Eglwysbach war memorial
The village’s war memorial takes the form of inscriptions on the gate pillars at the entrance to St Martin’s Churchyard. To discover who the local war dead were, choose a category below.
Among those who died in the First World War was Francis McLaren. He was the Member of Parliament for Spalding Division, Lincolnshire, from 1910 until his death in 1917. His parents were Baron and Lady Aberconway, of Bodnant Hall.
The stained-glass east window of St Martin's Church was installed in 1950 by public subscription in thanksgiving for deliverance after the Second World War.
With thanks to Dr Bridget Osborne and to Adrian Hughes of the Home Front museum, Llandudno
First World War
- Edward A Burgess, Driver M2/155562. Died 10/04/1916 aged 23. Army Service Corps 649th Mechanical Transport Coy. Corbie Communal Cemetery. Son of James and Grace Burgess, of Tal-y-Cafn Hotel. Husband of Katy Burgess, of Caxton House, Llanberis. Worked as a decorator before enlisting.
- Owen D Davies, Private 35234 York and Lancaster Regiment 7th. Service battalion, 398697 Royal Anglesey Royal Engineers. Died 29/10/1917 aged 39. Bard Cottage Cemetery. Husband of Mrs Margaret Ellen Davies, of Penygraig, Eglwysbach. Worked as a journeyman joiner before enlisting.
- Stanley Douglas Deacon, Gunner RMA/9576. Royal Marine Artillery Lost on 01/11/1914 when HMS Good Hope sunk with all hands in the Battle of Coronel. Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Also on Caerhun and Stockport war memorials. A post office worker before enlisting.
- Hugh Hughes, Royal Welsh Fusiliers 21st Regiment. Son of William and Margaret of Conwy Cottage, Eglwysbach. Born in 1894 and died between 1918 and 1923.
- Ernest Jones, Private 37908. Died 21/08/1916 aged 24. Royal Welsh Fusiliers 2nd/3rd Bn. Thiepval Memorial. Son of Owen and Mary Jones, of Glyn Villa, Abergele Rd., Colwyn Bay. Born in Eglwysbach. Was promenade inspector in Colwyn Bay before enlisting.
- David J Jones, Staff Serjeant T4/069936. Died 29/07/1917 aged 24. Army Service Corps 15th Reserve Park. Gwalia Cemetery. Son of Edward and Mary Jones, of Tygwyn, Eglwysbach. Worked as a wheelwright before enlisting.
- William Jones Private 4/5th Bn (Territorial) 28900, formerly 24987 17th Lancers, Loyal North Lancs. Died 14/01/1918 age 27, according to war records. His gravestone in Eglwysbach Churchyard gives the date of death as 14/01/1917 and age as 25. Son of Robert and Mary Jones. Born at Lletty, Eglwysbach. Not named on Eglwysbach war memorial.
- William T Jones, Private 88957. Died 16/04/1918 aged 20. The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 1st Bn. Arras Memorial. Son of Isaac and Elizabeth Jones of River Cottage, Tal-y-cafn.
- Francis Walter Stafford McLaren, Second Lieutenant. Died in a flying accident in Scotland on 30/08/1917 aged 31. Royal Flying Corps and General List. Busbridge (St John the Baptist) Churchyard. Son of Sir Charles Benjamin Bright McLaren, 1st Baron Aberconway and Lady Aberconway; husband of Barbara, daughter of Col. Sir Herbert Jekyll. Member of Parliament for Spalding Division 1910-1917, also a director of the Metropolitan Railway company and JP for Denbighshire. Also commemorated by shield in House of Commons chamber.
- David Morris, Private 203719. Died 14/06/1918 aged 25. Royal Welsh Fusiliers 9th Bn. Soissons Memorial. Son of Evan Morris, of Bryn Goleu, Eglwysbach. Worked as a farm hand at Bryn Selar. Also named at Glan Conwy war memorial.
- David Morris, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Probably: 39817 RWF 1st Battalion. Died August 1916 aged 26. Son of Jane Morris of Pen y Groes. Thiepval Memorial. Worked as a stone dresser.
- Thomas Oliver Owen, Private 37787. Died 28/02/1917 aged 23. Royal Welsh Fusiliers 10th Bn. Arras Memorial. Son of Alice and John of Tal-y-Cafn Terrace. Worked as a gardener.
- Tom Edgar Grantley Norton, Second Lieutenant. Died 20/04/1915 aged 31 on Hill 60. East Surrey Regiment 1st Bn. Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery. Architect, scholar and son of Robert and Edith Norton, of Penrhiwardwr. Commemorated on a plaque in Eglwysbach church and a memorial in Uppingham School.
- Thomas J Roberts, Private 39514. Died 11/04/1917 aged 26. Royal Welsh Fusiliers 10th Bn. Son of John and Annie of Berllan Bach. Worked as a farm labourer.
- John Routley, Private 92982. Died 8th August 1917 aged 30. Royal Garrison Artillery. Husband of Anne Routley of Llyn Siberi. Buried Voormezeele Enclosure No.3, Belgium. Worked as a gamekeeper.
- John Eric Saunderson, Private 19999. Died 22/08/1916 age 24. Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) 7th Coy. Thiepval Memorial. Born Eglwysbach. Enlisted in Towcester, Northamptonshire. Husband of Gwladys Saunderson. Worked as a gardener. Also named at Glan Conwy war memorial.
- Evan Thomas. Private 203587. Died 27/10/1918 aged 22. Royal Welsh Fusiliers 17th Bn. Grandson of William and Mary Thomas of Bryndiaonyn and son of Evan and Catherine Jane Thomas of Penmaenmawr. Vis-en-Artois Memorial.
- John R Thomas, Private 40262. Died 26/09/1917 aged 25. Royal Welsh Fusiliers 2nd Bn. Tyne Cot Memorial. Son of John and Maria Thomas, of Groes Bach, Abergele Rd., Colwyn Bay. Born and lived in Tal-y-Cafn. Worked as a gardener.
- Isaac Williams, Private 49819. Died 21/05/1917 aged 31. Royal Welsh Fusiliers 10th Bn. Abergele Calvinistic Methodist Chapelyard. Son of John and Dorothy Williams; Insurance clerk and husband of Elizabeth Williams, of Glenmore, Chapel St., Abergele. Born in Eglwysbach.
- John T Williams, Driver 815396. Died 27/11/1918 aged 29. Royal Field Artillery HQ, 282nd Bde. Etaples Military Cemetery. Son of Robert and Jane Williams, of Cefn Coed, Eglwysbach.
- Peter Williams, Private 13553. Died 18/08/1916. Royal Welsh Fusiliers 10th Bn. Thiepval Memorial. Born in Glan Conwy. Son of Richard and Jane Williams of West Lodge. Worked as a gardener.
- Thomas Williams, Gunner 85213. Died 14/03/1918 aged 28. Royal Garrison Artillery 135th Siege Bty. Roclincourt Military Cemetery. Son of Ellis and Jane Williams, of Foel Cwm, Penmachno; husband of Gwen Williams, of Clwt Farm, Eglwysbach.
- William M Williams, Private 53470. Royal Engineers. Driver 89th Field Coy. Died 03/06/1917 aged 30. Beaurains Cemetery. Born in Eglwysbach to Thomas and Susi Williams of Bron Haul. Worked as a coal hewer in Graigberthlwyd, near Caerphilly. Enlisted Newport.
Second World War
- Neville Booth. Possibly: Neville George Richardson Booth, Flight Lieutenant, Pilot 81661. Died 18/05/1942 aged 25. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 20 OTU. Odense (Assistens) Cemetery. Born in Cheshire. Son of Joseph Vincent Lane Booth and Josephine Lyndall Booth, of Denshaw, Yorkshire. A reporter with the Manchester Evening News before enlisting.
- Christopher Nicholls. Major 78825. Died 18/07/1944 aged 30. Royal Armoured Corps, Staffordshire Yeomanry. Bayeux Memorial. Son of Christopher and Annie Nicholls.
View Eglwysbach war memorial HistoryPoints.org in a larger map