Tir-y-Berth war memorial

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Tir-y-Berth war memorial

This small stone cross, almost opposite the village's primary school, commemorates the local people who died in the First and Second World Wars. To discover who they were, see the lists below.

A plaque bearing the names of the local war dead was added to the memorial in November 2014.

One of those named here is Campbell Collins, a Merchant Navy cabin boy during the Second World War. He was 18 years old when he died, after he and his colleagues abandoned their blazing tanker following a torpedo attack. Another local man, Ivor Bartlett, was serving with the Royal Navy off Algeria when his ship was bombed in 1942. His body was buried at sea.


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First World War

  • Victor Albert Colston, Private 11476. Died 31/12/1914, aged 20. South Wales Borderers 1st Bn. Le Touret Memorial. Son of Henry John and Kate Colston, of 18, Grey Crescent, Tir-y-Berth.
  • William Hopkins, Private 6410. Died 05/02/1916, aged 39. Royal Welsh Fusiliers 2nd Bn. Loos Memorial. Husband of Ethel R Jones (formerly Hopkins), of 24 Duffryn Street, Tir-y-Berth.
  • John Hopkins, Private 35156. Died 01/09/1918. South Wales Borderers 12th Bn. Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery. Son of John Hopkins; husband of Mabel Hopkins (later Hughes), of 50 William Street, Tir-y-Berth. Born in London.
  • John Mahoney, Private 11327. Died 21/10/1914, aged 20. South Wales Borderers 1st Bn. Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. Son of John and Hanora Mahoney, of 25 William Street, Tir-y-Berth.
  • Thomas Read, Private 10966. Died 04/12/1917, aged 18. Essex Regiment 13th Bn. Cambrai Memorial, Louverval. Son of Albert Henry and Annie Read, of 2 Beatty Street, Tir-y-Berth.

 

Second World War

  • William Jones, Corporal 4192852. Died 18/03/1943 aged 23. Royal Welsh Fusiliers 1st Bn. Rangoon Memorial. Son of William and Mary Jones; husband of Lily Maud Jones, of Hengoed. Lived at 2 Horner Street, Tir-y-Berth, before he married.
  • William Robins, soldier, of Duffryn Street, Tir-y-Berth. Probably: Willam George Robins, Gunner 1497320 Royal Artillery. Died April 9 1942 aged 23. Trincomalee War Cemetery, Sri Lanka. Son of Arthur George and Lily Robins; husband of Mildred Ethel Robins, of Bargoed.
  • Glyn Matthews, airman. Possibly: Aubrey Glyndwr Matthews, Flying Officer Pilot 153043. Died 20/04/1945 aged 26. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Mortlake Cemetery. Son of Mr and Mrs JJ Matthews; husband of Eileen Matthews, of West Kensington, London.
  • Ivor Bartlett, Able Seaman D/JX 285744. Died 09/11/1942 aged 20. Royal Navy - HMS Palomares. Plymouth Naval Memorial. Son of Edwin and Sarah Ann Bartlett, of Hengoed. His ship was bombed, but not sunk, while taking part in the Allied landings at Algiers. The sailors who were killed were taken out to sea for burial.
  • Campbell Collins, Cabin Boy. Died 10/01/1943 aged 18. Merchant Navy - MV British Dominion (London). Tower Hill Memorial. His ship, a tanker, was carrying aviation fuel across the Atlantic when it was torpedoed and set alight. The crew were ordered to abandon ship immediately, although in the event it did not explode as they had feared and was eventually sunk by another German submarine. There were 16 survivors but Campbell was among the 37 who died.
 
 

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