Pontypool war memorial
Pontypool war memorial
The main war memorial for Pontypool and Abersychan takes the form of plaques on the pillars of the ornate gateway to Pontypool Park. The first plaques were unveiled in 1924 in memory of the local people who had died in the First World War. The names of those who died in subsequent conflicts were added later.
To discover who the war dead were, choose a category below.
We have included details of people who died on active service and had local connections but are not named on the memorial.
The Watkins family of The Wern had seven brothers serving in the First World War. Three were killed and are named on the memorial.
Unusually, the memorial bears the names of a brother and sister. Leonard Britton died, aged 20, while serving with the Royal Navy in November 1942. A year later his sister Kathleen, aged 30, died while serving with the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
Ethel Johnson, of Osborne Road, lost her son Charles in 1943, while he served with the RAF. Her husband Richard was lost at sea two years earlier when the cargo ship he commanded was torpedoed and sunk. Both are named on the memorial. Charles was previously a Swansea policeman, and is also commemorated on the war memorial in Swansea Central police station.
When David Llewellyn Thomas, a Petty Officer in the Royal Navy, died at sea in 1943 he had been due to marry his fiancée on his next leave.
Trevor Jones, of the Welsh Guards, took part in two propaganda films and the Ealing Studios film Nine Men before he was killed in North Africa in 1943.
About the park gates:
The gates date from the 18th century and were reputedly a gift to Major John Hanbury (1664-1734), owner of Pontypool Park, from the Duchess of Marlborough. They were re-located to their current site in the 19th century, possibly before Queen Victoria became monarch. The railings on both sides of the gates were supplied by Blaenavon Ironworks.
With thanks to Nick Haynes and Shaun McGuire, and to Adrian Hughes of the Home Front museum, Llandudno
Postcode: NP4 6JL View Location Map