William Jenkins Rees was born on Rosser Street, Neath on 11th August 1886, the sixth child of William and Elizabeth Rees. His father’s occupation was given as Bookbinder.

In 1891, the family was still living at Rosser St and William was incorrectly listed as 8 years old.

By the 1901 census, the family had moved to 10 Brook Place, Neath and William was shown as 14 years old and working as an ‘A. Moulder’. At this time, William was still living with his parents, elder sister, Ida Maud (known as Maud - who told her grandson ‘Who on earth would name a girl Ida!) and younger brother Percy Everson.

Given his common name, it is extremely difficult to trace William in the censuses. However, his Great Nephew has managed to confirm that in 1906, he married Isabella Williams who was born Eliza Bella Summers in 1891. On the wedding certificate, William is described as a Fencer on Railway.

No other records have been identified of William and Isabella, however William remained close to his elder sister Maud, sending a number of postcards to her with pictures of him in uniform which she kept and passed down. He signed the postcards ‘Will’.

Will’s brother Percy also served in the war as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers enlisting in 1915. He was invalided out shortly after having served in France and passed away in 1931. His family remember that he never slept after being gassed.

Will’s service record has not survived, but the fragments that remain allow an overview of his service to be created.

His service number was 823 which means he would most likely have enlisted in Apr/May 1914.

A marked photograph shows that he was a member of 2nd Glamorgan Battery and a separate postcard to his sister Maud dated Oct 1914 confirms that travelled to Northampton with the Brigade after mobilisation, staying at 10 Ash Street.

His medal index card states that he travelled to France with the Brigade on 22 November 1915 and 2 pictures of him with his comrades in the desert show that he also travelled to Egypt, most likely in February 1916.

823, Rees W is mentioned in the RJ Williams photo album in the list of members of A Sub (of the 2nd Glamorgan Battery). In the list of appointments, he is shown as the Shoeing Smith.

Along with the rest of the Territorial Force, he was given a new 6-digit service number in 1917. His new number was 725214, part of a block of numbers linked to the 1st Welsh Howitzers. This, once again, suggests Will remained associated with the unit throughout the war and would most likely have transferred to C Battery of the 266th Brigade when the Howitzers were split up at the end of 1916.

2 final pictures show him after the war. One shows him seated with a horseshoe emblem on his uniform denoting that he was a Shoeing Smith and he is also wearing 4 overseas chevrons (showing that he served overseas for 4 years - 1915,16,17 and 18).

823, Gunner/Shoeing-Smith William Jenkins Rees was awarded the 1914/14 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Following the war, he re-enlisted as a Shoeing-Smith in 1920 and transferred to the 82nd Welsh Brigade RFA (Defence Force) in April 1921.