Benjamin Watkins was born on 16 May 1888 in Morriston, he was one of the 7 children of Thomas and Mary Ann Watkins.

In the 1891 census, the family are living at 35 Horeb Place, Morriston. His father Thomas was reported as working as a Rollerman.

By 1901, the family had moved to the Lamb & Flag Inn, 29 Water St, Neath. Whilst it is not certain, it is likely that Benjamin’s mother Mary was running the Inn as she was listed as working on her ‘Own Account, At Home’. Thomas had become a Coal Miner (Hewer), and at the age of 16, Benjamin had started work as a Pumping Stationary Engine Attendant.

In the 1911 census, Ben (this census was the first occasion that he was referred to as that) was still living with his now-widowed mother at 61 Clase Rd, Morriston. Mary Ann was working for the Council as a School Caretaker and Ben was a Steel Worker Smelter.

Shortly after the outbreak of War in 1914, Ben left his job and family to join the Welsh Howitzers. Other than some short spells of leave in 1914 and 15, it is unlikely that he would have seen his family until he was demobilized, most likely in early 1919

Ben married Martha Davies in 1938 and together they had 2 children, a girl and a boy.

Ben next appears in the 1939 Register, still living at 61 Clase Rd, Morriston with Martha and their new-born daughter. His occupation was given as Roughing Steel – Rolling Mills (Heavy Work).

His grand-daughter recollected: My sister and I spent much of our childhood with him and my Nan until he passed away. Welsh was his first language and this was spoken in the home unless he was talking to us. He was a keen gardener and spent hours in his garden, in fact his garden was to be his downfall, he fell and broke his hip out in the garden and was hospitalised, unfortunately he contracted pneumonia whilst there and never recovered.

Ben Watkins passed away in the Spring of 1973 at the age of 85/86

Ben Watkins enlisted in the 1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade as a Driver shortly after the start of the Great War and was given the Service Number 942.

Unfortunately, his Service Record was destroyed during the Blitz and there is very little other surviving information. However, it is still possible to provide an outline about what it is likely that he did during the War.

Based on his Service Number, Dvr B. Watkins enlisted on 3 September 1914 in the first wave of war-time recruits. He undertook his basic training in Swansea and his family have a surviving picture of him along with the other Drivers in training in Swansea taken in late Nov/early Dec 1914.

At the end of his basic training, he would have joined the Brigade in Cambridge, either in late 1914 or early 1915. In May, the Brigade moved to Bedford where they continued their training, readying themselves for Active Service.

The Brigade finally received orders to move to France in November 1915, and according to his surviving records, Dvr B. Watkins was one of the 401 men who travelled from Southampton to Le Havre on 22 November 1915.

From Le Havre, the Brigade travelled to the Somme to undertake frontline training in an area close to Albert which would mark the Southern edge of the Somme battlefield just 6 months later.

There are no other records relating to Ben Watkins’s service. However, his family a several photographs and a souvenir table cloth which confirm that he went to Egypt.

It is therefore reasonable to assume that he travelled to Egypt in February 1916 and was probably involved in Suez Canal Defences (1916), the 3 Battles of Gaza and Jerusalem (1917) and the push through Palestine up to the defeat of the Turkish Army at the end of 1918.

At the start of 1917, as part of the renumbering of the Territorial Artillery, Dvr Watkins was given the new, 6-digit number of 725305. This confirms that he was still associated with the Brigade at that time.

For his service, Driver Ben Watkins was awarded the 1914/14 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. His family recollect that he had a 4th medal, but at this time no records have been found to confirm what it was.