Trefriw war memorial

Trefriw war memorial

trefriw_armistice_commemoration_1925The small cenotaph at the riverside in Trefriw commemorates the local men who died in the First and Second World Wars. To discover who they were, choose a category below.

The memorial was built by William Hughes, of Llanrwst. The land where the war memorial was originally located was donated by Mrs Kate Williams, of Plas Meirion, Trefriw. It was a little further down Gower Road (further away from the village), near the children’s play area.

The old pictures show the memorial in its original setting, before it was moved to its current site in the 1970s. One shows a group in 1925, commemorating the Armistice.

Photo of Trefriw war memorial in original settingAmong the men named on the memorial are the Ellis brothers. Trevor Edgar Ellis died the day after David Ithel Ellis in 1918.

Three Slater brothers died within five months of each other. One of them, George Edwin, longed to see the baby daughter his wife was carrying in 1915 but she was born the day after he was killed in France.

trefriw_war_memorialWith thanks to Adrian Hughes of the Home Front Museum, Llandudno, to Valerie Hannah, and to the Aneurin and Gladys Hughes photo collection, Trefriw Historical Society

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First World War

Second World War

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First World War

  • Davies, Gwilym, Private 21119. Died 06/07/1916. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Thiepval Memorial. Son of Mrs Catherine Davies of Crafnant House Cottage, Trefriw.
  • Davies, Thomas Owen, Private 26071. Died 09/04/1917 aged 18. Royal Welsh Fusiliers.  Buried Essex Farm Cemetery. Son of Thomas Owen and Catherine Davies. Enlisted May 1915. Previously wounded on the Somme in 1916.
  • Davies, William Thomas, Private 8655. Died 06/04/1916. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Buried Trefriw Cemetery.
  • Ellis, David Ithel, Major. Died 09/04/1918 aged 24 Royal Field Artillery. Awarded Military Cross. Ploegsteert Memorial. Son of Captain W and Mrs J Twigge Ellis of Mill Bank, Trefriw. Worked for the London City and Midland Bank before enlisting.
  • Ellis, Trevor Edgar, Second Lieutenant. Died 10/04/1918 aged 20. Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Mentioned in Despatches. Ploegsteert Memorial. Son of Captain W and Mrs J Twigge Ellis of Mill Bank.
  • Evans, Evan, Private 15289. Died 13/11/1916 aged 24. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Thiepval Memorial. Son of William and Margaret Evans of Llwyn Onn.
  • Evans, Lewis, Private M/377031. Died in hospital in Chester on 30/10/1918 aged 23. Army Service Corps. Trefriw Cemetery. Of Gwylfa, Trefriw.
  • Jones, Benjamin, Private 51682. Died 24/03/1918 aged 24. Cheshire Regiment.  Buried Hem Farm Military Cemetery. Son of William and Sarah Jones of Ysgubor Gerrig.
  • Jones, David, Gunner 160148. Died 27/07/1917. Royal Field Artillery. Buried La Targette British Cemetery. Son of Mr Jones of Penrhos, Llanrhychwyn.
  • Jones, John David, Private DM2/164190. Died of wounds 01/11/1918. Army Service Corps.  Buried St. Sever Cemetery. Of Anchor Farm, Trefriw.
  • Jones, John Gower, Lance Corporal 37963. Died 05/11/1916 aged 25. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Buried Puchevillers British Cemetery. Son of Mr and Mrs Llewelyn Goronwy Jones of Maenan Hall.
  • Jones, Llewellyn Roberts, Private 203626. Died 18/02/1917 aged 19. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Buried Llanbedr-y-Cennin (St. Peter) Churchyard. Husband of Ann Jane Roberts of Fron Haul, Llanbedr-y-Cennin.
  • Jones, William Pearce, Private 102286. Died 15/04/1918 aged 20. Canadian Infantry.  Buried Bellacourt Military Cemetery. Son of John and Jane Geirionwen Jones of Comox, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Native of Trefriw. Not named on Trefriw war memorial.
  • Overton, Alfred Arnold, Private 400720 Died 23/07/1917 aged 33. Manchester Regiment 2nd/7th Bn. Grave Reference. Buried at Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium. Son of Athaliah Ann Overton and William Overton, of Trefriw Terrace, Trefriw; husband of Margaret Mary Overton, of 8 Watling Street, Llanrwst. Not named on Trefriw or Llanrwst war memorials. An inscription in his memory can be seen on his parents’ gravestone in Trefriw cemetery.
  • Roberts, William, Private 21317. Died 09/02/1919 aged 24. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Buried Trefriw Cemetery. Son of Mrs Eliza Elizabeth Roberts of Rose Hill.
  • Shields, Arthur Robert, Private 35709. Died between 19/08/1918 and 20/08/1918 aged 19. Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Buried Tannay British Cemetery. Son of Donald and Margaret Shields of 1 Victoria Terrace.
  • Slater, Bertram, Private 16046. Died of wounds 20/07/1915. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Helles Memorial.Son of John Edwin and Hannah Slater of 10 Victoria Terrace, Trefriw. Brother of Ernest and George, below.soldier icon
  • Slater, Ernest, Private 11606. Died 07/08/1915. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Helles Memorial.soldier icon
  • Slater, George Edwin, Welsh Regiment, Private 16876. Died 11/11/1915 aged 34. Welsh Regiment 9th Bn. Le Touret Military Cemetery, France. Husband of Catherine Davies, of 67 Love Lane, Denbigh. Served as Davies. Also named on Denbigh war memorial.soldier icon
  • Williams, Samuel Cooper, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Died in 1916. Of Cae Coch, Trefriw. Was seriously wounded at the Battle of Mametz Woods in July 1916 and returned to his family’s farm in November 1916.
  • Williams, Richard Lloyd, Captain. Died of wounds 02/08/1917 aged 30. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Buried Mendinghem Military Cemetery. Son of Mr and Mrs Richard Williams of Blaen-y-Nant (or Blaen Nant), later of Welby Cottage. Worked for the London City and Midland Bank, in Porthmadog and then Denbigh, before enlisting. Left £50 in his will to Peniel Methodist Chapel, Trefriw. His brother, Major Jesse Williams DSO, also served.
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Second World War

  • Vaughan, William, Guardsman 2735089. Died 29/05/1940 aged 23. Welsh Guards. Buried West Cappel Churchyard. Son of John Jeffrey and CA Vaughan.
  • Williams, Evan David, Gunner 901393. Died 27/05/1940 aged 19. Royal Artillery. Dunkirk Memorial. Son of Elizabeth Williams; nephew of Mr EV Williams.
  • Smith, Roy Montague, Corporal PLY/X10663. Died 18/04/1945 aged 23. Royal Marines. Buried Ravenna War Cemetery. Son of Horace and Hilda Smith.
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