WORKING NOTES

Born 17/2/1893, Cardiff. Parents - John & Flora

- Bapt 4/5/1894 St Margarets, Roath, Glam. Add-7 Richard St Cathays. Dads occ-Brakesman?

1901 - Church St, Cowbridge. 7yo. W parents (Dad-Railway Goods Guard) & 2 younger sibs

1911 - East End, Cowbridge. 17yo. Occ-Ironomgers Assistant. W parents & 4 younger sibs

1915 - Married Honora Hayes (known as Nora), Q4, Swansea

1921 - 8 Symon St, Swansea. 28y4m. Occ-Builders Labourer, Swansea Corporation Housing Scheme. W wife, Honora, Florence Ann (1916) & John E (1919)

1939 - 11 Skinner St, Swansea. DOB 17/2/1893. Occ-Builders Labourer. W Honora, John E (1919), David (1921), Mary (1923), Terence (1926), Ivor (1929), Pauline (1936)

1969 - Died 23 May 1969, aged 75, Swansea. DOB 17/2/1894. Buried Morriston Cemetery

Married

No SR

Enlisted 19 June 1915, no 1442, Driver

Would have initially joined 3/1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade in Swansea then training for the 4no Territorial Welsh Artillery Brigades centralised at Winchester.

Apr-16 - Transferred from the 3/1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade to the 2nd Line South Midland (Howitzer) Brigades on 15/4/16. New no 1350 & later 840936

- 2nd Line South Midland Brigade became 308 Brigade and was then broken up to become D/306 and D/307 Bde.

J E Conway transferred to D/307 Bde and served with that unit in France

Mar-18 - Taken prisoner on the first day of the 1918 German Spring Offensive at Maissimy - 21/3/18.

307 Bde War Diary, 21st Mar 1918: Zero Hour 4.40am tremendous bombardment by enemy of front + back areas, Visibility absolutely nil (fog). Telephone communications forward to all batteries & OPs went at once + with the exception of our battery for a few minutes ?? aimed 'disc' all day. Considerable number of gas shells used in bombardment preceding the attack. First infantry action appears to have been after 6 hours bombardment.... By the end of the day all batteries were out of action + men all practically? in enemy hands.... D/307 the most forward battery was in enemy hands early in the day + very few of the personnel got away. They were firing up to the last. This is confirmed by Lt Hammersley, commanding forward section of A/307 who engaged the enemy in occupation of D/307 gun pits with good effect. All 6 4.5in Howitzers of the battery were lost as well as a further 55 men of the brigade missing

Held in Dulmen & later Munster III POW camps

Dec-18 - WO Daily List no 5750 (17/12/1918). Released Prisoner of War from Germany, arrived in England

Mar-19 - Discharged 16/3/1919 and immediately started receiving a pension (17/3/19) due to after effects of service, Debility (anaemia) and Bronchitis.

1442, Dvr JE Conway was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal and also also received the Silver War Badge.