Crwys Hall war memorials, Cathays

Crwys Hall war memorials, Cathays

cardiff_crwys_hall_war_memorialFour war memorials were placed on display inside Crwys Hall after the First World War. They were removed in the 1980s. The building is now Highfields Church.

The photo (with thanks to David Hughes) shows the war memorial for men who worshipped at Crwys Hall Methodist chapel and died in the First World War – see below to discover who they were.

The memorial was erected in July 1919, with the names grouped by year of death (as in our list below). Its dedication inscription read: “In affectionate and ever grateful memory of the following members and adherents of this church, who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War.” This was followed by: “Being dead they yet speak.”

A further inscription was added in honour of four men who died in the Second World War. Their names are currently unknown.

Another memorial, unveiled in 1916, was dedicated to Corporal George Thomas Willcocks, who died near Ypres, Belgium, in 1915. This was the first memorial to a First World War soldier in any of Cardiff’s places of worship.

A memorial plaque for 2nd Lieutenant Vivian Llewellyn was discovered in a storeroom by relatives in 2017. It was restored and placed on display again, through the kind cooperation of Highfields Church. You can read our page in his memory here.

By December 1914, about 100 men who worshipped at Crwys Hall had enlisted in the armed forces. One of them, Sergeant Major Fred Barter, was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1915 for his heroism on the Western Front.

With thanks to Jeremy Sparkes, David Hughes of the Western Front Association (South Wales) and Adrian Hughes

Postcode: CF24 4QW    View Location Map

 

First World War

Where shown, click this icon for our page in memory of the person: Extra page icon

  • Ainsley Sloman, Lance Corporal 24533. Died 21/08/1915 aged 27. South Wales Borderers. Helles Memorial, Turkey. Son of Mrs Margaret Sloman, of 21 Tewkesbury Street, Cathays.
  • LP Peterson, Private 16866. Died 04/12/1915. Buried at St. Vaast Post Military Cemetery, Richebourg-l'Avoue, France. Welsh Regiment.
  • Edwin James Davies, Sergeant 20157. Died 18/09/1916 aged 35. King's Shropshire Light Infantry. Buried at Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, France. Awarded the Military Medal. Son of Lewis and Sarah Davies. Native of Cardiff.
  • George Thomas Willcocks, Corporal 26578. Died of wounds 29/02/1916. Royal Garrison Artillery. Buried at Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium.
  • Raymond Jones, Lieutenant. Died 10/07/1916. Royal Army Medical Corps, attached to 129th Field Ambulance. Buried at Carnoy Military Cemetery, France. Was a medical doctor at a practice in Monthermer Road, Cathays, before the war. Had previously lived in Llanrhaiadr-ym-Mochnant, Powys, where his brother Harold D Jones was postmaster.
  • G Herbert, Private 32693. Died 09/03/1916. Welsh Regiment. Buried at Le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-l'Avoue, France.
  • Edward James Bennett, Private 23195. Died 07/07/1916 aged 21. Welsh Regiment. Thiepval Memorial, France. Son of Robert and Polly Bennett, of 62 Minny Street, Cathays.
  • Percy Purnell, Lance Corporal 44762. Died 08/09/1916 aged 20. Welsh Regiment. Thiepval Memorial, France. Son of Mr and Mrs O Purnell, of 3, Springfield Terrace, Birchgrove, Cardiff.
  • Arthur John Tackley, Private 38553. Died 20/09/1917 aged 19. Gloucestershire Regiment. Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. Son of Arthur and Beatrice Tackley, of 100 Tewkesbury Street, Cathays, Cardiff.
  • Elwyn Edwards, Private 535282. Died 16/08/1917 aged 18. London Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles), posted to 12th Battalion, London Regiment (The Rangers). Buried at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm), Belgium. Son of Morgan and Elizabeth Edwards, of 76 Alfred Street, Cardiff.
  • William Charles Smith, Corporal 56519. Died 27/08/1917 aged 24. Welsh Regiment. Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. Son of William and Phoebe Smith, of 38 Phyllis Crescent, Ely, Cardiff.
  • George Senior, Lance Corporal 15468. Died 17/05/1918 aged 54. Royal Defence Corps. Buried at Kirk Patrick (Holy Trinity) Churchyard, Isle of Man. Son of Robert Senior of Newport; husband of Annie Elizabeth Senior, of 8 Alexander Street, Cathays.
  • Percy Edgar John, Rifleman 45790. Died 07/04/1918. Royal Irish Rifles, posted to
    London Regiment (London Irish Rifles). Buried at Bouzincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, France. Husband of FA John, of 49 Shakespeare Road, Northampton. Lived in Cardiff.
  • Ivor Stickler, Gunner 25771. Died 13/09/1918. Royal Field Artillery. Buried at Hermies Hill British Cemetery, France.
  • AC Parfitt, Rifleman B/201733. Died 13/09/1918 aged 21. Rifle Brigade. Buried At Sunken Road Cemetery, Boisleux-St. Marc, France. Son of Henry and Elizabeth Parfitt, of 17 Robert Street, Cathays.
  • AS Meyrick, Lance Corporal 42473. Died 29/09/1918. Buried at Dadizeele New British Cemetery, Belgium. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Husband of A Meyrick, of 53 Colour Street Cathays.
  • Vivian Llewellyn, Second Lieutenant. Died 04/11/1918 aged 20. Buried at Forest Communal Cemetery, France. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Son of Lemuel Morgan and Isabella Llewellyn, of 157 Cathays Terrace.soldier icon
  • Leonard Williams, Gunner 731038. Died 13/02/1919 aged 24. Buried at Cathays Cemetery, Cardiff. Royal Field Artillery. Son of William Richard and Mary Ann Williams, of 109 Cathays Terrace.