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HEDDLU DE CYMRU • SOUTH WALES POLICE

THE

GREAT WARCENTENARY1914-1918 2014-2018

LEST WE FORGETREMEMBERED WITH PRIDE IN 2015

THOSE WHO DIED IN 1915

LEARN • ENGAGE • REMEMBER

LED BY IWM

Print Ref 2034 The Great War Centenary Book 1915.qxp_Layout 1 28/10/2015 12:32 Page 1

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

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T H E G R E A T W A R C E N T E N A R Y • 19 1 5

1915 marked the first full year of theFirst World War. As will be seenfrom the summary of the year whichappears in this booklet, it saw anumber of attempts by the Allies tobreak the deadlock of trench warfarewhich had developed on the WesternFront, including the costly Battle ofLoos when several police officersfrom our predecessor forces werekilled, including six on the same day -27th September.

It was also a year which saw theAllies attempt to force Turkey out ofthe war resulting in the terriblefighting and loss of life on theGallipoli peninsula where aGlamorgan police officer lost his life.At the Second Battle of Ypres theGermans used poison gas on theWestern Front for the first time andthe British responded in kind at theBattle of Loos. Both were precursorevents to even more terribletechnologies of war in the shape ofatomic bombs and other weapons,later in the century.

As we look back over the span of100 years it is important to considerwhy we remember these events solong ago. There are, it seems to me,two main reasons. The first is thesense of connection which we stillfeel for those who served andespecially for those who died or

were wounded. This arises in thecontext of our families, ourcommunities and policing. Second, isthe impact which the War had on ourworld: its effects are still resonatingdown the years to our own day,particularly in the Middle East.

Last year we marked the centenaryof the commencement of the warwith a booklet which sought toprovide some context andbackground and details of those whohad died during 1914. It has beenvery well received and many copieshave been distributed to individuals,including relatives of some of thosewho died, and organisations.

In this year’s booklet, in addition toprofiles of those who died, we haveother sections which we hope will beof interest. We have produced aseparate booklet to mark thecentenary of the Welsh Guards andthe close connection between ourpredecessor forces and it during theFirst World War.

We hope to be able to producesimilar booklets for the remainingyears of the centenary so thattogether they will be a lasting tributeto all those who served and,especially, to those who made theultimate sacrifice.

Peter Vaughan QPMChief Constable, South Wales Police

INTRODUCTION


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The Group has continued with itswork of researching the history ofour predecessor forces during thewar and, in particular, the personalstories of those police officers whoserved in the armed forces at thattime. The following is a summary ofsome key areas of activity:

• The total number of deceasedofficers recorded on theMemorials of the Glamorgan,Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyrforces is 90. However, we havenow identified two moreGlamorgan officers who are notshown on the Headquarters WarMemorial. One is PC ArthurRichmond Perkins of Maestegwho served with the WelshGuards and was killed in actionon 10th September 1916. He iscommemorated on the ThiepvalMemorial to the Missing of theSomme. The other is PC FrankTrott of Porthcawl who alsoserved with the Welsh Guardsand died on 11th November1918. He is buried at St John’sChurch, Newton, Porthcawl.Further information regardingboth officers will be provided infuture booklets. In addition, if wediscover any other officers whohave been omitted from theMemorials we will ensure thattheir details are also recorded indue course.

• In recent months, wreaths, withinscriptions signed by the ChiefConstable, have been laid onbehalf of the Force to rememberthose former officers who haveno known grave and arecommemorated on the LoosMemorial in Northern Franceand at the Thiepval Memorial(this included PC Perkins). Afurther wreath was laid at theWelsh Dragon Memorial atMametz Wood to specificallyremember the former officerskilled there in July 1916. Inaddition, remembrance crosseshave been placed on graves inFrance, and also in Wales, on thegraves of PC Trott at Porthcawl,PC William George Mathias ofthe Glamorgan Constabulary andthe Welsh Guards, buried inFishguard, and PC William JonesThomas of the GlamorganConstabulary and Welsh Guards,buried at St Edeyrn’s Church,Llanedeyrn, Cardiff. In this way,out of the total of 92 identified ashaving been killed in action, diedof wounds or of other causes, 72have now been remembered inFrance, Belgium and Walesthrough the laying of wreaths atmemorials or the placing ofcrosses on individual graves. Wewill continue our efforts so thatas many as possible of those whodied are remembered in this way.

FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT GROUP


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• A new Vehicle MaintenanceFacility in Bridgend, which is ajoint venture with BridgendCounty Borough Council, hasbeen named Ty Richard Thomasin remembrance of PoliceSergeant Richard Thomas of theGlamorgan Constabulary whoserved in the area prior to theFirst World War. He was a Welshrugby international who playedfor several clubs in South Walesincluding Bridgend. He played inthe first international matchbetween Wales and France andwas in the Welsh side which wonthe first Grand Slam in 1908. Hewas a Company Sergeant Majorin the 16th (Cardiff City)Battalion of the Welsh Regimentduring the War and was killed inaction during the attack onMametz Wood on the Somme on7th July 1916.

• Contact has been establishedwith the families of a number ofthe police officers who have diedand this has been a mostrewarding experience. We havealso been able to assist otherindividuals with their research.

• In addition to remembering thosewho died, we are also

researching those who wererecognised for their gallantry. We hope to follow this up infuture booklets and we wouldalso like to examine the effect thewar had on the policing of SouthWales.

• The production of booklets suchas this is an important feature ofwhat the Group does, as ismentioned by the ChiefConstable in his Introduction. As a Group we believe that byremembering the efforts of thosewho have gone before us, we areable to communicate with ourcommunities on something whichmeans so much, to so manypeople.

Finally, I would like to take thisopportunity to thank the members ofthe Project Group for their excellentsupport which is entirely voluntaryon their part. They are: DannyRichards, Robin Mellor, Peter Wright,Paul Wood, Daryl Fahey, Coral Cole,Allison Tennant and Philip Davies ofthe Western Front Association. In addition, the Force’s PrintingDepartment has, as always, provideda first class service in producing thisbooklet and other items.

Gareth Madge OBEChair, First World War Project Group


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19TH JANUARY

Germany begins bombing Britainthrough the use of Zeppelinairships. Great Yarmouth andKing’s Lynn are bombed andseveral people are killed andinjured.

24TH JANUARY

In the Battle of Dogger Bank, theRoyal Navy sinks the Germancruiser, Blucher.

4TH FEBRUARY

Germany declares a navalblockade around the coasts ofBritain and Ireland. From now onAllied and neutral shipping are atrisk of attack by U Boats.

19TH FEBRUARY

British and French warships begintheir attempt to force their waythrough the Dardanelles Straits bybombardment of the shores.

10TH MARCH

The start of the British offensive atNeuve Chapelle in France. Thereare heavy losses and there is muchcriticism of the lack ofeffectiveness of the shells used bythe artillery. This leads to the socalled “Shell Crisis” which causesserious problems for the Asquithgovernment.

22ND APRIL

The start of the Second Battle ofYpres where the Germans usepoison gas for the first time.

25TH APRIL

Following the unsuccessfulattempt by the Allied navies toforce their way through theDardanelles, the land campaign atGallipoli begins with landings by70,000 British, Commonwealthand French troops who meetstrong resistance from Turkishforces.

30TH APRIL

PC 251 Bertram Frederick Creesof the Glamorgan Constabulary iskilled in action near Ypres.

7TH MAY

The British liner Lusitania istorpedoed and sunk by a GermanU boat off the coast of southernIreland. Over 1000 passengersand crew lose their lives including128 Americans which causesoutrage in the United States andprovokes a diplomatic crisisbetween it and Germany.

1915 A SUMMARY

R.M.S. Lusitania



7TH MAY

PC 119 William Arthur Jones ofthe Swansea Borough Police diesin an accident in Kent whilstserving with the Royal Engineers.

9TH MAY

Unsuccessful British offensive atAubers Ridge in France.

20TH MAY

PC 397 William George Mathias ofthe Glamorgan Constabulary diesof sickness in hospital in Englandwhilst undergoing training withthe Welsh Guards.

23RD MAY

Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary.

25TH MAY

There is political discontent inBritain as a result of the risinglosses on the Western Front andthe problems in shellmanufacturing resulting in too fewbeing produced and too many ofthose that are, lackingeffectiveness. Liberal PrimeMinister Asquith responds to thepressure by establishing aCoalition Government in whichDavid Lloyd George becomesMinister of Munitions.

31ST MAY

London experiences its firstZeppelin raid. Seven people arekilled and thirty five are injured.

4TH JUNE

The fighting in Gallipoli continues.The British losses amount to6,000 men as the Allies attempt tomove inland from the beaches.

6TH JUNE

26 people killed and 40 injured inZeppelin raid on Hull.

6TH AUGUST

Further allied landings are madeon the Gallipoli Peninsula at SuvlaBay.

7TH AUGUST

PC 134 Frederick Richards of theGlamorgan Constabulary is killedin action at Gallipoli.

8TH SEPTEMBER

Zeppelin raid on London kills 22and injures 87.

25TH SEPTEMBER

Start of the Battle of Loos. Britishuse poison gas for the first time.

27TH SEPTEMBER

British and Canadian forcescapture Hill 70 at Loos but overall

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the Loos offensive has only limitedsuccess before it is terminated inOctober.

27TH SEPTEMBER

PC Benjamin Evans of the CardiffCity Police, and PC 203 MichaelDoyle, PC 648 David WilliamEvans, PC 591 David CharlesGrant, PC 364 Ernest LewisReeves, and PC 622 CharlesHenry Snailham, all of theGlamorgan Constabulary, are allkilled in action during the Battle ofLoos.

6TH OCTOBER

PC 1330 William East of theGlamorgan Constabulary is killedin action near Loos.

8TH OCTOBER

PC 138 William Holland of theSwansea Borough Police dies ofwounds near Loos.

12TH OCTOBER

PC 255 Leonard Nowell of theGlamorgan Constabulary dies ofwounds near Loos.

British nurse, Edith Cavell, isexecuted by the Germans by firingsquad because of assistance shehad given to Allied prisoners ofwar to escape.

17TH OCTOBER

PC 239 William Hammond of theGlamorgan Constabulary is killedin action near Loos.

25TH OCTOBER

PC 404 William Henry Carter ofthe Glamorgan Constabulary diesof wounds near Loos.

31ST OCTOBER

British troops start to use steelhelmets on the Western Front inplace of the caps worn until then.

17TH DECEMBER

In Grantham, Lincolnshire, EdithSmith is attested as the firstfemale police constable withpowers of arrest.

19TH DECEMBER

Sir Douglas Haig replaces Sir JohnFrench as Commander of theBritish Expeditionary Force.

23RD DECEMBER

Thousands of Allied troops areevacuated successfully fromGallipoli as the offensive there isbrought to close. Some 250,000Allied soldiers were killed,wounded or taken prisoner duringthe campaign.


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30TH APRIL

PC 231 BERTRAMFREDERICK CREESGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYSAPPER 13986 17TH FIELDCOMPANY, ROYAL ENGINEERS

Bertram Crees was born inDulverton, Somerset on 20th May1888. He was the son of Frederickand Emily Crees and had an oldersister, Jessie, and a youngerbrother, Victor. His father was apolice constable. At the time ofthe census of 1901 Bertram, hisparents and younger brotherwere living in the police station atEast Brent, near Wells inSomerset. Bertram was then 15years of age and a labourer in acarpentry shop. At some stage heleft the West Country and movedto South Wales, joining theGlamorgan Police on 2nd May1908. By 1911 he was stationed inPort Talbot and lodging with aSergeant Edward Phillips and hiswife, Georgina, at 36 High Street,Taibach. Bertram was married in1913 to a Winifred Pickford, alsofrom Somerset.

During his police service Bertramwas evidently able to utilise hisprevious employment in carpentryto good effect when he was

involved in a colourful case beforethe Stipendiary Magistrate atAberdare on 18th June 1913 andreported extensively in the“Aberdare Leader” three days later.The case concerned chargesbrought against one DavidWilliams of the Glosters Arms,Aberdare, for permitting thepublic house to be used for illegalbetting. The newspaper said that:

“this was a case in which a greatdeal of public interest wastaken, scores of people failing toget admission into court to hearthe proceedings.”

The prosecution said that:

“the practice of using licensedhouses in the town had becomevery prevalent, but that therewas a great difficulty indiscovering offenders. Theowners of the houses evidentlyknow of what was going on, andhad set traps. The local police,in order to capture theoffenders, had called in anoutside officer from Abergwynfe.This officer came disguised as acarpenter out of employmentand went to the Glosters Armson three days, June 10th, 11thand 12th. On these days hefound bets being made.”

1915 ROLL OF HONOUR


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The report then goes on to setout Bertram’s undercoveractivities in the pub which resultedin it being raided by the police andthe matter being brought beforethe court. At the conclusion of thehearing Williams and his co-defendants were committed fortrial at the Quarter Sessions.

Subsequently Bertram served atTonmawr but following theoutbreak of war he joined theRoyal Engineers and went withthem to France, arriving there on17th August 1914.

In 1915 Bertram was serving withthe 17th Field Company attachedto the 27th Division which tookpart in the Second Battle of Ypres.The Company’s War Diaryrecords that, on 30th April, “Spr13986 Crees B.F. killed by shell (inbillets)”. At the time the Companywas in billets at Potijze, nearYpres. The 27th Division’sHeadquarters was at PotijzeChateau. (Among those buried atthe nearby Commonwealth WarGraves Commission’s PotijzeBurial Ground is Bertram’sGlamorgan Constabularycolleague, PC 62 Edward JohnTaylor of the 1st Battalion, WelshGuards, who was killed in actionon 8th May 1916).

Bertram was thirty years of agewhen he died. The ChiefConstable of Glamorgan, CaptainLionel Lindsay, reported the deathto the Glamorgan Police StandingJoint Committee in June 1915. Healso indicated that “a war fund hadbeen raised by members of the forceto assist the relatives of thosemembers of the force who lost theirlives in the war. At present therewas over £800 in hand.”

On 9th September 1916, the“Cambria Daily Leader” reportedthat at Bryn Seion Chapel,Tonmawr, local men serving in thearmy were recognised and thatalso,

“A portrait of the late SapperB.F.Crees, killed in action, wasalso presented to Mrs.Crees inremembrance of her heroichusband. Sapper Crees, who wasthe village constable, was one ofthe first to join the colours.”

Bertram has no known grave andis commemorated on the MeninGate Memorial at Ypres, on theGlamorgan Police War Memorialat Police Headquarters inBridgend and on the WarMemorial at East Brent inSomerset.


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7TH MAY

PC 119 WILLIAMARTHUR JONESSWANSEA BOROUGH POLICELANCE CORPORAL 49094101ST FIELD COMPANY ROYALENGINEERS

William Arthur Jones was born inBirmingham in 1881.

It appears that he had served withthe police before he moved toSouth Wales as is shown by theabove photograph taken by aBirmingham photographer.

In any event, by the time of thecensus of 1911 he was living at 6Rutland Street, Swansea with his

wife, Elizabeth Laura, who hadbeen born in Haverfordwest andtheir daughter, Florence Ena, whowas then 16 months old.

William joined the Royal Engineersat the start of the war but did notsee active service. The 101st FieldCompany, with which he served,was attached to the 23rd Divisionduring the early months of 1915and was based in Kent where theywere engaged in constructingdefences in areas to the south ofLondon. It is likely that it waswhilst engaged in such work thatWilliam met his death on 7th May1915.

The “Herald of Wales” newspaperreported on 22nd May 1915, thatthe Swansea Police WatchCommittee passed a vote ofcondolence with the family of thelate PC Jones who it was stated“was fatally injured by the collapseof a bridge at Sellindge in Kent”. Itwas also stated that the ChiefConstable was to report furtherwith regards to a pension.

William is buried in thechurchyard of St Mary’s inSellindge. He is alsocommemorated on the FirstWorld War Memorial Tablet inSwansea Central Police Station.


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20TH MAY

PC 397 WILLIAMGEORGE MATHIASGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 1210 1ST BATTALION,WELSH GUARDS

A Pembroke-shire man,William wasborn atLetterston,near Fishguardon 12thDecember

1884. His parents were John andSarah Mathias.

William’s father died in 1908 aged 51.

On 20th November 1909 Williamjoined the Glamorgan Police.Typically for that period, whichsaw a great deal of unrest in theindustrial communities of SouthWales, William was, at the time ofthe census of 1911, billeted withother police officers at theOgmore Arms in Gilfach Goch,the Registrar endorsing the censusform that they were there“temporarily during the coalstrike.”

William was stationed at Bridgendat the commencement of the war.

He resigned from the police on9th April 1915 and joined thearmy. He was one of 200members of the Glamorgan forcewho had by then either been re-called to the colours as reservistsor who had joined up voluntarily.

The Welsh Guards had beenformed in March 1915 andWilliam was undertaking trainingwith them at Caterham when hecontracted pneumonia and diedthere on 20th May 1915.

William is buried in the BurialGround of Hermon BaptistChapel, Fishguard, along with hisfather, and his mother who died in1935 aged 78. He is alsocommemorated on the FishguardWar Memorial and the GlamorganPolice War Memorial at Bridgend.

7TH AUGUST

PC 134 FREDERICKRICHARDSGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYCORPORAL 13027 4TH BATTALION, SOUTH WALES BORDERERS

Frederick Richards was born inAberavon on 26th March 1883,the son of Edgar George Richardsand Emily Richards. He had fivebrothers.


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By the time of the Census of 1911the family had moved to Cardiffwhere they lived at 4 RomillyCrescent, Canton. Frederick’sfather ran a fruit and vegetablebusiness and it appears thatFrederick worked with him in it,as did other members of thefamily.

Frederick joined the GlamorganConstabulary on 23rd March 1912and prior to the commencementof the war was stationed atOgmore Vale.

The 4th Battalion of the SouthWales Borderers had been formedon 7th August 1914 and it waswith them that Frederick served.The Battalion spent the next fewmonths in various camps inSouthern England before leavingfor the Middle East as part of the13th (Western) Division whichtogether with other re-enforcements, was to make afurther attempt to capture theGallipoli Peninsula from Turkishforces.

The original intention in February1915, under direction fromWinston Churchill as First Lord ofthe Admiralty, had been for Britishand French warships to force theirway through the Dardanelles

Straits and make ultimately for theTurkish capital Constantinoplewhich could then be bombardedand potentially force the TurkishEmpire out of the war.

However, the naval operationswere not successful and severalships were sunk or damaged withmuch loss of life. An expeditionaryforce was then created to whichthe Australian and New Zealandarmies made a substantialcontribution (“the ANZAC’s”).Landings on the Gallipoli Peninsulatook place in April 1915 with theintention of seizing the coastalareas from which the Turkish gunbatteries had been attacking theAllied warships. These landingswere followed by severe andbitter fighting resulting in largenumbers of casualties on bothsides.

A decision was then made tomake a renewed attempt to takethe Peninsula and further landingswere to take place at and nearSuvla Bay. It was to this operationthat 4th Battalion, South WalesBorderers was to contribute.

The Battalion sailed fromAvonmouth on the White Starliner the SS Megantic on 28th June1915. There was a delay in sailing


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as a transport ship had been sunkby a German submarine off Lundy.The Battalion arrived at Gallipolion 15th July and spent two weekson the peninsula before beingwithdrawn to Mudros, on theGreek island of Lemnos, toprepare for the main attack.

On 4th August, together withother units of the 13th, Divisionthe Battalion landed at “AnzacCove” and proceeded to moveinland. Its objective was tocapture the ridge known as SariBair in conjunction with thelanding by other divisions at SuvlaBay six miles to the north.

The Battalion had to cover atnight two miles of difficult groundwhich was covered with bouldersand prickly scrub. Fighting ensued,including with bayonets, buteventually they reached andsecured their objective on theridge. It was during this operationthat Frederick was killed in actionon 7th August. The Battalion lost19 men in total killed that day.

The history of the South WalesBorderers in the First World Wargives this description of the scene:

“All night long the men workedsteadily, though many, weak

from the already prevailingdysentery, were hardly fit for theeffort but had refused to be leftbehind. To their right rear heavyfiring indicated that theassaulting columns werestruggling forward up the slopesof Sari Bair: far away to their leftintermittent firing could beheard and distant flashes seen,the landing at Suvla was inprogress. Morning (Aug.7th)found the battalion well dug in,though in places the trenches,sited in the darkness, werefound to give such poor fields offire that readjustments wereimperative. Heavy fighting wasgoing on both to the right andleft, but the 4th foundthemselves in a backwaterbetween the Sari Bair and theSuvla struggles, of both of whichtheir position gave them a view.No counter attack developedagainst them, either that day orthe next, and though enoughsnipers were about in front tomake movement in the openimprudent the chief casualtiescame from shrapnel: the Turkishgunners had soon detected thepresence of British troops on theDamakjelik Bair spur andshelled the position pretty


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steadily all day, giving the 4threason to be glad of the harddigging they had put in.”

In subsequent days the battaliondid face a severe counterattackand after further heavy fighting by22nd August it had sufferedcasualties amounting to 400officers and men out of 775 whohad gone ashore on 4th August.

Ultimately, the campaign on theGallipoli Peninsula failed toachieve what it set out to do. Inthe light of a continuing deadlock,the heavy losses which hadresulted, and the need for effortsto be concentrated in France andBelgium and other places, allAllied troops were evacuated inDecember 1915 and early January1916. The sacrifice of FrederickRichards, like that of so manyothers, so far from home was notrewarded with success.

Frederick is the only member ofthe predecessor forces of SouthWales Police to have lost his life atGallipoli. He has no known graveand is commemorated on theHelles Memorial on the Peninsulaand on the Glamorgan Police WarMemorial at Bridgend.

27TH SEPTEMBER

PC 203 MICHAEL DOYLEGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 7793 2ND BATTALION,IRISH GUARDS

An Irishman, Michael Doyle joinedthe Glamorgan Constabulary in1914.

He had been born in 1891 atTullaherin in County Kilkenny, theson of Patrick and Kate Doyle. By1911 he lived with his parents andthree brothers and three sisters inKilfane, Thomastown, Kilkenny.His father was an agriculturallabourer and the census of thatyear gave Michael’s occupation asdomestic servant.

During his time with theGlamorgan force he served atCaerau near Maesteg. The“Glamorgan Gazette” reported acase heard by the BridgendMagistrates Court on 7th August1914 involving Michael. Under theheading of “Policeman Assaulted”it said:

“Thomas Rees, haulier, Caerau,was charged with having beendrunk and disorderly in Tonnaroad, Caerau on August 2nd,and with having assaulted


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PC Michael Doyle. Theconstable stated that defendantbit him on both hands, andstruck him in the face. After asevere struggle he managed tohandcuff him and took him tothe Police Station.

Defendant was fined 15s on thefirst charge and £2 on thesecond.”

Following the outbreak of warMichael returned to Kilfane wherehe enlisted in the army on 16thApril 1915. He joined the 2ndBattalion of the Irish Guards withwhom he went to France on 16thAugust 1915.

The Battalion was part of the 2ndBrigade of the recently formedGuards Division which played aprominent role in the Battle ofLoos. On 27th September theBattalion led the attack in an areaknown as Chalk Pit Wood as partof the attempt to capture Germanpositions on Hill 70 near Loos.After a ninety minute preliminaryartillery bombardment, at 4pmthe Irish Guards left their trenchesand moved forward. Initially theircasualties were light but as theythen moved up a bare slopehundreds of men from theBattalion and other units were

mown down. By 5pm withdrawalhad begun with the Irish Guardsspending the night in the Wood.The Battalion War Diarydescribed the situation there:

“It rained throughout the night.Heavy and accurate shellingthroughout the morning. Manyshells pitched actually on to thetrenches burying many men andblowing a few to pieces.”

It was sometime during 27thSeptember that Michael was killedin action. One of the officers fromhis Battalion who was also killedthat day was Second LieutenantJohn Kipling, son of the poet andauthor, Rudyard Kipling, who laterwrote a detailed history of theIrish Guards in the First WorldWar. In it he said in relation to thebattle in which he had lost his onlyson:

“Evidently, one and a half hour’sbombardment against acountryside packed withmachine guns, was not enoughto placate it. The Battalion hadbeen swept from all quarters,and shelled at the same time, atthe end of two hard days andsleepless nights, as a firstexperience of war, and had lostseven of their officers in fortyminutes.”


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As for Michael, his body wasnever found. He iscommemorated on the LoosMemorial and the GlamorganPolice War Memorial at Bridgend.

27TH SEPTEMBER

PC BENJAMIN EVANSCARDIFF CITY POLICEPRIVATE 1348 1ST BATTALION,WELSH GUARDS

Benjamin was born in Llangunnor,Carmarthen in 1890, the son ofDavid and Anne Evans. He hadfour sisters and one brother bythe time of the census of 1901when the family had moved to livenear Abergavenny where hisfather was a farmer.

By 1911 Benjamin had joined theCardiff City Police since,according to the census of thatyear, he was then lodging with aThomas Chapman, described as apoliceman on temporary pensionas he was disabled, and his wifeEmily, at 61 Romilly Crescent,Canton. A PC Robert Fleming ofthe Cardiff force was also a lodgerwith them.

At some stage after the outbreakof war Benjamin joined the armyand went with 1st Battalion,Welsh Guards to France on 17th

August 1915. The Battalion washeavily engaged during the Battleof Loos and Benjamin was killed inaction on 27th September 1915aged 25. He was single andsurvived by his parents who livedat Byrgwn Mawr, Goytre,Abergavenny.

Benjamin has no known grave andis commemorated on the LoosMemorial, the Cardiff City PoliceMemorial at the Cardiff Bay PoliceStation, and on the AbergavennyWar Memorial.

27TH SEPTEMBER

PC 648 DAVIDWILLIAM EVANSGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 1270 1ST BATTALION,WELSH GUARDS

David was born at Llandovery,Carmarthenshire in 1890.

He joined the GlamorganConstabulary in 1912 and wasstationed at Caerau, near Maestegat the outbreak of the War.

He enlisted in the army atBridgend and on 17th August1915 went to France with theWelsh Guards. He was killed inaction at the Battle of Loos on27th September 1915.


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David has no known grave and iscommemorated on the LoosMemorial and the GlamorganPolice War Memorial at Bridgend.

27TH SEPTEMBER

PC 591 DAVIDCHARLES GRANTGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 1331 IST BATTALION,WELSH GUARDS

David wasborn in Cogan,Penarth in1889, the sonof WilliamThomas Grantand EmilyGrant.

The family lived at 66 High Streetin Barry and at the time of thecensus of 1901, in addition toDavid, there were seven othermembers of the household:David’s father, then aged 44, hismother, aged 41, his brothers,Richard, aged 17, Samuel, aged15, and George, aged 6, togetherwith his sisters , Mabel, aged 13,and Susan, aged 10. David’s fatherwas a coal trimmer.

David attended the High StreetElementary School in Barry andafter leaving school worked on

the railways, firstly with the BarryRailway Company, and then withthe Rhymney Railway Company inCaerphilly.

David was a member of St Paul’sChurch in Barry and sang with thechurch choir.

He joined the GlamorganConstabulary in 1911 and wasstationed at several places in theforce area including LlantwitMajor, Bridgend and Porthcawlwhere he was at the outbreak ofthe war.

Along with several other localpolice officers he enlisted in thearmy in May 1915 joining 1stBattalion, Welsh Guards. He wasclearly well regarded in thePorthcawl area as the followingreport from the GlamorganGazette for 23rd April shows:

“Four of our policemen haveresigned and leave today to jointhe Welsh Guards. They arePC’s Grant, Wm. Richardson,William Thomas, and DenisHayes; while PC Trott goes fromNewton. We are all sorry to losethem, but we admire theirpatriotism and their desire to


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give their burly frames to moreactive service for the King. PC Grant had only lately comeamongst us, but he had alreadymade friends by his genialmanner and straightforwardconduct. The other members weknew fairly well, and wish thema long and honourable careerand rapid promotion in “TheGuards”. Now we have to fallback on our sergeant oncemore.”

Sadly, only PC’s Richardson andHayes were to survive the war.

David was with the Welsh Guardswhen they landed in France on17th August 1915 and took partwith them in the Battle of Looswhen, on 27th September, theyattacked German positions on Hill70. The Battalion suffered heavycasualties through an artillerybombardment before the attackand as a result of fierce machinegun fire from Hill 70. It wassometime during this battle thatDavid was killed in action.

He has no known grave and iscommemorated on the LoosMemorial and the GlamorganPolice War Memorial at Bridgend.

27TH SEPTEMBER

PC 364 ERNEST LEWIS REEVESGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 1279 1ST BATTALION,WELSH GUARDS

Ernest wasborn on 24thDecember1894 in Cardiffthe son ofWilliam andSarah AnnieReeves. She

was from Wooton-under-Edge inGloucestershire.

At the time of the census of 1901,Ernest was living with his motherin Spring Street, Newport. Also inthe household at that time werehis older sister, Girtey, then aged8, his younger sister, Alice, aged 4,his brother William, then a yearold, and his grandfather, WilliamReeves, then aged 81.

The family then moved to Cardiffwhere Ernest attended GladstonePrimary School.

By the census of 1911, Ernest hadmoved to live with a Walter FredBlomeley and his wife Hannah andtheir six children at Martin’sTerrace in Abercynon. At this time


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Ernest, at 16 years of age, wasworking as an engine attendant atone of the local collieries.

On 15th August 1914, eleven daysafter Britain’s declaration of waron Germany, Ernest joined theGlamorgan Constabulary.However, he resigned from theforce on 23rd April 1915, whilststationed at Penarth andsubsequently joined 1st Battalion,Welsh Guards.

The Battalion landed in France on17th August 1915 and took part inits first major action on 27thSeptember during the Battle ofLoos. At 4pm on that day it cameunder heavy artillery fire as itmarched along the Vermelles-Loos road. Despite suffering manycasualties the Battalion continuedon to the front line. At 6pm itattacked an enemy held positionknown as Hill 70. Unfortunately,the Battalion sustained heavycasualties due to enemy machineguns positioned on the summit. Itis likely that Ernest was killedeither during this engagement orthe artillery bombardment whichpreceded it.

Ernest was 20 years of age whenhe died. He was survived by hismother who at the end of the warwas living in Dogfield Street,

Cathays, Cardiff, his father havingpre deceased him.

Ernest has no known grave and isremembered on the LoosMemorial and the GlamorganPolice War Memorial at Bridgend.

27TH SEPTEMBER

PC 622 CHARLESHENRY SNAILHAMGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYSERGEANT 15156 3RD BATTALION, GRENADIER GUARDS

Charles wasfrom Merthyrwhere he wasborn in 1893.His father wasalso namedCharles andhis mother

was Sarah. Charles senior wasoriginally from Pontypool andSarah had been born in Maesteg.

At the time of the census of 1901the family was living in DavidStreet in Merthyr where Charles’father worked on railway engines.In addition to Charles, there werethree brothers younger than him.His parents subsequently movedto live at 11 Hankey Terrace,Merthyr.


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In March 1911 Charles joined thearmy and was posted to the 1stBattalion, Grenadier Guards. Hewas at the Guards Depot atCaterham in Surrey at the time ofthe census of that year. Amongstthose there at the same timewere Leonard Nowell and WilliamHammond, both of whom wouldbecome members of theGlamorgan Constabulary andwould also die at Loos in France.

Charles left the army early andwas transferred to the reserve in1913 the year that he joined theGlamorgan force with which heserved for less than a year. At theoutbreak of war he was stationedat Aberdare.

He was, as a reservist, recalled tothe colours and mobilised on 5thAugust 1914, a day after Britaindeclared war on Germany. Hejoined the 3rd Battalion,Grenadier Guards which wasstationed at Wellington Barracksin London. After a period intraining and preparation, theBattalion went to France in July1915. The men paraded atChelsea Barracks at 4am on the26th when a message from theKing was read to them. They thentravelled by train from Waterloo

station to Southampton wherethey embarked on the river Clydesteamboat, “Queen Alexandra”.They were escorted by a RoyalNavy destroyer as they crossedthe English Chanel to Le Havre.

During the first two months inFrance the Battalion was largelyengaged in training activities. Anoccasion of note, however, wasthat on 18th August the Battalion,together with 1st Battalion,Grenadier Guards and 2ndBattalion, Scots Guards, took partin a parade at St Omer wherethey were inspected by theFrench War Minister and hisBritish counterpart, LordKitchener. Also present was theCommander in Chief of the BritishExpeditionary Force, Sir JohnFrench.

During his time with the BattalionCharles’ qualities as a leader wereclearly recognised as he waspromoted to lance corporal inNovember 1914 and then, withinquick succession, to corporal andsergeant in July 1915.

In September 1915 the Battalion,as part of the Guards Division,took part in the Battle of Loos.On the 27th men from theBattalion supported the Scots


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Guards during their attack on acoal pit and buildings near Loos inthe same day’s fighting thatclaimed the lives of several ofCharles’ colleagues from theGlamorgan Constabulary.

The attacking forces initiallygained their objective, but had towithdraw under heavy fire. It wasduring this action that Charles waskilled. According to a report in the“Aberdare Leader” on 23rdOctober 1915, a shell burst infront of him. (The reportindicated that he had beenwounded which, of course,subsequently proved to beincorrect).

Charles was 22 years of age whenhe died. He has no known graveand is commemorated on theLoos Memorial and on theGlamorgan Police War Memorialat Bridgend.

6TH OCTOBER

PC 548 WILLIAM EASTGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 1330 1ST BATTALION,WELSH GUARDS

William was born in Bridgend on28th January 1888, the son ofGeorge and Jane East. His fatherwas from Stroud in

Gloucestershire, whilst his motherwas from Cardiff. He was one ofsix children, having four brothersand one sister.

At the time of the census of 1901the family lived in the Bridgendarea. William’s father wasemployed as a general labourerwhilst William himself, at 13 yearsof age, was a grocer’s assistant.

William joined the GlamorganConstabulary on 19th November1910 and at the time of the censusof 1911 he was based atCaerphilly police station. Heresigned from the Force on 23rdApril 1915 and then joined the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards,serving with the Prince of Wales’Company, a title granted by KingGeorge V to the leading companyof the Regiment.

William went to France with theBattalion on 17th August 1915.The Battalion was heavily engagedduring the Battle of Loos and itwas during the later stages of theBattle when the Battalionoccupied positions near Vermellesthat William was killed in action.

The history of the Welsh Guardsin the First World War describesthe situation at this time:


21


“The billets in Vermelles wereanything but comfortable. Thegunners with their cheeringweapons were all over the ruins,and, although one likes to hearthe sound of British guns, no onewants to lie down by the side ofthem to rest. The Germans hada naval gun which fired armourpiercing shells with what seemedlike a retarded action, and theysearched with this gun for theBritish batteries amongst theruins. This went on all day andnight, and there were a good fewcasualties.”

The “Glamorgan Gazette”reported William’s death in itsedition of 15th October 1915:

“News was received on Saturdayby Police Sergeant John Gill, ofBedlinog, of the death in actionof Police Constable WilliamEast, of the 1st Battalion WelshGuards. Police Constable Eastenlisted when he was stationedat Bedlinog. He was formerlystationed at Caerphilly,Llanbradach, and Bargoed. Anative of Bridgend, he was verypopular with his fellow officers.He played rugby football forBridgend, Penarth, and otherwell known Welsh clubs....

The story of how PoliceConstable East met his death istold in the following letter whichPolice Sergeant J.H. Folland,Gilfach, received from hisbrother, Private William Folland,who was Police Constable East’schum: “Dear Brother-Just a fewlines to let you know that am allright and in the best of health. Iam sorry to inform you that poorEast was killed yesterday(Tuesday). He and I were sittingon the side of a trench having alaugh and joke when a shellcame and struck him on the leftside and it was all over with himin less than five minutes. I andSergeant Bevan, of the SwanseaPolice, buried him shortly after itwent dark, and put a bit of across on his grave. He was agood and true friend. We arebeginning to feel the wintercoming on-the wet weather andcold nights. One good job,however, we are very wellprovided for.”

In 1916, 1917, 1918 and 1919, atthe time of the anniversary ofWilliam’s death, “In Memoriam”notices appeared in the“Glamorgan Gazette” inremembrance of him. It is to benoted that they refer to “Hulloch”


22


as the place where he was killed.This is near Vermelles. Also thedate of death is given as 5thOctober whilst official recordsstate it was 6th October. It mayhave been that he was killed onthe night of 5th/6th October.

The notice which appeared on 4thOctober 1918 read:

“East-In loving memory ot Pte.W. East, 1330, Welsh GuardsRegt., Prince of Wales Batt.,killed in action at Hulloch, Oct.5th, 1915, aged 28 years-Fondlyremembered by Father andMother, Sisters Phoebe andBeat, Brothers Jenk and Henry.In the bloom of life deathclaimed him,In the pride of his manhooddays,None knew him but to love him,None mentioned his name butwith praise.God bless him.”

William has no known grave and iscommemorated on the LoosMemorial and the GlamorganPolice War Memorial at Bridgend.

8TH OCTOBER

PC 78 WILLIAMHOLLANDSWANSEA BOROUGH POLICESERGEANT 1318 1/6TH BATTALION, WELSH REGIMENT

William’s father, also calledWilliam, came from Exeter whilsthis mother, Sarah, was fromAberaman.

William was born in Cardiff in1887 and at the time of the censusof 1911 he lived at 50 AlexandraTerrace, Swansea, with his parentsand his wife, Lillian, who was bornin Swansea and aged 24. Alsopresent in the household wereWilliam’s brother James, aged 31,his brother John, aged 21, and hissister Ellen, who was 17 years ofage. William’s father worked as astoker in the Swansea Gas Works,James was a postman and Williamand John were said to be “tubeworkers”.

At some point William became apolice officer with the SwanseaBorough Police. It would alsoseem that he joined the part timevolunteer army before the warsince during it he served with aTerritorial Force unit, the 6th


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(Glamorgan) Battalion of theWelsh Regiment.

At the end of July 1914 theBattalion had been at camp inPortmadoc in North Wales butthis was curtailed and the menreturned to their homes. On theday that war was declared, 4thAugust 1914, the Battalion wasmobilised and went to their warstations which involved guardingsites of military importance. Thuscontingents were deployed to thedocks at Briton Ferry, Port Talbotand Swansea and also to the fortat Mumbles Head.

Initially orders were received forthe Battalion to go to India but inthe event these were rescindedand it marched out of Swansea on28th October 1914, followingwhat the history of the WelshRegiment in the First World Wardescribes as “a most stirringspeech” by the CommandingOfficer, Lord Ninian Crichton-Stuart.

The Battalion arrived at Le Havrein France on 29th October,William amongst them. Itcomprised of 28 officers and 812other ranks. It was the thirdterritorial unit to be deployed toFrance.

Their duties during the period upto the summer of 1915 werelargely of a support nature,guarding key positions and so on.However, in July they became,along with the 1st Battalion of theWelsh Regiment, part of the 84thBrigade with which they were inOctober to take part in the Battleof Loos.

It is likely that it was during aperiod of intense fighting in anarea known as the HohenzollernRedoubt that William sufferedwounds from which he was to die.There had already been a greatdeal of action in the vicinity in theprevious days. The regimentalhistory gives this description:

“The fighting in the vicinity ofthe Redoubt had been terrific,and all the communicationtrenches leading up to theRedoubt, and to the old Britishfront line had been smashed outof all recognition. There hadbeen no time to bury the dead,who in some cases had beenbuilt into the hastily patchedparapets. It was indeed a sceneof desolation.”

Amongst the casualties duringthese days was Lieutenant ColonelLord Ninian Crichton-Stuart. The


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Battalion war diary for 2ndOctober contains the following:

“Lord Ninian Crichton-Stuartwas mortally shot through thehead death being instantaneous.His body was placed in a zincand wood coffin and conveyed toBethune where he was placed.....in the public cemetery on 7thOctober 1915.”

Crichton-Stuart was the secondson of the 3rd Marquess of Buteand Conservative Member ofParliament for Cardiff from 1910until his death. His statue nowstands prominently in the gardensnear the National Museum inCardiff.

After he was wounded Williamwas treated at the Number 1Casualty Clearing Station atnearby Choques which is wherehe died on 8th October 1915.

The “Cambria Daily Leader” of28th October 1915 carried thefollowing report:

“Mrs. Holland, of 33 Rodneystreet, Swansea, whose husbandwas before the war a policeofficer in Swansea, and waskilled in recent fighting inFrance, as already reported inthe “Cambria Daily Leader” has

received a touching letter,couched in the following terms,from Company NCO’s on behalfof his Company and battalion.

The letter is as follows-‘It is withdeep regret and sorrow that wewrite these few lines, hopingthat it will bring some comfortto you in this sore time oftrouble. The news of dear Bill’sdeath came to us five minutesago, and I can assure you it waswith very great surprise weheard it. I may add that we havemissed Bill since he gotwounded, and have realisedduring the short time he hasbeen from us what a friend andcomrade we had lost. There isone consolation that may bringcomfort to your breaking heart,and that is that Bill died a hero,facing the enemy. It is with aprayer that every man of “B”Company goes to rest tonight-that God in his great mercy maybring the comfort to you andfamily that you need.

We have lost a friend that wewill never find anyone to equal,and it is not only in Bill’sCompany but in the wholebattalion. We did not think his


25


wound would prove so serious asit has turned out. The sergeant-major was with Bill when he gothit, and all his thoughts were ofyou and the little boy, as theyalways had been out here.When he was wounded he calledout for you three or four times,and his words will always ring inthe sergeant-major’s ears........Ifthere is anything that we can door let you know, I can assure youthat it will be an honour to us.’

The letter is signed by E. Shugford CQMS., and C. W. Huntley, CSM.”

William is buried at the MilitaryCemetery at Choques. Most ofthe 1801 soldiers from the FirstWorld War buried there were,like William, casualties who haddied at the nearby CasualtyClearing Station.

The inscription on William’s gravereads, “Safe in the arms of Jesus.”

William is also remembered onthe Memorial Tablet to theofficers from the SwanseaBorough Police who died in theFirst World War and which is nowto be found at the Central PoliceStation in Swansea.

12TH OCTOBER

PC 255 LEONARDNOWELLGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 120 1ST BATTALION,WELSH GUARDS(FORMERLY PRIVATE 150672ND BATTALION, GRENADIER GUARDS)

Leonard wasfrom Somersethaving beenborn inBridgewateron 1stOctober 1892,the son of

Ernest and Eliza Nowell. It seemsthat Leonard’s first name wasErnest after his father.

At the time of the census of 1901,the family was living inBridgewater. In addition toLeonard (referred to in the returnas Ernest) and his parents, also inthe household were his brother,Clifford, then aged 4, and hissister Julia, who was then 7months old.

By 1911 the family had moved tolive at 1 Chapel Street, Llandaff inCardiff. His father was employedas a general labourer and his


26


brother Clifford, who also seemsto have had the name Ernest, wasa gardener’s labourer. Anotherchild had by then been born,namely Dorothy, who was a yearold.

Leonard was no longer at home ashe had joined the army on 21stJanuary 1911 and the census ofthat year shows him as stationedwith the Grenadier Guards at theGuards Depot at Caterham inSurrey.

He subsequently left the army andjoined the GlamorganConstabulary on 20th July 1912and was stationed at Treharris atthe outbreak of the war.

However, he had presumablybeen retained on the reserve andwas, therefore, recalled to thecolours since he became a Private,number 15067, in the 2ndBattalion, Grenadier Guards, whowere, in August, based at ChelseaBarracks in London. Followingmobilisation, on 12th August, theBattalion paraded at Chelsea andthen marched to Nine Elms. Theythen went by train toSouthampton from where theysailed on the “Cawdor Castle”arriving in Le Havre on the

afternoon of 13th August.

Leonard saw action with theBattalion in the major battles inwhich they were engaged duringthe early stages of the warincluding the Battle of Mons andthe subsequent retreat, and theFirst Battle of Ypres in 1914. Apicture of what it was like for himemerges from a letter he wrotefollowing the death of anotherpolice officer serving with the 2ndBattalion, PC Thomas Evans of theMerthyr Borough Police (see theSouth Wales PoliceCommemorative Booklet for1914). The letter was reproducedin the “Western Mail” of 30thNovember 1914:

“How Police Constable ThomasEvans, of the Merthyr Police,died is narrated in a letterreceived from Private LeonardNowel, 2nd Battalion GrenadierGuards, who was a friend of thefallen Guardsman. Writing toPolice Sergeant J. Thomas,Treharris, Nowel says:

‘On the morning he got woundedwe advanced through a woodand got into a ploughed field.When we had gone about twohundred yards in the open theGermans opened fire on us with


27


a machine gun. We all lay down,but poor old Tom had a bulletthrough his chest. After we hadlain there about twenty minutessome of us started to crawlback, and we got hold of Tom bythe foot and pulled him undercover. Another chap and myselfcarried him on a stretcher forabout a mile. He was chattingall the way. We sent him to thefield hospital. He had done hisduty well. It was only by luckthat I didn’t get it. I waswounded on the 21st of thismonth in the arm, but it is notvery serious.”

The writer was formerly aconstable in the GlamorganPolice and stationed in Treharris.He was groom to the lateSuperintendent Gill.”

It seems that Leonard was one ofthose in the Grenadiers, and otherGuards Regiments, whotransferred to the Welsh Guardswhen they were formed inFebruary 1915. They were to takepart in the Battle of Loos duringSeptember and October 1915when they suffered many losses. Itwas towards the end of thisperiod that Leonard sustainedwounds from which he died.

On 12th October the Battalionwas occupying positions in thevillage of Vermelles. Its war diaryrecords that on that day:

“Town shelled again this morningand 3 big ones went into ourtransport. Killed Wells servantNowell albeit he died going tothe hospital.”

“Wells” was Lieutenant NigelWells, the Battalion’s TransportOfficer, who had held thatposition since the Battalion wentto France. The regiment’s historyfor the First World War gives thisdescription of him:

“Nigel Wells who commandedthe transport, was a hard oldwarrior from one of the SouthAmerican Republics.....he worean eyeglass and a small piece ofmoustache about half the widthof his mouth. He said he wastwenty nine years of age, andwas annoyed when some of theyounger officers, looking at hissun scorched face, suggested hemight be a hundred-the truth layanywhere between the two.”

Leonard died whilst he was beingtreated by Number 2 FieldAmbulance. He is buried at


28


Vermelles British Cemetery.Throughout the war medical unitsused the cellars of a chateau in thevillage and a nearby brewery tooperate on the wounded. Thecemetery commemorates over2100 casualties from the war.

Leonard is also commemoratedon the Glamorgan Police WarMemorial at Bridgend.

A press report of Leonard’s deathstated that he had been woundedat the First Battle of Ypres. It alsosaid that Leonard’s father wasserving with the 5th Battalion ofthe Welsh Regiment. Recordsshow that his father enlisted in July1915 but was discharged inJanuary 1916 due to sickness. The5th Battalion was a TerritorialForce unit and Ernest would havebeen engaged only on homeservice duties during this time.

The report also said thatLeonard’s brother (presumablyClifford) was a driver with theArmy Service Corps and was onactive service. There is a record ofa Sergeant 343458 CliffordNowell with the Army ServiceCorps who was awarded theMeritorious Service Medal.

17TH OCTOBER

PC 239 WILLIAMHAMMONDGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 12732 3RDBATTALION, GRENADIERGUARDS

William was a Staffordshire manhaving been born in Tunstall, on25th June 1883.

At the time of the census of 1901he was living in Tunstall with hiswidowed mother, Sarah, thenaged 55, and his sister, also calledSarah, who was then 21 years ofage.

Tunstall, together with otherboroughs and districts in the area,merged in 1910 to form Stoke-on-Trent. This was the region knownas “The Potteries” with a largenumber of pottery works. Itseems that William was employedin such a works and served anapprenticeship there. His sisteralso worked in the potteryindustry.

William joined the army in June1906 serving with the GrenadierGuards. At the time of the censusof 1911 he was stationed at theGuards Depot in Caterham in


29


Surrey. He served for 7 years inthe regular army before leaving tojoin the Glamorgan Constabularyon 29th April 1913 .

Before the outbreak of war hewas stationed at Blaenclydach inthe Rhondda but was, as an armyreservist, recalled to the colourswhen mobilisation took place on5th August 1914 following thedeclaration of war the previousday.

From his service record it appearsthat William went to France withthe 2nd Battalion of the GrenadierGuards, arriving in Le Havre on12/13th August 1914. He servedin France until the end ofDecember when he returned toBritain. He may have beenwounded but there is no recordof this. He would, however, whilstin France with the 2nd Battalion,have taken part in the earlyactions of the war including theBattle of Mons and the first Battleof Ypres. PC Leonard Nowell ofthe Glamorgan Police wasamongst those there at the sametime.

The Western Mail for 7th October

carried the following report:

“Police Constable Coles, whobefore the war was stationed atTonypandy, and is now servingwith the 3rd Company of theGrenadier Guards, writing to thepolice at Tonypandy, says he hasmet several members of theGlamorgan Constabulary at thefront. ‘The Glamorgans aresizing up well out here.’ hestates. ‘I met Harry (PoliceConstable Evans. Tonypandy) a fortnight ago chasing theGermans. Hammond (a Penygraig constable) is with me.”

Then on 21st November 1914 theWestern Mail reproduced thefollowing letter from Williamhimself:

“Writing to Police SergeantBaker (Penygraig), PrivateWilliam Hammond, of the 2ndBattalion Grenadier Guards,says:-‘Thanks very much for the“Weekly Mail” you sent me, andalso for your letter. I amperfectly well, and have nothingto complain about. We are nowtaking advantage of a rest that


30


we have had given us after fourmonths hard work and anxiousmoments.

You have read, no doubt, aboutthe battle of Ypres, and how theHuns have tried time after timeto take it. I have been in thatstruggle for the past five weeks,and still I am able to tell you thetale after all their firing. Theyintended giving us a rough timeon the 17th of last month. Theytried to break through, butfailed. They started shelling usabout seven o’clock in themorning, and kept at it for sixsolid hours, and yet did not doany damage. The reason theyshelled so much was to make uskeep under cover, so as to allowtheir troops to crawl andadvance without being seen.They did not catch us napping,although they came to within200 yards. Here they stoppedand entrenched. They had a bigadvantage, for the groundbetween us was open, with anincline which was to theiradvantage, as it enabled themto crawl on their stomachs towithin 30 yards of our trenches.

Their artillery had ceased firing,and we had not fired a shot.Then we had the order, and inten minutes there lay in front ofour line hundreds of dead andwounded. It may seem a greatnumber in so short a time, but itwas as easy a task as I have everseen, for it was only a matter ofloading and pulling the trigger,and they could not be missed. Imay say that they tried the IrishGuards, who were on our right,in the evening, but only to berepulsed and with the sameresult. We afterwards learnedthat they were, or at least someof them were, the much talkedof Prussian Guards, which hadbeen sent to make one of theirnoble charges. If so, they foundthe English Guards one toomany.”

In August 1915 William returnedto France, this time to join the 3rdBattalion, Grenadier Guards withwhom he had served before theWar. They had arrived in Francethe previous month, and had withthem another Glamorganpoliceman in PC Charles HenrySnailham.


31


In mid October the Battalion wasoccupying trenches in the vicinityof the Hohenzollern Redoubt nearLoos. The Battalion War Diarystates that on 16th October theirtrenches had been heavily shelledby medium calibre guns resultingin 5 men being killed, 12 woundedand 1 missing. The diary goes onto describe the situation on thefollowing day, 17th October 1915:

“Very heavy and accurateshelling from 6am-2pm by gunsof all sizes. Capt Lord F.Blackwood was blown up by ashell and concussed. Soon afternoon Capt Dowling and Lt Hirstwere buried in their dugout andhad to be evacuated. .......11 killed, 33 wounded, 1 missing.......the Battalion wasrelieved by 1st Bn Scots Guardsand went into rest trenchesbehind Vermelles railway (SussexTrench) a smooth relief whichfinished at 2am.”

William was one of those killed inaction that day. He has no knowngrave and is remembered on theLoos Memorial and theGlamorgan Police War Memorial.

25TH OCTOBER

PC 404 WILLIAMHENRY CARTERGLAMORGAN CONSTABULARYPRIVATE 1214 1ST BATTALION,WELSH GUARDS

William wasborn inPaulton,Bristol on22nd January1893, the sonof Henry and

Mary Jane Carter. In 1911 thefamily was living in Hope Place,Paulton. In the household at thattime, according to the census ofthat year, were William’s parents,then aged 54 and 52 respectively,his brother, Frederick, aged 32,William, then aged 17, andanother brother, Albert, aged 12.From the census of 1891 Williamappears to have also had a sisternamed Amelia.

William’s father, his brotherFrederick and William himself, areall described in the 1911 census asbeing coal miners.

William subsequently moved tolive in South Wales and joined the


32


Glamorgan Constabulary on 25thAugust 1914.

He served in Nantyffyllon beforeresigning from the Force on 16thApril 1915 so that he could jointhe 1st Battalion of the WelshGuards and landed with them inFrance on 17th August 1915.

It was during the Battalion’s timenear Loos later that year thatWilliam sustained wounds fromwhich he died on 25th October atNumber 6 Casualty ClearingStation. In the days before thenthe Battalion had been atVermelles, which the RegimentalHistory described:

“The comparatively safe, if notcomfortable, Lancashire Trenchwas left on the 19th, when thebattalion went to Vermelles, andoccupied, for the most part,cellars. The village was still amark for German gunners, withtheir infernal armour-piercingshells, mixed up with others, sothat although they were calledrest billets, it was preferable tobe nearer the front line. Duringthe four ensuing days casualtiescrept up.”

There was, apart from theshelling, much grenade throwingon both sides and the WelshGuards were constantly at riskfrom German snipers.

On 23rd October the Battalionrelieved the 1st Battalion of theColdstream Guards in theHohenzollern Redoubt, part ofwhich the Battalion’s War Diarydescribed in these words

“embankment composed ofloose earth, equipment anddead bodies, smell bad, andsights inexpressible.”

William was buried at LillersCommunal Cemetery nearBethune. The 6th CasualtyClearing Station was one ofseveral that was based in the smalltown of Lillers at one time oranother during the war. There are894 Commonwealth burials in thecemetery.

William is also remembered onthe Glamorgan Police WarMemorial at Bridgend.


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The British offensive in the coalmining area around the village ofLoos in Northern France began on25th September 1915 andcontinued until the middle ofOctober. Whilst there were earlysuccesses, a failure to exploit gainsby timely use of reservesundermined the British efforts.The first divisions of Kitchener’s“New Armies” of volunteers, inparticular, had a difficult time. Itwas also the first occasion onwhich the newly formed GuardsDivision, which included theWelsh Guards, had foughttogether in a major battle. It wasthe task of the Welsh Guards to

take German positions at Hill 70and whilst they achieved somesuccess they suffered heavy losses,particularly from machine gun fire,before being forced to withdraw.

A total of 11 police officers fromour predecessor forces died inthis area during September andOctober 1915 whilst serving withthe Grenadier, Irish and WelshGuards. Six of them lost their liveson one day-27th September 1915.By the time the battle wasterminated it had cost the BritishArmy over 50,000 casualties. Theonly significant long term gain wasthe ruined village of Loos itself.

THE BATTLE OF LOOS 1915

Ruins in the church quarter of Loos, 24th November 1915. (c) IWM (Q 58151)


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Welsh Guards Remembered on the Loos Memorial

South Wales PoliceRemembers - Wreathlaid at the LoosMemorial, April 2015


35

South Wales Police iscurrently gathering

information about themany police officers fromour predecessor forces of

Glamorgan, Swansea,Merthyr Tydfil, Neath andCardiff who served in thearmed forces during the

First 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, together with PhilipDavies of the WesternFront Association.

THE

GREAT WARCENTENARY1914-1918 2014-2018

HEDDLU DE CYMRU • SOUTH WALES POLICE

LEARN • ENGAGE • REMEMBER

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