmemory of Pte. C. J. ThomasHamer, killed in action in theDardanelles, May 28, 1915, andalso Corporal R. Hamer, WelshGuards, died of wounds inFrance, July 12th 1916; dearlyloved sons of Mr and Mrs HughHamer, 4 Abernant Road (late ofTydraw Place), Abernant.Far away from their home, andtheir loved ones,Laid to rest in far-away lands;No more shall our eyes therebehold them,No more shall we clasp theirdear hands,But in my lonely hours of sorrow,They stand by my side,And whisper ‘Dear Mother,

Death cannot divide.”-Too dearly loved to be everforgotten by their sorrowingmother and father, and onlybrother, Ernest. For God, Kingand Country.”

Richard is also rememberedon the Glamorgan Police WarMemorial.

18TH JULY

PC 138 ERNESTROBERT HELSONSWANSEA BOROUGH POLICESERGEANT 2831ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Ernest was aDevonshireman by origin.He was bornon 19thOctober 1887at Bishop’sTawton, near

Barnstaple. His father, Robert, wasa farm labourer and his motherwas Eliza. At the time of thecensus of 1911 Ernest’s parentsand his younger sister, Minnie, andyounger brother, William, wereliving at 7 Warren Cottage,Saunton, Braunton, nearBarnstaple.

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At some stage before the FirstWorld War Ernest moved toSouth Wales and became apoliceman in the SwanseaBorough Force. At the time of thecensus of 1911, he was based atUplands Police Station where helived as a lodger. Also there wereSergeant David Francis Price andhis wife, daughter and two sonstogether with PC’s William JohnBeynon and Frank Edwin Lemonwho were also lodgers.

The Cambria Daily Leader of12th May 1914 refers to Ernest ina report dealing with theappearance of five boys, agedfrom 11 to 15, before theSwansea Juvenile Court for playingfootball in Coedsaeson-crescent:

“P.C. Helson said the defendantswere playing football at nineo’clock at night, to the dangerand annoyance of the public.

According to the statement ofone of the parents, the boys didnot play full time, as they wereonly kicking the ball about foreight minutes.

Chairman (Mr. J.W. Jones): Theysay a policeman is never therewhen he is wanted. Thispoliceman appeared just at theright time, you see-Eachdefendant was fined 1 shilling.”

After Britain declared war onGermany on 4th August 1914there was a call up of reservistsbut also many men came forwardto volunteer for the armed forces,policemen among them. TheSwansea Borough Police WatchCommittee, at a special meeting,considered the position of 13policemen from the Force whowished to join up. One of thosewas Ernest.

The issue which had arisenwhich caused the Committeeconcern was that, whilst policeofficers who were called up asreservists were entitled toallowances, re-instatement at theend of their service and paymentof gratuities in the event of injury,these terms did not apply tovolunteers.

The Committee Chairman,was, however, in no doubt aboutthe matter as reported by theCambria Daily Leader for 3rdSeptember 1914:

“...he thought that they ought totake their courage in their handsand treat the men generously.They would get the support ofthe Corporation and the town.”

It was, therefore, unanimouslyagreed that the officers from theBorough Force who had

52


volunteered should, in allrespects, be treated as if theywere reservists.

The Cambria Daily Leader wenton to state:

“The Chairman expressed to themen the high opinion that theWatch Committee had of themin being anxious to fight for theircountry. He was sure by the lookof them they would give a verygood account of themselves, andthe committee only hoped thatif they accepted the positionthey would return with honours.The committee was proud ofthem. (Applause).

The Mayor said the WatchCommittee and the councilgenerally appreciated very muchthe men’s sense of duty incoming forward as volunteers inthe hour of their country’s need,and he was quite sure they werea body of men who would give agood account of themselves. Hehoped they would be successful,and that the committee wouldsee them back again after thewar was over, and they hadsettled matters to theirsatisfaction.

P.C. Griffiths thanked the WatchCommittee on behalf of the menfor enabling them to do their

duty for their country.(Applause).”

Amongst the officers referredto at the meeting was P.C. 26Aubrey Alfred Smale who wasalso to serve with 1st Battalion,Welsh Guards. He was to die ofwounds on 10th September 1916(see below).

After enlisting Ernest joinedthe Grenadier Guards as Private19277. He undertook initialtraining at the Guards Depot atCaterham in Surrey from wherehe sent a postcard dated 20thSeptember 1914 to PoliceSergeant Rees at Uplands PoliceStation, Swansea. The photographon it shows the entrance to theDepot and on it Ernest haswritten

“This is the place where we arestaying and where we do sentrygo. Looks fine doesn’t it.”

On the reverse of the cardErnest wrote:

“Dear Sergt. Just a Pc aspromised to let you know thatall the boys up here are in thebest of health and getting onallright. We are in a place calledCaterham about 20 miles fromLondon, where we will have toremain for about 2 months hard

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training before we will have achance of going to the front.When we get through ourtraining here we shall be fit foranything. We shall all be drillinstructors by the time we comeback. We boys have been verylucky since we have been here.We are all in the same squadand living in the same roomtogether. We have seen Greenand Bynon in London. Saw TrevorGriffiths last night. They are alllooking up fine. We have metBill Francis brother in law fromSwansea. Remember me to theboys home there.”

It appears that Ernest did not,in fact, go to the front with the

Grenadier Guards but, like manyother Grenadiers, he transferredto the Welsh Guards on itsformation in February 1915. Hewent with the Regiment’s 1stBattalion to France on 17thAugust 1915. Indeed, the Historyof the Regiment in the First WorldWar lists Ernest, by then LanceSergeant 283, as one of theNCO’s of Number 4 Company,who, along with the remainder ofthe Battalion sailed fromSouthampton on the SS Petersburgand landed at Le Havre on 18th August.

Ernest would have taken partin all the Battalion’s actions afterthat including their part in the

Ernest’s postcard to Sergeant Rees

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fierce fighting during the Battle ofLoos between September andOctober 1915. He was promotedto Sergeant on 26th October.

In July 1916 the Battalion wasoccupying lines near the canalbank at Ypres in Belgium. It washere, on the 18th, that Ernestdied of wounds as a result ofenemy shelling.

The Battalion’s War Diaryindicates that on 16th July it hadsuffered casualties from beingshelled by British artillery guns.However, the following day it wasGerman shelling which causedlosses:

“Today we did considerablegunning again and we got shellsback (Bosch this time)......Casualties 1 killed. 6 wounded(2 at duty). Sergt Helsonincluded in wounded but diednext day. A loss.”

On 22nd July the Cambria DailyLeader reported that:

“Ex-Police Sergeant Price andMrs. Price of Rhyddings-terrace,Brynmill, received news onFriday stating that Sergt. E.R.Helson of the Welsh Guards,had died from shrapnel woundsin France. Before he joined theArmy, Sergt. Helson was a

constable in the Swansea PoliceForce, and was for some timestationed at the Uplands, wherehe was very popular. He hadbeen at the front for manymonths and had participated insome hot fighting, some of whichhe described in a very interestingletter which Mr. and Mrs. Pricereceived from him a week or soago.”

The North Devon Journal for21st September carried thefollowing report:

“SAUNTON SOLDIER DIESFROM WOUNDS

During the past week Mr. andMrs. Robert Helson of 6 WarrenCottage, Saunton have receivedthe sad news that their secondson, Sergeant Ernest R. Helson(Welsh Guards), died on July17th from wounds received inaction in France. In a touchingletter the Chaplain who buriedhim states that Sergeant Helsonsuccumbed to wounds in theabdomen and chest. He wasburied in a military cemetery,and a cross marks the grave.The letter concludes-‘May JesusChrist, who died for you, comfortyou in your sorrow.’ SergeantHelson who was 28 years of age,was for five years a member of

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Swansea Police Force, enlistingin the army on the outbreak ofWar. In a letter to his father, theChief Constable of Swanseasays:-‘I hasten to express mydeepest sympathy in yourbereavement. Your son was amost promising officer, one ofthe smartest and mostintelligent of the many recruitsserving in my Constabulary inrecent years, and up to the timeof the War breaking out I hadlooked upon him as one likely toearn early advancement in thePolice services. I consider hisearly death a distinct loss to myConstabulary. I trust that theknowledge that your son diedwhilst serving King and Country

will soften the sad blow for you.’In the Braunton district muchsympathy is expressed for Mr.and Mrs, Helson in theirbereavement.”

Ernest is buried atLijssenthoek Military Cemeterynear Ypres which was the site ofmany casualty clearing stationsduring the war. With 9901Commonwealth burials it is thesecond largest Commonwealthcemetery in Belgium.

Ernest is also remembered onthe Memorial Plaque in SwanseaCentral Police Station.

Sadly, Ernest’s older brother,Jack, also died during the war. Hewas killed in action on 21st March

Lijssenthoek Cemetery

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1918 whilst serving as a LanceBombardier with either the RoyalField Artillery or the Royal HorseArtillery (the records vary). Heleft a widow, Elizabeth, and sevenchildren who lived inPontrhydyfen near Port Talbot.The Cambria Daily Leader for 14th May 1918 reported that Jack:

“...was killed in action at his gunin France. In a sympatheticletter to his widow, who is leftwith seven children, Capt.George Aines states thatdeceased was a most excellentsoldier, and his death was keenlyfelt by the whole battery.”

10TH SEPTEMBER

PC 576 EDWARDJOHN EDWARDSGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 801 1ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Edward was born on 27thDecember 1893 in Aberdare. Hewas the son of David Edwardswho was from Cardiganshire andwas a coal miner and MargaretEsther Edwards fromPembrokeshire. He was educatedat the St Fagan’s National Schoolin Trecynon, Aberdare. At thecensus of 1911 Edward was livingwith his mother at 6 Clive Place,

Trecynon, his father having bythen died. Also in the householdwere Edward’s two brothers andthree sisters along with a nephewof Edward’s aged five. Two ofEdward’s sisters and one of hisbrothers were elementary schoolteachers. Edward himself wasemployed as coalminer/hewer.

Edward joined the GlamorganConstabulary on 12th December1914 and served at Sketty inSwansea. He was in the Force foronly a short time, however, sincehe resigned on 12th March 1915to enlist in the army in Swansea.He joined the Welsh Guardswhich was formed in February1915 and went with the 1stBattalion to France on 17thAugust 1915 landing at Le Havrethe following day. He served withthe Battalion in its time on theWestern Front after that includingthe Battle of Loos.

Edward was killed in action on10th September 1916 during theBattalion’s action at Ginchy, aspart of the Battle of the Somme.He was 22 years of age when hedied.

He has no known grave and iscommemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial and on the GlamorganPolice War Memorial.

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10TH SEPTEMBER

PC 117 HENRYMORGAN JONESGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 1380 1ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Henry was from Cardiganshirehaving been born at Aberystwython 10th September 1890.

He joined the GlamorganConstabulary on 18th November1911, police records indicatingthat he had previously worked asa farm servant. By the outbreak ofwar in August 1914 he was aconstable in Bridgend.

It was there that he enlisted inthe army and joined 1st Battalion,Welsh Guards on 10th May 1915.He went with the Battalion toFrance , landing at Le Havre on18th August 1915.

Henry was killed in action atGinchy on the Somme on 10thSeptember 1916, his twenty sixthbirthday.

He is buried at LondonCemetery and Extension atLongueval on the Somme. It liesimmediately next to High Woodwhich was fought over fiercelyduring the Battle of the Somme.

London Cemetery and Extension, Longueval

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There are 3,873 burials from theFirst World War in the cemetery,3,114 of which are unidentified.

Records held by theCommonwealth War GravesCommission indicate that Henry’sremains were initially amongstthose that could not be identifiedand it was only subsequently thatthe necessary procedures weresatisfied enabling his headstone tobe inscribed appropriately. Therecords indicate that he wassurvived by his mother, Mrs. MaryHughes of Tancoed, Llanfarian,Aberystwyth.

Henry is also remembered onthe Glamorgan Police WarMemorial and the War Memorialat Llanfarian.

10TH SEPTEMBER

PC 684 WILLIAM JONESGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 1189 1ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

William Jones was born inLlangeler near Newcastle Emlyn inCarmarthenshire in 1891. Thefamily moved to live at PencastellFarm in Cymmer, near Maesteg,following the re-marriage of his

widowed mother. He worked onthe farm until he joined theGlamorgan Constabulary in 1914and at the outbreak of war he wasstationed at Maesteg as Constable684.

He joined the Welsh Guards asPrivate 1189 on 17th April 1915 atBridgend and went with them toFrance in August 1915. He servedwith the Battalion duringsubsequent actions on theWestern Front in France andBelgium.

In 1916 William was awardedthe Military Medal for bravery.The History of the Welsh Guardsin the First World War states thaton 9th July 1916, William alongwith Private 758 AnthonyAugustus West (formerly of theGlamorgan Constabularystationed at Port Talbot) werepresented with their MilitaryMedal ribbons by Major GeneralFeilding, General OfficerCommanding the Guards Division.They were also members of aparty, which included LanceCorporal 1245 Trott (PC 324Glamorgan), which representedthe Division at a parade in Paris on14th July.

The Glamorgan Gazette for 4th August 1916 reproduced a

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letter from a police colleague ofWilliam’s, Private W.J. Thomas,Welsh Guards:

“Our boys-the Welsh Guards-went over the top and were verysuccessful. They gained the linesof trenches, and are still holdingthem. Several were killed andwounded. P. C. William Jones, ofMaesteg, went with an officerinto the German trenches andbrought back two prisoners. Theofficer took his name andrecommended him, and he nowwears the Military Medalribbon.”

On the other hand, the PoliceReview for 22nd September 1916reported that he had received it inthe following circumstances:

“...for carrying Lance Corporal E.J. Taylor, Welsh Guards, whowas mortally wounded, across afire-swept zone into a place ofsafety. They were comrades inthe Police Force previous tojoining the Army.”

The details of Lance CorporalTaylor have appeared earlier inthis booklet. He died on 8th May1916 whereas it is likely thatPrivate Thomas in his letter isreferring to the action at

Mortaldje on 1st July. It is alsonoteworthy that General Feildingin presenting the medal ribbonscongratulated the Battalion on“their good work done atMortaldje.”

Whether William won hisMilitary Medal as described by thePolice Review or at Mortaldje, ofone thing there is no doubt andthat was his bravery.

Sadly, on 10th September1916, aged 25, William died ofwounds presumably sustainedduring the action at Ginchy on theSomme. He was survived by hismother, Mrs. Hannah Anthony.

William was obviously highlythought of both as a police officerand a soldier. In another reportafter he had received the MilitaryMedal the Glamorgan Gazette on18th August 1916 gave thisdescription of William as apoliceman:

“He was a smart, conscientiousofficer, an out-and-outWelshman, and very popularwith his colleagues in the force.”

The History of the WelshGuards in the First World War, inone of its concluding chapters,reflects upon the bravery of many

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members of the Regiment duringthe war. It then goes on to say thisabout William:

“While writing of gallantry wehave the deeds of some men atMortaldje always in our mind. Itwas easy on this occasion todescribe, we will say, 1189 Pte.W. Jones advancing alone withonly the flickering, shadow-raising flare from Verey lightsdispersing the dark of amoonless night. We can see himstumbling along the strangetrench, we can see the walls ofearth on either side of him, hisbayonet flashing, the sharp turnin the trench and the jumpinglight throwing a shadow like ablack wall from the angle of theturn. We appreciate the couragewhich led him through theshadow and round the turn inthe trench. We realise that heknew he might meet the enemyat any moment, and wasdeliberately seeking him-he wasa determined man looking for hisenemy.”

William has no known graveand is commemorated on theThiepval Memorial to the Missingof the Somme and on theGlamorgan Police War Memorial.

10TH SEPTEMBER

PC 57 REGINALD LOVISMERTHYR BOROUGH POLICEPRIVATE 2013 1ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Reginald was born atTavistock in Devonon 4th January1889, the son ofJohn Lovis, who

was from Devon,and his wife, Sarah,

who originated fromSomerset. Reginald had an olderbrother, also called John.

Reginald was baptised in theParish of All Saints, Plymouth, on15th February 1889.

By 1891 the family had movedto live at Ball Court Lane inMerthyr. They were still livingthere at the time of the census of1901. Reginald’s father was thenemployed as a brickyard labourerwhilst John was an errand boy fora newspaper office.

By the time of the census of1911, Reginald had joined theMerthyr Borough Police and wasliving as the lodger of SergeantWilliam Lewis, and his wife, Mary,at 43 Taldwyn Terrace,Troedyrhiw. As we have seen

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earlier, also lodging in the samehouse was Thomas Voyle Morgan,PC 68 of the Merthyr Police.

Reginald married Nellie Daviesat Merthyr in 1911. Nellie wasfrom Merthyr and she andReginald had a son, Norman, whowas born in 1912. Sadly, Nelliedied in 1914 aged 23.

Prior to joining the army,Reginald was stationed atGellifaelog, Dowlais and there areseveral reports in the press ofcases involving him as a policeofficer before the localmagistrates. The following aresome of them:

• Three men were charged withassaulting Reginald in theexecution of his duty. He hadbeen to a local lodging houseto speak to the manager andwhen he came out he was setupon by the three men. Ingiving evidence Reginald saidthat they had pushed himdown and kicked him “like afootball.” He had had to usehis truncheon on one of themen. He suffered bruising inseveral places and wasfortunate that the manager ofthe lodging house came to hisaid when he saw Reginald

being beaten. After hearingevidence the magistrates foundthe men guilty and fined them.(Merthyr Pioneer 3rd January1914)

• A woman was charged withthe malicious wounding ofanother woman with a pokercausing wounds to her noseand above her eye. Reginaldgave evidence of the assault.The charge was reduced tocommon assault and thedefendant was sent to prisonfor two months (Western Mail29th April 1914)

• A man was charged withstealing a duck. The ownersaid that he had ten duckswhich he had locked up safelyon the Saturday night but thefollowing morning one of themwas missing. The manager of alocal lodging house gaveevidence that the defendant“brought the duck and put it onthe fire after having cookedsome sausages. He (themanager) took it off the fire andtold him that “that kind of thingwould not do.” Later Reginaldarrested the defendant whoseresponse was that he hadbought the duck. He was

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found guilty and sent to prisonfor one month. (MerthyrPioneer 5th September 1914).

• Reginald was assaulted onanother occasion. In this casehe had arrested a man forbeing drunk and disorderly inDowlais and as he attemptedto take him to the policestation the man struck himtwo violent blows to the chestand chin. Reginald hadassistance from a PC Pugh totake the man into custody. Hewas fined for being drunk anddisorderly and for the assaulton Reginald and was orderedto pay costs. (Merthyr Pioneer30th January 1915)

Reginald left the MerthyrPolice and on 2nd October 1915enlisted in the army at Merthyr,joining 1st Battalion, WelshGuards. He left for France on 9thJuly 1916 and served with theBattalion until he was killed inaction at Ginchy on the Sommeon 10th September 1916. He wassurvived by Norman, then agedfour.

Reginald has no known graveand is commemorated on theThiepval Memorial and on theMerthyr Police Memorial Panel.

10TH SEPTEMBER

PC 77 ARTHURRICHMOND PERKINSGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 1246 1ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Arthur wasborn atAbercanaid,Merthyr Tydfil,on 15thSeptember1889. He wasthe son of

John Perkins and Frances KeziaPerkins (nee Rodman). His fatherwas a police officer in theGlamorgan Constabulary who atone time was stationed at St.Nicholas in the Vale of Glamorganwhilst his mother was a nurse andthe daughter of a police officerwho also served in the GlamorganForce, Inspector Charles Rodmanof Dowlais.

At the time of the census of1911 Arthur’s mother and hissisters, Frances Lilly, who wasolder than him and who was anassistant nurse, and FlorenceMaybell who was younger thanArthur, were living at Gwern ySteeple, Peterston-super-Ely, nearCardiff, Arthur’s father having bythen died.


Arthur was educated atPeterston School and CardiffIntermediate School (later re-named Cardiff High School). As ayoung man he took upemployment on the railways,joining the Great Western RailwayCompany in 1906. He remainedwith them until 1908 when heresigned. On 1st May 1909 hefollowed in the footsteps of hisfather and grandfather andbecame a police officer, joining theGlamorgan Constabulary. At thetime of the census of 1911 he wasstationed at Port Talbot and alsoserved at Ton Pentre andMaesteg.

Arthur resigned from theGlamorgan Constabulary on11th December1914 and laterbecame a clerkin the BradfordCity Police. Itwas in Bradford that heenlisted in the army on 24thApril 1915 and becamePrivate 1246 in the 1stBattalion of the WelshGuards, with whom he wentto France on 17th August1915.

He served with theBattalion in its actions on the

Western Front which included theBattle of Loos betweenSeptember and October 1915when it suffered severe casualties.

Arthur was a signaller in thePrince of Wales’ Company of theBattalion and was killed in actionon 10th September 1916 duringheavy fighting at Ginchy on theSomme when the Battalion againsustained heavy casualties.

One of Arthur’s comradeswrote:

“The last time we were in actionwe caught it pretty hot, and lostall our officers, and fivesergeants in my company werekilled; the rest of the companygot a terrible knocking about.

Perkins was with mewhen he met hisdeath; he was abrave man and onewho faced danger

with a smile on his face. Hejoined my platoon when wemarched into action, and on theway he was smoking andlaughing, and didn’t care a hangabout the shells that were flyingaround; it was a treat to havesuch a man with me. When wegot to our position we had tostart digging a trench undermachine-gun fire, and it was

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while I was getting my platoonextended that Perkins got killed,five minutes after we took theline.”

Arthur’s sergeant stated:

“He has been in my sectionthroughout the war and wasmost respected by all who knewhim. We feel that we have lost agood comrade and a thoroughlygood signaller, and he will alwaysbe remembered by us as a manwho could be relied upon to dohis bit.”

Arthur was 26 when he waskilled. He has no known grave andis commemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial. The CommonwealthWar Graves Commission recordshim as the “only son of FrancesPerkins of Peterston-super-Ely,Cardiff....and the late Serjt Perkins.”

Arthur is not commemoratedon the Glamorgan Police WarMemorial presumably because hehad left the Force to join theBradford City Police. It is,nevertheless, consideredappropriate that his sacrificeshould be remembered andincluded in this booklet.

10TH SEPTEMBER

PC 26 AUBREYALFRED SMALESWANSEA BOROUGH POLICESERGEANT 242 1ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Aubrey wasfrom Swanseahaving beenborn atCockett in1888. He wasthe son ofJames Smale

who originally came from Devon.His mother was called Emily andshe was from Somerset.

Aubrey was baptised at theParish Church in Sketty, Swansea,on 4th March 1888.

In 1891 the family lived at theThe Bryn in Sketty. As well asJames, Emily and Aubrey, also athome were eight other childrenall of whom were older thanAubrey: Richard, Emily, William,Mary, Arthur, Ada, Harold andBeatrice. Aubrey’s father’soccupation was given as “Foremanin Iron Stores.”

By 1901 the family had movedto Castle Villa , off Gower Road in

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Sketty. At the time of the censusof 1911, Aubrey’s mother was awidow and along with Aubrey andtwo of his sisters they lived at 7De La Beche Road in Sketty.Aubrey’s mother was then 71years of age and her occupationwas described as “certificatedmidwife” whilst Aubrey wasemployed as a gardener.

Between 1911 and theoutbreak of war Aubrey joinedthe Swansea Borough Police. TheCambria Daily Leader for 3rdAugust 1914, the day beforeBritain declared war on Germany,reported that Aubrey had beeninvolved in an event of a morelocal nature:

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“At 3.0 a.m. on Sunday morning,P.C. Smale was called to No. 6,Picton Place, the residence ofMiss Musgrave, which was inflames. Fortunately, the housewas unoccupied, Miss Musgraveand all the household beingaway. There was a good supplyof water, and with a hose thefire was got under by about 4 a.m.”

Aubrey enlisted in theGrenadier Guards at Swansea on3rd September 1914 and on 4thDecember the Cambria DailyLeader carried a photograph of agroup of Grenadier Guardsmenwhich included Aubrey and twoother Swansea policemen, PCCharles Gubb and PC ErnestElston (presumably Helson). Alsoin the photograph was anotherman from Swamsea, David DuPree. All four transferred to theWelsh Guards when it was formedin February 1915 but only PCGubb survived the war and hewas wounded.

Aubrey had been Private19279 in the Grenadier Guardsand his qualities were recognisedby promotion, becoming asergeant in the Welsh Guards. Heserved with the 1st Battalion in its

actions on the Somme which iswhere he died of wounds on 10thSeptember 1916 at Ginchy. TheCambria Daily Leader for 19thSeptember reoported:

“Information has come to handthat Sergt. Aubrey Smale, hasbeen killed in action in France.The son of Mrs. Smale, widow, ofKimberley Road, Sketty, andbrother of Mr. Richard Smale, ofMessrs. Jones and Smale, ironmerchants, Quay Parade,Swansea. He was a formermember of the SwanseaConstabulary. Upon theformation of a Welsh regiment,he was transferred, and thoughthe military authorities wishedto retain his services he insistedon taking the place of a marriedcomrade, who had a wife andfour children, and was permittedto substitute. The news wasconveyed to Sergt. Smale’swidowed mother by the Rev. H.J. Stewart, Vicar of Sketty, whoon Sunday delivered anappealing address to hiscongregation from the text,“Greater Love hath no man.”

The Swansea Borough PoliceWatch Committee at its meetingon 16th October 1916 received

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notification of Aubrey’s death, theCommittee noting that he wassingle and “a most efficient policeofficer.” The Committee alsoresolved to refund to Aubrey’smother the contribution paid into the superannuation fund of £7 6s 10d.

A memorial serrvice was heldat the Parish Church of St. Paul’s inSketty, on Sunday, 29th Octoberwhen Aubrey’s name was read outalong with the names of fifteenother men who had died on activeservice. There was a largecongregation present to hear theVicar’s sermon and the reading ofa lesson and the playing ofappropriate music. The CambriaDaily Leader reported that at theconclusion of the service:

“Two buglers sounded the “LastPost” which was followed by twominutes silent meditation,followed by the rendering of theNational Anthem.

After the service the bells rang amuffled peal.”

The following month a furtherimpressive act of remembrancetook place in Sketty. During theFirst World War the customdeveloped in many towns andvillages throughout Britain ofcreating street or roadside shrines

to pay tribute to those from therelevant locality who were servingin the armed forces and especiallythose who had made the ultimatesacrifice. Such shrines becameplaces for the family, friends andneighbours of the men to visit, toplace flowers, to reflect and tomourn.

On 19th November 1916,there was a procession throughSketty led by the Vicar whichvisited each of the four shrineswhich had been erected at DillwynRoad, Tycoch Road, KimberleyRoad and Sketty Avenue. (A fifthshrine was to be erected outsideSt. Paul’s Church at a later date).

The shrines consisted of asimple cross seven feet high, with ashelf for floral tributes and lists ofthe names of the men who hadfallen and those who were servingor had served their country.

Despite poor weather it wassaid that there were more than500 people present at thededications of the shrines withmany more lining the route of theprocession.

373 names were recorded onthe shrines (including a Miss EthelHodgens who was said to be theonly woman from Sketty on activeservice in France). Nineteen of

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those listed had died. Aubrey’sname was one of those on theKimberley Road shrine.

The South Wales Weekly Postreported that during theproceedings:

“....... the Vicar stated they hadcome together as a parish todedicate those crosses or shrinesfor the use of Sketty as a whole.The cross was the emblem oftheir faith, and also indicatedthat sacrifice had been madefor someone. They hadplaced the names of themen in each district onthe cross, so as to havebefore their minds alwaysthe fact that a large numberof men had gone forth fromthe parish of Sketty tosacrifice all they loved best,even their lives, for the sake ofthe men, women and childrenliving there. The shrines hadbeen placed in differentsections of the parish in orderthat they might never forgetthem, and were dedicatedto the use of the parishuntil the war ended...”

Aubrey has no known graveand is commemorated on theThiepval Memorial and theSwansea Police Memorial Plaque.

14TH SEPTEMBER

PC 634 FREDERICKCHARLES LORDGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYLANCE CORPORAL 206734TH BATTALIONGRENADIER GUARDS

Frederick was born in theNorfolk village of Brooke,

near Norwich on 10th July1891. His father, Henry

John Lord, was apoliceman in the NorfolkConstabulary and hismother was Maria.Henry was fromHickling in Norfolkwhilst Maria had beenborn in Fressingfield in

Suffolk.

Frederick was baptisedat Brooke on 10thSeptember 1893.

In 1901, when thatyear’s census was taken, thefamily lived in the policestation in the Norfolk seasidetown of Hunstanton whereHenry was serving as a

sergeant. In addition to Frederickand his parents, also in thehousehold were Frederick’s olderbrothers, Ebenezer and Ernest,and his younger brother Alfred.

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By the time of the census of1911, the family had moved to themarket town of Loddon, some 12miles from Norwich, where theyagain lived in the police station.Henry had by then achievedpromotion to the rank ofsuperintendent. Also at homewere Ernest who was describedas an elementary teacher withNorfolk County Council, Alfred,employed as a tailor’s apprentice,and Frederick who was agardener.

Later in 1911, Frederickmoved to South Wales and joinedthe Glamorgan Constabulary withwhom he served until November1914 when he left and enlisted inthe army at Cardiff. Prior to doingso he had been stationed as aconstable at Cowbridge.

Frederick joined the GrenadierGuards and spent nearly a year onhome service until he went toFrance on 5th October 1915. Bythis time he was a Lance Corporalhaving been promoted in April1915.

He served with the 4thBattalion of the regiment and itwas whilst he was with them onthe Somme that he died ofwounds at the 5th CasualtyClearing Station on 14th

September 1916. He was 25 yearsof age and single.

Frederick is buried at theCommunal Cemetery Extensionat Corbie near Amiens inNorthern France. There are 918burials from the First World Warin the Extension, the majorityarising from the Battle of theSomme. Frederick is alsoremembered on the GlamorganPolice War Memorial and theCowbridge War Memorial.

The cemetery at Corbie where Frederick is buried

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15TH SEPTEMBER

PC 629 GEORGEROBERT GUYGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 22592 2ND BATTALIONGRENADIER GUARDS

George wasborn in Penarthin 1890. Hisfather was alsocalled Georgeand his motherwas Sarah Ann,both of whom

had been born in Cardiff.

At the time of the census of1891 the family lived at Salop Placein Penarth. Along with George andhis parents also in the householdwere George’s older brothersDavid and William. George’sfather’s occupation was describedas “mariner.”

By 1901 and that year’s censusthe family had moved to 24 GlebePlace in Penarth by which time ithad grown with the addition ofGeorge’s sisters, Beatrice andAgnes, then eight and four years ofage respectively. David was now inemployment as a general haulierwhilst father George wasemployed as a boatman.

1911’s census recorded that

the family was then living at 24Plassey Street in Penarth by whichtime George had obtainedemployment as an undertaker’sassistant whilst William was abutcher’s assistant and Beatricewas working as a domestic servant.Later that year George joined theGlamorgan Constabulary and wasstationed at Tonypandy before heleft the Force and enlisted in thearmy at Cardiff on 30th January1915.

He served with the 2ndBattalion, Grenadier Guards andjoined the British ExpeditionaryForce in France on 6th November1915. On 15th September 1916during the Battle of the Somme,the Guards Division, whichincluded 2nd Battalion, GrenadierGuards, advanced towards thetown of Lesbouefs. Due to heavyresistance by German forces theattack faltered and the town wasnot captured until 25th September.It would appear that it was duringthe fighting on 15th Septemberthat George was killed in action.

George was 26 years of agewhen he died and was single. Hehas no known grave but iscommemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial, the Glamorgan PoliceWar Memorial and the WarMemorial at Penarth.

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16TH SEPTEMBER

PC 270 JOHN FARLEYGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYLANCE CORPORAL 7191ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

John, who wasborn on 1stJanuary 1893,was anIrishman fromKinsale inCounty Cork.His father,

Cornelius, was a fisherman whilsthis mother was Kate. Both wereborn in County Cork.

At the time of the census of1901 the family, which includedJohn’s older sisters, Lizzie andAnnie and his youner brothers,Bartholomew, Cornelius andTimothy, lived In Cork Street inKinsale.

The census of 1911 recordsthe family as still living in CorkStreet and there was another son,William, then aged nine. John’sfather had, however, by then died.Lizzie and Annie were bothemployed as lace makers, whilstJohn was a general labourer.

John joined the GlamorganConstabulary in the early days ofthe First World War, on 29th

August 1914. He was stationed atPenrhiwceiber.

The Aberdare Leader of 19thDecember 1914 reported that, inproceedings before the localmagistrates, John had givenevidence in cases of drunk anddisorderly and of illegal Sundaytrading.

John resigned from the policeon 5th March 1915 in order thathe could enlist in the army whichhe did at Aberdare. He joined 1stBattalion, Welsh Guards as Private719 and was subsequentlypromoted to Lance Corporal.

He went with the Battalion toFrance in August 1915 and wasserving with them during theBattle of the Somme when he waskilled in action on 16th September1916.

He was 23 years of age andwas single.

He has no known grave and iscommemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial and the GlamorganPolice War Memorial.

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16TH SEPTEMBER

PC HERBERT JAMES FISHERCARDIFF CITY POLICELANCE CORPORAL 13431ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Herbert wasfrom Cardiffwhere he wasborn inNovember1890. He wasthe son ofGeorge Fisher

and his wife, Elizabeth. They camefrom Poole in Dorset and Bathrespectively.

At the time of the census of1891 the family lived in theCathays area of Cardiff. Also therein addition to Herbert and hisparents were Herbert’s brothers,Henry, George and Reginald andhis sisters Ada and Elizabeth all ofwhom were older than Herbert.

Herbert was baptised in StAndrew’s Church in Cardiff inMarch 1892 when his father’socupation was recorded ascoachman. Subsequently Herbertattended Marlborough RoadPrimary School in the city.

By 1901 and that year’s censusHerbert’s father had died and thefamily lived at 1 Cyfarthfa Street inRoath, Cardiff.

In February 1911 Herbertjoined the Cardiff City Police. Thecensus of that year shows him asas living at the police station atJanet Street in Splott. Also livingthere were Inspector WilliamPrice and his wife, who helped tolook after the station, theirdaughter and, in addition toHerbert, PC’s Rees Davies,William Keen, John Weeks andFrank Willis. The latter was to bekilled in action on 15th November1914.

Herbert enlisted in the army atCardiff on 29th April 1915 andjoined 1st Battalion, Welsh Guardsand was subsequently promotedto Lance Corporal. He went withthe Battalion to France in August1915 and took part in theRegiment’s actions during theBattle of Loos the followingmonth a description of which iscontained in a report in the SouthWales Echo:

“Letters from the front describehow Lieut. E. G. Mawby, seniorlieutenant of the Prince ofWales’ Company, 1st Welsh

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Guards, fell, and also mentionsLance Corporal Herbert JamesFisher (Welsh Guards), who, forfive years, was in the Cardiff CityPolice, stationed at Canton.

An officer writes under dateSeptember 30th: ‘The WelshGuards did spendidly. Oneartillery officer said he had neverbefore seen a regiment crossopen ground under such a hail ofshells, as if they were on parade,and every German gun wasturned on us. The Grenadiers,Scots Guards, and ourselvescrossed the open ridge and downinto the town, which was worstof all, as it was gassed and beingblown inside out. When we gotthrough the village below the hillwe were ordered to do theattack at once. The Battaliondid awfully well, but we lost fiveofficers killed.

October 1st: The General cameround today and complimentedeach company on what they haddone. He said the chief artilleryofficers had spoken withadmiration of the way we hadcome down the slope into Loos.Just when the General wasgetting anxious about having acomplete regiment together to

carry out the attack the WelshGuards were there awaitingorders.

October 2nd: General Frenchcame round this morning, and itis reported that he was verypleased with the whole advance.

Col. W. Murray Threipland (O.C.1st Welsh Guards) writes that‘Lieut. Mawby and LanceCorporal H.J. Fisher wentforward in advance of theplatoon, and Lieut. Mawbycaught his leg in a wire. Therewere two shots and Lieut.Mawby fell. After remaining withhis officer ten minutes andmaking certain life had gone, thecorporal crawled back to theline.”

In September 1916 theBattalion was in action during theBattle of the Somme and itappears that it was during itsattack near Lesboeufs thatHerbert was killed on the 16th.He was 25 years of age and single.

He has no known grave and iscommemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial and the Cardiff PoliceWar Memorial.


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16TH SEPTEMBER

PC 526 AUGUSTUS HARRISGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYLANCE CORPORAL 11841ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Augustus wasborn at Blainain Monmouth-shire on 25thNovember1893, the sonof Thomas

Harris and his wife, Elizabeth.

Both his parents were fromMonmouthshire, his father havingbeen born in Machen and hismother in Blaina.

In 1911 the family was living inthe village of Rudry nearCaerphilly. Augustus and his fatherwere both employed in thetinplate industry, Augustus as a tinplate catcher and his father as atinplate roller. Also living at homewere Augustus’ older sisterBeatrice who was employed as adressmaker, and his younger sisterand brother, May and Gwyn, bothof whom were at school.

Augustus joined theGlamorgan Constabulary on 17th

August 1914 and served for onlyeight months before resigning on9th April 1915 so that he couldenlist in the army. Prior to doingso he had been stationed in BarryDock.

In his short time as apoliceman he featured in reportsin the Barry Dock News in casesbefore the local magistrates.

In its edition on 16th October1914 it described the case of aTerritorial soldier who wascharged with being drunk anddisorderly and assaulting thepolice:

“On the previous Saturday night,said Inspector R.H. Thomas, he,together with P.C. AugustusHarris, saw the prisoner inMerthyr Street, Barry Docks. Hewas under the influence of drink,and was quarreling with awoman. The defendant refusedto go away when requested, andhad to be taken into custody. Onthe way to the police station hebit witness on the hand and leg,and kicked the constable. ‘Hewas like a madman,’ addedInspector Thomas,’and waskicking and biting all the way.’

Defendant, who had been before

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the Court on ten previousoccasions, said he was under theinfluence of drink at the time,and could not rememberanything about the offence”.

The magistrate, in passingsentence, addressed the soldier:

“ We are sorry to see you here. Ishould have thought the uniformyou were wearing would havemade you respect youself. Theassault was quite unprovoked. Itis a great pity that the publicgive drink to you soldiers. Youwill go to prison for a month oneach charge, the sentences torun concurrently.”

In a case headlined “Inclined tobe Russian”, the paper reported on26th March 1915:

“Carl Harleman, an Austrian,was charged with landing atBarry Docks from the steamshipSt. Elmo.

P.C. Augustus Harris spoke toarresting defendant outside theShipping Office in Dock ViewRoad that morning at 10.30.When charged, he made noreply.

Accused said he had beenpreviously arrested in France,but in that country was allowed

to go because he was inclined tobe a Russian.

Defendant was remanded incustody...”

Then in its edition for 2ndApril 1915, shortly beforeAugustus left the police to join thearmy, it reported on a case ofillegal street betting involving aman named Phillips:

“P.C. Frank Hall said he and P.C.Augustus Harris kept thedefendant under observation inThompson Street, Barry Docks,on the previous Wednesday,from 12.30 until 1.10 p.m.,during which time he saw sixmen approach defendant, andhand slips of paper and whatappeared to be money. Phillipsentered a telephone box in atobacconists’s shop, and it wasthere that he was arrested. Theslips were found on the floornear him, and one in thetelephone box. When searchedat the police station, £3 18s,was found in Phillips’ possession.

P.C. Augustus Harriscorroborated.

The defendant said he was atone time in the employ of a localbookmaker, but was now

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working regularly as a plater’shelper at the docks. He deniedthe charge, stating that the slipswhich were found in hispossession were his ownproperty, and contained thenames of horses which heintended ‘backing’ for himselfand friends.

Defendant had made twoprevious visits to the court onsimilar charges, and he was nowfined £10 including costs, or onemonths’ imprisonment.”

For Augustus such matterswere soon to be overtaken by theenormity of events in France. Heenlisted on 10th April 1915, theday after he resigned from thepolice. He was posted to the 1stBattalion of the recently formedWelsh Guards and went initially tothe Guards Depot at Caterham.

He then landed in France withhis Battalion in August 1915 andserved with it during itssubsequent actions on theWestern Front until December1915 when he returned to Britainwhere he remained until July 1916when he again went toFrance.The following month hewas promoted to Lance Corporal.

It was during the Battle of theSomme that Augustus was killed inaction on 16th September 1916.Initially he was posted as missingbut it was then accepted that hehad died. He was 22 years of agewhen he died.

He has no known grave and iscommemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial and the GlamorganPolice War Memorial.

22ND SEPTEMBER

PC 292 ARTHUR PUGHGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 25281ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Arthur wasfrom Brithdir,nearDolgellau, inNorth Wales.

He wasborn on 25th March 1894, the sonof Hugh Pugh, who had also beenborn in Brithdir, and his wife,Ellen, who was originally fromLlanarth in Cardiganshire.

In 1901 the family was living inLlwyn yr Helm, Brithdir. At home

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at the time of that year’s census,in addition to Arthur and hisparents, were Arthur’s sisterBlodwen and brother Llewelyn,both of whom were older thanArthur, and his sister Morfudd,who was yoinger than him.

At the census of 1911 thefamily was still living at Llwyn yrHelm. However, it appears that bythen Arthur’s mother had diedand his father had marriedCatherine who came fromLlanymawddwy, Merionethshire.Arthur’s father’s occupation isgiven as farmer and stone masonwhilst Arthur was employed as afarm labourer.

Arthur left North Wales andapparently worked for a time atBlaenclydach in the Rhondda. On20th February 1915 he joined theGlamorgan Constabulary and wasstationed at Mountain Ash beforehe left for the army. It seems fromrecords that he enlisted atMountain Ash on 9th December1915 but did not resign from thepolice force until 21st January1916 with his enlistment in thearmy becoming effective on 27thJanuary.

Arthur was posted to the

Welsh Guards joining them at theGuards Depot at Caterham inSurrey. He then remained onhome service until 9th August1916 when he went to France andjoined the Regiment’s 1stBattalion.

It was during the fighting at theBattle of the Somme on 16thSeptember 1916 that Arthurreceived wounds to his head andabdomen from which he died on22nd September at the Number 3Stationary Hospital at Rouen,Northern France . He had been inFrance for a mere 45 days.

A Dolgellau Welsh languagenewspaper Y Dydd (The Day),carried the following report ofArthur’s death in its edition for13th October 1916:

“....Ymunodd a’r fyddin ddiweddIonawr 1916, a bu farw o’iglwyfau mewn ysbytty ynFfrainc, Medi 22ain, ac efe yn22 mlwydd oed. Cyn ymuno a’rfyddin yr oedd yn aelod o HeddluSir Forganwg, yn Mountain Ash,lle yr oedd yn fawr ei barch ganei gyd swyddogion. Cyn ymunoa’r Heddlu gweithiai ynBlaenclydach, ac mae ei dadwedi derbyn lliaws o lythyraucydymdeimlad ag ef, ac yn talu

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teyrnged o barch i’w fab fel dynieuanc o gymeriad rhagorol.Cynhaliwyd cyfarfod coffaamdano yn nghapel yrAnnibynnwyr yn y Brithdir, nosFawrth”.

“...He joined the army at theend of January 1916, and died ofhis wounds in hospital in France,22nd September, at 22 years ofage. Before joining the army hewas a member of the GlamorganConstabulary, in Mountain Ash,where he was held in high regardby his fellow officers. Beforejoining the police he worked inBlaenclydach, and his father has

received numerous letters ofsympathy and paying tribute tohis son as a young man ofexcellent character. A memorialservice for him was held in theIndependent chapel at Brithdiron Tuesday evening.”

The same newspapercontained the followingappreciation for sympathy on 20th October 1916:

“Dymuna Mr. Hugh Pugh,Tynymyndd, Brithdir, a’r teulugydnabod eu diolchgarwch i’rcyhoedd am y llu llythyrau, a’rgeiriau caredig y mae wedi eu

St. Sever Cemetery

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derbyn, yr hyn sydd wedi bod yngymorth anrhaethol iddo i ddaldan y brofedigaeth o golli ei fabArthur ym maes y frwydr ynFfrainc.”

“Mr. Hugh Pugh, Tynymynydd,Brithdir, and family would like toconvey their thanks to the publicfor the many letters and kindwords they have received, whichhave been of great support tohim in his tribulation in losinghis son Arthur on the battlefieldin France.”

Arthur is buried at the St.Sever Cemetery in Rouen. Duringthe First World War there werefifteen hospitals in the area andthe majority of those who died inthem are buried in this cemeteywhich contains 3,082Commonwealth burials from theWar.

Arthur is also commemoratedon the War Memorial at Dolgellauand on the Glamorgan Police WarMemorial.

25TH SEPTEMBER

PC 730 SIDNEYAMBROSE PHELPSGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYCORPORAL 18881ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Sidney wasborn inGrangetown,Cardiff in1892. He wasthe son ofCharlesMorgan Phelps

who had been born in Newport,Monmouthshire. He was a PoliceConstable in the Cardiff CityPolice. Sidney’s mother wasElizabeth who had also been bornin Newport.

Sidney was part of a largefamily, being one of fourteenchildren. According to thecensuses of 1891, 1901 and 1911the family had lived at variousaddresses in theCanton/Grangetown areas ofCardiff: Allerton Street in 1891,Clare Road in 1901 and King’sRoad in 1911.

Sidney, along with his brothers,Percy and Harry, and his sister,Getrude, were baptised on 12th

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January 1899 at St. Barnabas’Church in Grangeown.

In 1911 Sidney was working asa shop assistant, according to thecensus of that year. In November1912, however, he joined theGlamorgan Constabulary and inthe period before the First WorldWar he was stationed at Gorseinonand Gowerton near Swansea.

After the outbreak of warSidney enlisted in the army atSwansea on 5th August 1915 andjoined 1st Battalion, Welsh Guardsand was susequently promoted toCorporal. It was whilst servingwith them during the Battle of theSomme that he was killed in actionon 25th September 1916.

He was 23 years of age andsingle when he died. A newspaperreport of his death stated:

“He has four brothers in theArmy, two others who haveattested, another employed inmunition works, and a sister whois a nurse. His brothers in theArmy are: Sapper W.H. Phelps,R.E., Private James Phelps, WelshRegiment, Corporal HenryPhelps, Royal Welsh Fusiliers,and Private J. Phelps, R.A.M.C”

The Western Mail of 13thOctober 1916 carried thefollowing notice:

“PHELPS:-S. A. Phelps, WelshGuards, aged 23, dearly-lovedson of the late C. M Phelps, CityPolice, and Mrs. E. Phelps, 153,King’s Road, Canton, Cardiff.

Could we have raised his dyinghead,

Or heard his last farewell”

Sidney has no known grave andis commemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial and the GlamorganPolice War Memorial.

Sadly, Mrs. Phelps’ grief was tobe renewed before the war’s end.Sidney’s brother, Harry, was killedin action on 22nd April 1918 whilstserving as Private 54497 with the16th Battalion of the Royal WelshFusiliers during renewed fighting inthe Somme area at that time. Hewas 22 years of age. He is buriedat Bouzincourt CommunalCemetery Extension, near Albert.During 1918 it was used largely forthe burial of men from the 38th(Welsh) Division. There are a total

of 589 FirstWorld Warcasualtiesburied in thecemetery.


PrivateHarry Phelps

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8TH DECEMBER

PC 132 JACKRANDALL BIRCHSWANSEA BOROUGH POLICELANCE SERGEANT 243,1ST BATTALIONWELSH GUARDS

Jack wasoriginally fromStaffordshirehaving beenborn in OgleyHay inBrownhillswhich lies near

Walsall and Lichfield, in 1890.(“Soldiers Died in the Great War”gives his place of birth as“Swansea”. However, the censusof 1911-referred to below-gives itas “Staffs Ogleyhay”).

At the census of 1901 thefamily lived in Silver Street inBrownhills. In the household, inaddition to Jack, were his father,William, who had been born inOldbury, Staffordshire, and hismother, Priscilla, who wasoriginally from Bilston inStaffordshire. Also there wereJack’s older sister, Elizabeth, andhis older brothers, William, Harry,Joseph, and Jacob and his youngerbrother, James.

Those in employment at thattime were William (father), coalminer/hewer below ground,William (brother), coalminer/loader below ground,Harry, coal miner labourer/belowground, Joseph, coal miner/driverbelow ground and Jacob, at 14years of age, a coal miner/belt boyabove ground.

By 1911 Jack had moved toSwansea and joined the Borough’sPolice Force since the census ofthat year records him as being atthe Central Police Station alongwith a number of other policeofficers including Frank Coffey andPatrick Shea, both of whom wereto die as a result of the War, andCharles Gubb who was also toserve with Jack in the army in duecourse.

Jack enlisted in the army atSwansea on 4th September 1914,initially joining the GrenadierGuards as Private 19282, but thentransferred to the 1st Battalion,Welsh Guards after the formationof that regiment in February 1915.He was eventually promoted,becoming a Lance Sergeant.

By December 1916 theBattalion was near Montauban onthe Somme in the area of

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Maltzhorn Camp and BronfayCamp, the troops spending threedays and nights at a time in thefront line. The History of theWelsh Guards in the wardescribes what conditions were

like in the area. It encapsulates theimage which has remained overthe years of what the Sommebattlefront was like :

“The French had started tomake a good line, with deep

Standing: Jack Birch (left) and Ernest Helson (right)Seated: Aubrey Smale (left) and Charles Gubb (right)

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trenches and goodcommunication, and when firsttaken over in frosty weather itwas easy to get about; butbefore anything in the way ofrevetting could be done a thawset in and rain. The trenches fellto pieces, subsided within anhour. The whole country becamea swamp, and from Haie Wood,between Combles and Morval,to the line, a distance of twoand a half miles, each stepforward was an effort.Everything possible was done tolimit the traffic to the line-rations for the whole periodwere carried in by the relievingtroops-but the absolutelynecessary traffic cut the softmuddy ground until men sank upto their knees in the puddledstuff. There was only one linealong which anyone could move,and the track became wider andwider; but to leave the trackaltogether, especially as reliefcould only be done at night,meant a danger of getting lost inthat bare, treeless country, withthe even skyline. The march “in”was exhausting; much more sothe march “out”, after threedays in the mud without shelterof any sort or kind. A soup

kitchen was established bySidney Jones, the padre, atCombles, and another at therailway siding, and they weregreat blessings. But the menarrived at Bromfay Camp wet tothe skin.”

And so it was in suchconditions that Jack was servingwith the Prince of WalesCompany of the Battalion whenhe died. The records show thatthis occurred on 8th December1916 when he was killed in action.However it is possible that it wason the night of the 7th and intothe 8th since the Battalion’s WarDiary in its entry for 7thDecember refers to the Prince ofWales Company as follows:

“PoW got 2 shells comingup...into the line. Killed SergtBirch and wounding severalothers”

On 8th January 1917 theCambria Daily Leader reported onJack’s death together with aphotograph of him and hiscolleages from the SwanseaBorough Police who had joinedthe army and served in the WelshGuards. They were ErnestHelson,who died of wounds,Aubrey Smale, who also died of

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wounds, and Charles Gubb whowas wounded and was the onlyone of the four to survive the War.

In relation to Jack the reportstated:

“ Sergt. Jack Birch, who waskilled in December, had been forsix years a constable in theSwansea Police Force, and hadbeen stationed at St. Thomas foralmost three years. Thephotograph is one taken beforethe four ‘pals’ (all members ofthe Swansea Police Force) leftfor France with the WelshGuards. By this time three out ofthe four have given their lives for

their country. Sergt. Birch was awell known and popular memberof the force, and was muchadmired for his athletic abilities.News of the death was officiallyreceived by his brother, Hy.Birch, of the Newport PoliceForce, who says that of fivebrothers, all are in theConstabulary of this country.”

Jack was 26 years of age whenhe died and single. He is buried atBronfay Farm Military Cemetery ,Bray-sur-Somme. It contains 537burials and commemorations ofthe First World War. Jack is alsocommemorated on the SwanseaPolice War Memorial Plaque.

Bronfay Farm Military Cemetery

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100 years on: The Memorial at Mametz Wood following the Welsh National Service of Remembrance held on 7th July 2016

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South Wales Police iscurrently gathering

information about themany police officers fromour predecessor forces of

Glamorgan, Swansea,Merthyr Tydfil, Neath andCardiff who served in the

armed forces during theFirst World War.

We want to ensure weuncover as much

information as possibleabout our proud

history, and the many men who served both

the force and their countryto ensure they

are never forgotten.

All the stories andinformation collected,

including photographs,letters and newspapercoverage from that timewill be shared online andon Facebook.

To make a contribution please email:[email protected]

FIRST WORLD WARPROJECT GROUPGareth Madge (Chair),Danny Richards, RobinMellor, Peter Wright, Paul Wood, Daryl Fahey,Allison Tennant, CoralCole, Alan Fry togetherwith Philip Davies of theWestern Front Association.

THE

GREAT WARCENTENARY1914-1918 2014-2018

HEDDLU DE CYMRU • SOUTH WALES POLICE

L E A R N • E N G A G E • R E M E M B E R

www.south-wales.police.ukwww.southwalespolicemuseum.org.uk D

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