Llanfairfechan war memorial

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Llanfairfechan war memorial

This memorial commemorates local people who died in the First World War and later conflicts. To discover who they were, choose a category below.

The memorial’s design was drawn up in 1919 by renowned local architect Herbert Luck North. He had been too old to serve in the First World War but used his skills to set up and run a military hospital in France. He returned to Llanfairfechan to establish a hospital for soldiers in the Plas, the large house originally owned by his grandfather. The hospital was run by his wife while he continued his work in France.

After the war, a fundraising committee was established in the village and monies were raised from across the parish. By spring 1920 the monument, built by local mason Richard Williams, was finished. On Palm Sunday 1920, a service was held at the cenotaph, which was dedicated by local clergymen before being unveiled by Mrs May Massey.

We have included details of two local people who are not named on the memorial. One is Mary Elizabeth Jones, a stewardess on the liner RMS Lusitania who died when the ship was torpedoed off the south coast of Ireland in 1915, days before her planned retirement. She had crossed the Atlantic many times in the Cunard Line’s service. She was transferred to Lusitania while her usual ship, RMS Mauritania, was undergoing repairs.

One of her colleagues, Arthur Rowland Jones, is commemorated on Prestatyn war memorial and buried at Christ Church, Prestatyn. He was First Officer and survived Lusitania’s sinking but was killed in 1918.

The memorial also names Guardsman Gareth Hughes, who died aged 22 during the Falkland Islands conflict in June 1982. He was aboard a ship called Sir Galahad, waiting to go ashore, when it was attacked by an Argentine plane. He was one of 48 people who died. Most were members of the Welsh Guards. Click here to read our page in Gareth's memory.

With thanks to Adrian Hughes, of the Home Front Museum, Llandudno, Andrew Hinchliff and Byron Jones

Postcode: LL33 0NW    View Location Map

First World War

Second World War

Other MILITARY HiPoints in this area:
Traeth Lafan - where a failed medieval invasion of Anglesey was based on a pontoon over the Menai Strait
Flying ace's school - old boy Val Baker served in all three armed services in FWW, decorated for his RFC exploits

Navigation next buttonTo continue the HL North Arts & Crafts tour, walk to the crossroads and turn right into Village Road. Take Park Road (second left). Next QR codes are outside Church Institute on the left
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