Talgarth war memorial

PWMP logobutton_lang_welshTalgarth war memorial

This memorial commemorates local people who died in the First and Second World Wars. See below to discover who they were.

Talgarth has had three war memorials. Soon after the First World War a brass memorial plaque was placed on display in the town hall. A new memorial was discussed at a meeting in January 1953, when Mrs Charles Pugh said it was a disgrace to have a war memorial in a dance hall. There was also no room on the brass plaque to include the names of men who had died in the Second World War.

In 1957 a new memorial was unveiled at the riverside plot where you see the current memorial, which dates from the 1980s. By then, erosion by the river had undermined the 1950s memorial.

While the old memorial was being replaced, the original brass plaque was discovered. It had been buried underneath the war memorial in a gesture of reverence. A local shopkeeper took it to his garage for safekeeping. In 2016 it was renovated and returned to the town hall.

Three of the men named on the war memorial died on the same day in 1915 in the Aden area. On that day the Brecknockshire Battalion of the South Wales Borderers marched 40km (25 miles) across the sand to accost Turkish soldiers. It was reported that 13 men from Breconshire had died that day, several of them from heat exhaustion.

You can read more about the local First World War dead in Talgarth's War 1914-1919 by Talgarth and District Historical Society. The book is available from the Information Centre in Talgarth.

Postcode: LD3 0BW    View Location Map

With thanks to Virginia Brown, Alan Lovell and other members of Talgarth and District Historical Society

First World War

Second World War

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First World War

  • Baker R. Probably: Lance Corporal 39687. Died 08/11/1917. South Wales Borderers. Awarded Military Medal. Buried at Erquinghem-Lys Churchyard Extension. Born in Presteigne and lived in Talgarth and in Letton, Herefordshire.
  • Dance, Charles Phillip, Private 107. Died 11/08/1918 aged 21. Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery. Buried at Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres. Son of Peter and Emma Dance, of Richmond, Australia, and earlier of Talgarth. Born in Hereford. Worked on a farm in Australia before the war.
  • Day, Owen Samuel, Sergeant 7953. Killed in action 09/09/1917, aged 43. Cheshire Regiment. Awarded Military Medal. Thiepval Memorial. Son of Henry and Henrietta Day of 28 Osborne Street, Newton Abbott, Devon; husband of Edith Day (later Williams), of 4 New Street, Talgarth. Worked for the postal service before the war, and had earlier served in the South African War. Left three children.
  • Hargest, William, Private 15904. Died in hospital on the Isle of Wight on 15/12/1915. Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Buried at Parkhurst Military Cemetery. Served on the north-west frontier of India 1897-1898. Son of Ann Hargest, who worked as a bill poster in Talgarth. Worked as a miner in South Wales before rejoining his old regiment when war broke out. Was invalided home in summer 1914 and returned briefly to Talgarth.
  • Hobby, John, Sergeant 10368. Died 23/04/1917. South Wales Borderers. Tilloy British Cemetery, Tilloy-les-Mofflaines. Son of railway platelayer John Hobby and Mary Hobby, of Station Yard, Talgarth.
  • Jones, Henry James, Private 10295. Died 11/04/1918. South Wales Borderers. Ploegsteert Memorial.
  • Lloyd, William, Private 1319. Died in Aden from heat exhaustion on 04/07/1915. South Wales Borderers. Buried at Maala Cemetery, Yemen. Born in Wrexham. Enlisted in Rhyl. Also named on Rhyl war memorial. Died on the same day and in the same area as FR Skann and JH Smith of Talgarth, below.
  • Morris, David, Private 18533. Died 27/05/1916 aged 38. Welsh Regiment. Buried at Rue-du-Bacquerot (13th London) Graveyard, Laventie. Son of William and Eliza Morris, of Brook Cottage, Talgarth; brother of WD Morris, of Park House, Talgarth.
  • Parton, William Benjamin, Private 701258. Died 09/04/1917 aged 31. Canadian Infantry. Vimy Memorial. Son of Henry and Elizabeth Parton, of Gravog Farm, Pengenfford, Talgarth.
  • Powell, David Bernard, Second Lieutenant. Died of wounds, after being shot by a sniper, on 04/09/1917 aged 23. South Wales Borderers. Buried at Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt. Son of John and Sarah Powell, of The Tower Hotel, Talgarth. Worked as a bank clerk before the war. Three of his brothers also served.
  • Powell, John Charles, Private 12047. Died of wounds 08/12/1917 aged 38. South Wales Borderers. Buried at Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension. Son of John and Jane Powell, of Hay; husband of Mary Jeanie Powell, of Red House, Talgarth. Was manager of the HJ Stephens clothes shop in Talgarth before the war. Left two young daughters. Also named on Hay war memorial.
  • Price, Henry Dallow , Private 441054. Died 15/09/1916 aged 20. Canadian Infantry. Vimy Memorial. Son of Talgarth butcher Thomas Price and Fanny Ester Price (nee Dallow), of 1 Castle View, Bronllys Road, Talgarth. Harry emigrated to Canada in 1905 along with his father, stepmother and two sisters. His battalion took part in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, which was the first time tanks were used in warfare. He died on the first day of the battle.
  • Prydderch, Rhys Thomas, Private 70532. Died 23/03/1917 aged 34. The King's (Liverpool Regiment). Buried at Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery. Son of William and Sarah Prydderch, of Lower Genffordd (or Geuffordd) Farm, Talgarth. As a Calvinistic Methodist minister, he sometimes preached in Talgarth’s Market Square.
  • Reed, Alfred George, Lance Corporal 14577. Died 31/07/1917 aged 27. Grenadier Guards. Buried at Artillery Wood Cemetery, Belgium. Son of Mr and Mrs George Reed, of Elms Farm, Chippenham; husband of Doris Reed (nee Pewtner). Worked at the Brecon and Radnor Asylum, Talgarth, before the war, and earlier as a police officer in Abergavenny. Left one child.
  • Roberts, Reginald Charles. Private 267529. Died 22/05/1918. Monmouthshire Regiment. Buried at La Kreule Military Cemetery, Hazebrouck. Son of timber haulier David Roberts and Annie Roberts, of the Upper Lion Inn, Talgarth. Born in Talgarth in 1886. Brother of William Arthur, below.
  • Roberts, William Arthur, Private 27809. Died 25/03/1918 aged 26. South Wales Borderers, formerly Private 5133 Devonshire Regiment. Buried at Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery. Son of timber haulier David Roberts and Annie Roberts, of the Upper Lion Inn, Talgarth. Born in Usk in 1882. Brother of Reginald Charles, above.
  • Robinson, William, Sapper 200861. Died 13/10/1917 aged 33. Royal Engineers, Inland Water Transport. Buried at Bolarum Cavalry Barracks Cemetery, India. Husband of Mary Hannah Robinson, of 6 Trefecca Road, Talgarth. In 1891 he lived with mother Margaret and grandfather Thomas Thomas at Blainffynant Farm. Suffered sunstroke while working with the Royal Engineers on a railway in Iraq. Sent to hospital in Bombay, where he suffered a fatal fall.
  • Skann, Frank Ronald, Private 200697. Died 04/07/1915. South Wales Borderers. Heliopolis (Aden) Memorial. Son of Richard and Mary Skann (surname also given as Skan in contemporary sources). Born in Worcester in 1896. Lived at Broad Street, Worcester. Enlisted in Brecon. Was part of Talgarth-based F Company in the Brecknockshire Battalion of the SWB. Died on the same day and in the same area as W Lloyd of Talgarth, above, and JH Smith, below.
  • Smith, Joseph Herbert, Corporal 813. Died of sunstroke 04/07/1915 aged 36. South Wales Borderers. Heliopolis (Aden) Memorial. Son of William and Emily Smith, of 63 Coldbath Road, King's Heath, Birmingham; husband of Mary Anne Smith. Was a gardener at the Brecon and Radnor Asylum, Talgarth, before the war. Died on the same day and in the same area as W Lloyd and FR Skann of Talgarth, above.
  • Thomas, J, Private 2663. Died of wounds 24/11/1915. Welsh Regiment. Buried at Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez. Born in Llanspyddid, Brecon. Lived in New Road, Talgarth.
  • Watkins, John, Private 15944. Died 26/03/1916. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Merville Communal Cemetery. Son of shepherd Walter Watkins, of Pendref, Talgarth. Born in 1888. Worked as a mason before enlisting. He was fatally shot by a sniper while building a trench parapet.
  • Watkins, John Henry, Private 88870. Died of wounds 26/11/1918. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Buried at St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen. Son of Mr and Mrs J Watkins, of Manchester House, Builth Wells. Married Ellen Full in July 1913 at St Gwendoline’s Church, Talgarth. Lived at 2 Regents Street, Talgarth. Worked as a plumber before the war.
  • Williams, Edgar J, Lance Corporal 2066. Died 09/01/1917 aged 22. Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. Buried at Kantara War Memorial Cemetery. Son of Rees Williams, of the New Inn, Talgarth. Born in Llandefalle.
  • Williams, Reuben, Private 267557. Died 29/06/1917 aged 22. Monmouthshire Regiment. Buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. Son of Thomas and Annie Williams, of Bailiau Bach Farm, Talgarth, also of Ffosrhys Farm.
  • Williams, William Francis David, Private 49820. Died of chest wounds 19/02/1917 aged 22. Royal Fusiliers. Buried at Varennes Military Cemetery. Son of Evan Williams and grocer Mary Williams, of High Street, Talgarth. Also named on Abergavenny First World War memorial.soldier icon
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Second World War

  • Evans, Harold Frank, Private 5573192. Died 15/02/1945 aged 26. Wiltshire Regiment. Buried Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Son of Frank and Miriam Evans of Talgarth; husband of Margaret Ruby Evans. Not named on Talgarth war memorial.
  • Games, John Leslie, Carpenter. Died 15/2/1941 aged 27. Merchant Navy - SS Holystone (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Commemorated on Tower Hill Memorial. Son of Alfred and Mary Ann Games.
  • Moore, H. Possibly: Hubert Moore, Private 3908205. Died 30/6/1944 aged 32. Army Catering Corps attached to 3rd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment. Buried Banneville-La-Campagne War Cemetery. Son of Sarah Ann Moore; husband of Agnes Moore of Brecon.
  • Pugh, Leonard Charles, Corporal 4079559 (listed as Private on Commonwealth War Graves database). Died 03/09/1942 aged 36. South Wales Borderers. Buried Tripoli War Cemetery. Son of James and Ada Pugh; husband of Winnifred Mable Pugh of Colwinstone, Glamorgan. Born in Talgarth.
  • Pugh, Thomas Noel, Sergeant 1376031. Died 16/1/1942 aged 22. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 419 Squadron (Royal Canadian Air Force). Runnymede Memorial. Son of Charles and Catherine Pugh; husband of Olive Pugh.
  • Tanswell, George Henry. Serjeant. Died 18/1/1942 aged 37. Home Guard - 2nd Brecknockshire (Builth Wells) Battalion. Buried Talgarth (St Gwendolen) Churchyard. Son of George Henry and Kathleen Bentley Tanswell; husband of Rhoda Elizabeth Tanswell.
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