Summary
- 967 – Men identified with service number (+1)
- 820 – Confirmed ’08 service numbers (+7)
- 120 – Men identified without service number (+29)
- 110 – Portraits (+15)
- 57 – Profiles drafted (+4)
Once again, over the last few months, I’ve been focusing on my new job so have not had too much time to dedicate to the project. That said, I have managed to grab a few hours here and there and have continued my second pass through the nominal role.
5 Months in Numbers
Of the 967 men that I have identified on the role, I have now researched 416 in detail. This additional research has also led to making contact with a further 17 families/descendants and finding a further 15 portraits since May, bringing the total to 110 portraits .
I have also looked at a further 127 men, but have been unable to identify them due to lack of detail (for instance, trying to identify the correct William Davies in Swansea/Neath in 1915 is extremely difficult without an address or date of birth).
Finally, I have also now identified 386 of the 401 men of the Brigade who travelled to France on the night of 21/22 November 1915. Almost all of these men subsequently travelled to Egypt in February 1916.
Researching every one of these men has been both fascinating and enjoyable, pulling together scraps of information to create an outline of both their personal lives and military service. It is always the ‘icing on the cake’ when I then make contact with descendants who are able to furnish me with photos and stories. So it is always difficult for me to pick out a couple to write about in this blog, but I’ve had a go:
582, Bert Job
Bert Job joined the 1st Glamorgan Battery in the summer of 1911 – along with his brother William . Unfortunately, his service record has not survived but a series of fantastic photos held by his family confirm that he served in Egypt.
They are a lovely little collection and include a photo of Bert and 2 other men (one possibly his brother, William) in front of the Sphinx as well as another picture in the series of photos of the men of the 1st Glamorgan Battery (this time A Sub). These photos can be seen here.
612, William Brennan – Dunkirk Veteran
William Brennan was a pre-war territorial, enlisting in Neath in early 1912. His service record has survived but is still with the MOD so I have yet to see it. In spite of this, a number of sources give a good insight into his service in both World Wars.
Being from Neath, he was most likely a member of the 2nd Battery and like the other pre-war territorials he would have been embodied for War Service on 5 August 1914.
However, given that he he did not travel with the Brigade to France in November 1915 and did not received the Territorial War Medal, so it is likely that he did not sign the Imperial Service Obligation papers and remained in the UK with the 2nd Line until 1916 when he was transferred to an active unit.
His obituary provides the following: He served during the last war, seeing service in Salonica and Egypt. and his medal records confirm that at some point (likely later on in the war), he transferred to the Royal Engineers Railway Operating Department (RODRE) – most likely using his civilian skills to either operate or maintain the network of military railways built during the campaign. He was finally discharged in April 1919.
Like many other men, he re-enlisted in the Territorial Artillery after the war, transferring the the Royal Engineer (Special Reserve) in 1933 as a Sapper. It appears that he was called up at the start of WW2 travelling to France and was evacuated from Dunkirk.
Sadly Sapper William Brennan died shortly after in hospital in Glasgow. He was buried at Llantwit Old Cemetery, Neath.
747, William Hill
William Hill joined the Brigade as a Gunner late in the Summer of 1913 just before his 17th birthday. Being from Neath, he was a member of the 2nd Battery. Just a handful of records relating to his service have survived, but they tell a fascinating story.
Despite being under age, Gnr Hill still volunteered for Imperial Service and was awarded the Territorial War Medal. He also appears to have travelled to Cambridge with the Brigade in early 1915 and his family still have a letter that he wrote from the Warwick Hotel (where he was presumably billetted) to his family.
The next record is a Distinguished Conduct Medal citation (taken from the History of the 25th Division). The Citation reads: No 725155 Bombr W Hill, Y-25 M TM Battery, RFA. This NCO showed great gallantry and devotion to duty on 22nd March, 1918, near Hermies. He worked his mortar for over an hour while the position was being heavily shelled and enfiladed by a machine gun. After he had been firing for three-quarters of an hour the Infantry were given orders to retire, as they were being outflanked, but he continued firing until he saw the enemy almost behind him. He then destroyed his gun and withdrew to the Infantry. Awarded…. DCM
It appears that Bdr Hill was uninjured during this brave act and continued to serve at the front until May 1918 when he was gassed.
William Hill never fully recovered and died in March 1920. Corporal William Hill is remembered on the Neath War Memorial.
1054, William Gatward Wilson
William Gatward Wilson came from a family of blacksmiths based in Royston, Hertfordshire and moved to Swansea in the the early 1900s to get work as a coach builder.
Following the outbreak of war, he enlisted in the Brigade and despite his service record being destroyed, surviving documents, coupled with a series of photos retained by his family provide an insight into his service.
William’s civilian skills as a coach builder made him highly qualified for the role of Fitter (maintaining the guns) and when he married in October 1915, the notice in the newspaper confirmed that he had taken that role. Shortly after, Ftr Gatward was one of the 401 men who travelled to France on the night of 21/22 November 1915 and most likely he travelled with the Brigade to Egypt in February 1916. He rapidly rose up through the ranks ultimately becoming a Fitter Sergeant.
HIs family still hold a lovely collection of photos from the period as well as his medals, including a fascinating picture of him standing by the breach of a 4.5in Howitzer. The picture clearly shows the Howitzer as well as pedrails; the ash blocks attached to the wheels to aid moving across sand.
What next?
Moving forward, I will continue the second pass through the nominal roll. it looks likely that this will take over a year, but the information gathered will be invaluable as I move forward with the projects.
Thanks for reading.
