Llanwrtyd Wells war memorial

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Link to Welsh translationLink to French translationLlanwrtyd Wells war memorial

This war memorial takes the form of a memorial institute which, unusually, was created by converting an existing house. Plaques just inside the entrance commemorate local men who died in the First and Second World Wars. Choose a category below to discover who they were.

First World War
Second World War

Among those who died in the Second World War were the Morris brothers, one of whom was an Army chaplain. The other passed away at a Japanese camp in Indonesia where most of the prisoners of war died from various causes including starvation, violence, forced labour and medical experimentation.

At the institute’s opening ceremony in November 1928, the Rev Rees Evans gave a speech. He had been the local Methodist minister since 1874 and had donated £1,000 for the institute’s creation, supplementing other fundraising.

Memorial halls and institutes were created in many Welsh communities after the First World War to commemorate the fallen in a way which would also provide a useful facility for local people. Normally the halls were purpose-built structures. Here a prominent building in Irfon Terrace was adapted. You can see how the frontage was altered by comparing the building with its twin next door.

Inside the building there’s also a memorial to past pupils of Bromsgrove School who died in the Second World War. The school was evacuated from the West Midlands to Llanwrtyd to escape the threat of aerial bombing. Many of the pupils who finished their schooling in Llanwrtyd went on to serve in the armed forces, and 16 of them lost their lives.

The institute has had many uses over the years. Today its occupants include the town council and a small business.

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With thanks to Phillip Jones

Postcode: LD5 4RH    View Location Map

 
 

First World War

The following are listed as having died in battle:

  • Blyth, Glyn, Private (Lance Corporal in war graves records) 3/8096. Died 14/05/1917. Dorsetshire Regiment. Buried Nesle Communal Cemetery. Son of gamekeeper G Blyth of Esgairmoel. Previously wounded at Verdun in 1916.
  • Brick, John Caleb, Private 14519. Died 14/07/1916 aged 32. King's Shropshire Light Infantry. Thiepval Memorial. Son of Aaron and Margaret Brick of Providence Place.
  • Davies, David John, Gunner 166472. Died 15/09/1917 aged 27. Royal Garrison Artillery. Buried Voormezeele Enclosures No.1 And No.2. Son of Mr and Mrs JA  Davies of Bryn Irfon. Three brothers also served.
  • Davies, William James, Gunner.
  • Jones, David John, Private 18809. Died 21/02/1917 aged 37. Auckland Regiment. Buried Pont-du-Hem Military Cemetery. Son of David and Margaret Jones of Sugar Loaf Cottages.
  • Jones, Evan James, Private 39775. Died at Grantham Red Cross Hospital on 12/02/1916 aged 19. Welsh Regiment, later transferred to Machine Gun Corps. Buried Cefn Gorwydd (Gosen) Calvinistic Methodist Chapelyard. Lived at Ffosyffynon. Worked for William Williams of Myrtle House.
  • Lewis, Aneurin R, Private, Gunner 124040. Died 21/03/1918 aged 20. Royal Garrison Artillery. Buried Gouzeaucourt New British Cemetery. Son of  William Rhys Lewis of Fronfelen, Llandovery. Lived at Erwbeili.
  • Lewis, John Nicholas, Lieutenant. Died 08/08/1915 aged 22. Welsh Regiment. Helles Memorial. Son of Mrs Mary Lewis of Ffynonau. Educated at Llanwrtyd Council School and St John’s College, Oxford.soldier icon
  • Preece, Arthur Evan, Sapper 88473. Died 04/12/1916 aged 37. Royal Engineers. Buried Kantara War Memorial Cemetery. Husband of Alice Preece of Clarence House. Worked as a railway platelayer. Taught in the Sunday school at St James’ Church, Llanwrtyd.soldier icon
  • Richards, Gwilym Thomas. Probably: Richards, William Thomas, Corporal 22259. Died 24/07/1917. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Buried Bard Cottage Cemetery. Born in Llanwrtyd Wells.
  • Thomas, Evan, Private 713. Died 10/09/1916. Welsh Guards. Thiepval Memorial. Lived at Llwynheilog.
  • Williams, Peter Roderick, Lance Corporal 22895. Died 10/07/1916 aged 23. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Buried Flatiron Copse Cemetery. Son of Roderick and Sarah Williams.

The following died of the after-effects

  • Davies, Thomas, Lieutenant
  • Evans, William, Private
  • Jones, Evan Owen, Private. Labour Corps. Lived at the Abernant Hotel.
  • Jones, Stewart, Private. Herefordshire Regiment. Lived at Pleasant View.

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Second World War

  • Davies, John Rees, Aircraftman 2nd Class. Died 19/12/1942. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Buried St David’s Churchyard, Llanwrtyd. Educated at Builth Wells County School. He was serving in the UK when he died. His death was registered in Ruthin.
  • Davies, William Thomas Glyn, Driver T/293134. Died 19/06/1945 aged 23. Royal Army Service Corps. Buried Udine War Cemetery. Son of Theodore and Janet Davies of Llanwrtyd Wells.
  • Evans, Brinley Morgan, Flight Sergeant. Probably: Evans, Brinley Morgan, Sergeant 908598. Died 21/04/1941 aged 19. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 99 Sqdn. Runnymede Memorial. Son of D Cynan Evans and Elizabeth Evans, of Harvey, Illinois, USA. Educated at Builth Wells County School. While returning from a raid on Cologne, he and all his fellow crew members died after their Wellington bomber hit a barrage balloon over Harwich.
  • Griffiths, John Isaac, Writer D/MX 72620. Died 10/12/1941 aged 25. Royal Navy - HMS Repulse. Mentioned in Despatches. Plymouth Naval Memorial. Son of David Timothy and Margaret Ann Griffiths. Died when his ship was sunk by Japanese action off Malaysia.
  • Herbert, William E, Lance Corporal 4031578. Died 02/11/1942 aged 29. Durham Light Infantry. Buried El Alamein War Cemetery. Son of John and Annie Herbert of Maida Hill, London. Born in Brecknockshire.
  • Kidd, Colin Alfred, Flight Lieutenant 42952. Died 28/04/1944 aged 30. Royal Air Force. Buried Durnbach War Cemetery. Son of Lewis and Elizabeth Kidd; husband of Irene Florence Kidd. Air gunner on a Lancaster bomber shot down by a German night fighter during a raid to Friedrichshafen.
  • Morris, Godfrey Morgan, Gunner VX31478. Died of illness on 11/06/1945 aged 43. Australian Infantry. Buried Ambon War Cemetery. Son of Joseph Peregrine Morris and May Morris of 4, Belle Vue Terrace.  Enlisted in Melbourne in June 1940. Was held prisoner of war at Ambon camp, Indonesia, where he died. Brother of Ivor Joseph Morris, below.
  • Morris, the Reverend Ivor Joseph, Chaplain 4th Class 157811. Died 26/10/1942 aged 30. Royal Army Chaplains' Department, attached to the Rifle Brigade. Buried El Alamein War Cemetery. Son of Joseph Peregrine Morris and Mary Morris of 4, Belle Vue Terrace. Held a Bachelor of Arts degree from St David's College, Lampeter.
  • Williams, Margaret Ethelwyn. Civilian. Died 03/05/1941 aged 40. Died at 28 Linnet Lane, Liverpool. Of Delfryn, Abergwessin, Llanwrtyd Wells. Not named on Llanwrtyd Wells war memorial.
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