In memory of Robert Saunders Williams
Robert Saunders Williams was born on 28 October 1891. He was the fourth son of tea merchant Samuel and Elizabeth Williams, of Central Stores, Pwllheli. The family lived at Tanygarn.
Robert was educated at Pwllheli’s elementary and intermediate schools. He became a surveyor and estate agent, and joined the territorial force in 1908. He was a keen sportsman, playing in the North Wales Coast Football League.
In 1912 he emigrated to Australia. He settled in Hobart, Tasmania, where he worked for hardware merchants Charles Davis Ltd.
He joined the Australian army in 1914 and served in Egypt. He took part in the attempted invasion of Turkey through the Gallipoli peninsula, a disastrous campaign in which many servicemen from Australia and New Zealand died.
Private Williams went on to serve on the Western Front, in France and Belgium. He died on 7 July 1917 during fighting at Messines, Belgium. He was 25 years old. He has no known grave, and is commemorated on the Menin Gate memorial in Ypres.
In his last letter home, he wrote: “If anything happens to me, the only thing in Australia that may be of value to you is a football medal which I won there.” His father later reminisced: “He never knew what fear was, either on the football field or the field of battles.”
The photo of Robert, above left, was printed on his memorial card, along with a poem by his father which reads:
Tyner fel awel Mehefin
Oedd tuedd ei natur ef:
Distawrwydd ei fro gynnefin,
A’r anial ei dawel dref.
Ar alwad o’r dwfn encilion
Y daw glewion feib pob oes,
Ac arwyr y brwydrau poethion,
A’r gwyr sydd yn cario’r groes.
Return to listing page (Pwllheli war memorial)
