William John Hughes was born on the 10 September 1888. He was the eldest son of Henry and Sarah Hughes.

His grand-daughter kindly provided the following:

"He was known as Bill, I never knew him as he passed away before I was born and relied on what information my father told me. He was born in Llanelli Carmarthenshire and his parents were Welsh Flannel Merchants. They moved to Neath when he was around 8, he had a younger sister who became a school teacher and they were Welsh speakers."

The census provides a little more information. In 1901, the family was living at 17 Cresswell Terrace, Neath. Living in the house were Bill’s parents, Bill and his younger sister Mary. His father was working as a Travelling Draper.

His grand-daughter added:

"He married my grandmother in 1911 in Neath and at that time was a coal miner. They had 7 children, 3 girls and 4 boys, one of whom was my father. Henry Hughes."

Records confirm that he married Elizabeth on 13 February 1911 and the 1911 census shows the newly married couple living at 7 Alice Street, Neath and Bill working as a Coal Miner, Hewer.

Like the other members of the Brigade, Bill would have been mobilized in August 1914, and from that point through to the end of the War, he would have seen little of his family – other than an occasional period of leave prior to November 1915, when the Brigade went overseas. There are no records showing when Bill returned home after the War, however it is likely that it would have been in the middle of 1919, when most of the other members of the Brigade returned and were demobilized. His son Henry’s birth date (29 May 1920) also provides another clue about when Bill may have returned to Neath after the War.

Bill re-enlisted in the Territorial Artillery in 1920 and at that time he gave a range of personal details. The family was living at 14 Southgate Street, where they would remain for the rest of Bill’s life, 5 of Bill and Elizabeth’s children are listed , Alice (bn 1911), Adeline (bn 1912), Emrys (bn 1914), Henry (bn 1920) and Merya (bn 1922) and Bill was working as a Commercial Traveller.

At the time of the 1939 Register, the family were still in Southgate Street. Bill listed his occupation as Regular Army – 93/34th AA Battery.

Bill passed away in 1948, his family recollects: He died following a heart attack and stroke at the age of 58 on 1 August 1948.

Bill was buried at the Llantwit New Cemetery, Neath. The Neath Guardian reported

"A native of the Llanelly district, Mr Hughes was 58 years of age, having resided at Neath for 50 years, his death taking place at home after a long and painful illness…… The father of three sons who served during the last war, he was a member at the Neath Branch of the British Legion, where he was held in very high esteem by his many friends and comrades. Of a quiet and most unassuming character, he was respected as one of Nature’s gentlemen….. Members of the RA assisted as bearers, the “Last Post” being sounded at the graveside by Mr. Reginald Thomas."

William John Hughes joined the 1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade in 1908 and was given the service number 268. Unfortunately, his service record from that period (and through the Great War) has not survived, but it is possible to piece much of his service together through the surviving fragments of information.

Given his service number, he joined the Brigade somewhere between April and July 1908. This would have made Bill one of the first wave of recruits into the Brigade at its’ time of formation, prior to the first summer camp in July 1908 (attended by 400 men).

Given Bill’s age when he joined the Howitzers, it is also possible that he transferred from the old Glamorgan RGA volunteers. Many of the men transferred from that unit when the Territorial Force was set up in 1908 and the 1st Welsh Howitzers was formed.

Bill and his family lived in Neath, the home of the Left Section (2 guns) of the 2nd Glamorgan Battery. It is likely, therefore, that he would have been a member of this unit.

Along with the rest of the Brigade, Bill would have been mobilized at the start of the war. There are some suggestions that at this time he was serving with/seconded to the 6th Battalion, Welsh Regiment and rejoined the Brigade prior to the move overseas. This has not be fully proven.

Bill’s Medal Index Card confirms that he, along with the rest of the Brigade, travelled from Southampton to Le Havre on 22 November 1915. From there they moved to the Somme area, where they underwent further training, including a period in the front-line South-East of Albert (an area that marked the southern edge of the Somme battlefield just 6 months later).

Just before Christmas 1915, the Brigade withdrew from the front-line and in January 1916, received orders to rejoin the rest of the 53rd Welsh Division in Egypt. We know Bill served in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force so it is likely Bill travelled with the Brigade to Egypt, landing in Alexandria in February 1916.

Given that he was also given a new service number in 1917 from a batch of numbers associated with the Brigade (725028), it is likely that he remained with the Brigade throughout the Egypt campaign, being involved in Suez Canal Defences (1916), the 3 Battles of Gaza and march into Jerusalem (1917) and the subsequent push through the Judean Hills until the defeat of the Turkish Armies (1918).

725028, Sgt W.J. Hughes was Mentioned in Despatches at least twice in early 1918. The London Gazette of 11 January 1918 contains the final despatch from General Allenby and the Gazette of 16 January 1918 contains the first dispatch from General Allenby. Allenby took control of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force from Murray in the summer of 1917 after the first 2 unsuccessful Battles of Gaza. Through the remainder of the year, Murray oversaw the successful Third Battle of Gaza and the subsequent push to Jerusalem. Bill is mentioned in both of these desptaches.

The Cambria Daily Leader provides further information, although there appear to be a number of discrepancies:

FOUR TIMES MENTIONED.

A Neath man, Sergt WJ Hughes, whose wife and family reside at Southgate-street, Neath, enjoys the unique distinction of having been mentioned in dispatches by General A.J. Murray no less than 4 times. He was a Territorial with the 6th Welsh, and was in camp when war broke out, and went to Egypt with the Expeditionary Force. Sergt Hughes…. and his company was the first to enter Jerusalem.

- Cambria Daily Leader, 8 April 1918 (WNO)

This final reference may be connected to various reports that the Howitzers led the Artillery into Jerusalem in late 1917.

Following the defeat of the Turkish Army and the end of the Great War, Sgt Hughes returned to Swansea in 1919 and he was demobilized.

For his service during the Great War, Sgt WJ Hughes was awarded the 19/14 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. He was also awarded the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal in May 1919.

Bill rejoined the Territorials at Neath on 29 June 1920 and was given the new number of 721833. He served in the 81st Brigade RFA (TA) until 17 December 1924 as the Battery Quarter Master Sergeant.

Bill enlisted again on 1 September 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War. His Attestation Papers state that he was posted the Civil Defense – Anti-Aircraft, which is supported by his stated occupation in the 1939 Register - 93/34th AA Battery. His Grand-daughter added: During WW2 he was part of 453 light artillery battalion in Scotland as a BQMS. Bill finally left the Army on 19 July 1942 and promptly joined the Neath Home Guard.

For his service in the Second World War, BQMS W.J. Hughes would have received the Defence Medal. He was also subsequently awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

Bill’s children also saw service during the Second World War. His Grand-daughter provided the following:

My father Henry Hughes initially was in the Home Guard also with my grandfather and younger brother. He then joined the RAF 209 Squadron based in Pembroke Dock as an electrical engineer. After initial training in Hereford and Cheltenham he flew out to Mombasa before transferring to the Seychelle Islands to work on Catalina flying boats.

His younger brother Mervyn Hughes who was also in the Home Guard joined the Royal Attillery Argyle and Sutherlands. Emrys Hughes the oldest brother was a gunner during WW2 based in North Africa and Egypt and Libya. In 1942 he was a Lance Sergeant no 789191 116/118 Field Battery, 31st Field regiment Middle East Force and was wounded in the foot by shrapnel.