WORKING NOTES

Born 17/8/1886, Neath . Parents - ?? & Emily

1901 - 10 Chrich Str, Briton Ferry. 4yo. W mum & step father + 4 older full-sibs

1901 - 36 Hunter St, Briton Ferry. 14yo. W mum and step father plus 2 older full-sibs and 3 half

1909 - Married Q4 Neath

1911 - 62 St John St, Resolven. 24y. Occ-Colliery Labourer. W wife, Mary Ann, Martha (1910)

1921 - 62 St John St, Resolven. 34y10m. Occ-Coal Miner, Corys Bro's, Out of Work. W wife, Mary AC, Martha (1910), Water J (1912), Ivor (1914) & Edwin (1920)

1939 - 62 St John St, Resolven. DOB 17/8/1886. Occ-Colliers Helper - Below Ground. W wife Mary AC, Walter (1912), Edwin (1920), Thomas (1922) & 4 redacted

1940 - Died aged 64, 9 Feb 1940, Add-2 Gordon Terr, Mutley, Plymouth. Effects to Fredk Jn Pedrick, engineer-captain RN

No SR

- Dvr JRJ Pedrick the 1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade, Royal Field Artllery (of the Territorial Force - part-time soldiers) on 4 July 1913 and was given the number 741. Given he was from Briton Ferry/Neath, he would most likely have been a member of the 2nd Glamorgan Battery.

- He would have been at summer camp on Salisbury Plain when war was declared in 1914, so the whole Brigade was ordered back to Swansea.

- the Brigade then travelled to Shrewsbury (3 weeks), Northampton (early Sept 1914), to Cambridge (Dec 1914) & Bedford (May 1915). All the time training and preparing to go overseas.

- Dvr Pedrick (along with the other 401 men of the Brigade) finally went to France on the night of 21/22 Nov 1915, travelling from Southampton to Le Havre. They carried on their training in France, culminating in a spell in the front line south east of Albert just before Christmas 1915 (an area opposite Mametz, infamous in the Somme battle just 6 months later).

- after that, they fell back to rest and were given warning that they would be going to Egypt to join the rest of the Welsh Territorial Division.

- there are no records saying exactly when Dvr Pedrick went to Egypt, but from medical records we know he did.

- The Brigade arrived in Egypt in Feb 1916 and initially acclimatised (including trips to Cairo and the pyramids), then took over Suez Canal Defence.

- In late 1916, the army went on the offensive and the Brigade started a 2 years march from Egypt into Palestine, including the 3 Battles of Gaza, liberating Jerusalem from the Turks and the march through Palestine.

In March 1918, he was admitted to the 19th Gen Hospital in Alexandria. 23/3/18. RFA 266 Bde, 725152, Dvr Pedrick JRJ, 32yo, 14y service??, 2y6m w Fd Force, Displaced Int Semi? Cartilage. Disch 10/6/18 (80d) to 71 Gen Hosp

It finally ended in late 1918 when the Turkish armistice was signed.

- most men finally returned to Swansea in March 1919 and were discharged. Dvr Pedrick returned a month earlier and was honourably discharged sick. His list of disabilities were 'Int derangement of the rt knee joint and Malaria'

- John was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and Silver War Badge.