Great War Centenary 19 14-19 18 201 4-2018 1916
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HEDDLU DE CYMRU • SOUTH WALES POLICE THE GREAT WAR CENTENARY 19 14-19 18 201 4-2018 1916 LED BY IWM LEST WE FORGET REMEMBERED WITH PRIDE IN 2 01 6 THOSE WHO DIED IN 191 6 LEARN • ENGAG1 E • REMEMBER THE GREAT WAR CENTENARY • 191 6 First World War silk postcard THE GREAT WAR CENTENARY • 191 6 INTRODUCTION This is the third of the booklets The heroic assault by the 38th which we have produced annually (Welsh Division) on the Wood has, since 2014 to remember those fittingly, been the subject of many police officers from our commemoration events during predecessor forces of Glamorgan, the year. Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyr who It is, however, easy to forget died during the First World War. that the Battle of the Somme was 2016 is, of course, of particular not just fought during the summer importance since we commemorate of 1916. It went on in various the centenary of the Battle of the phases until November when the Somme. If there is one aspect of the mud and the awful conditions so War which is well known to most often associated with it became an people in Britain and, indeed, which additional burden for the soldiers to defines it for them, it is what bear. It was during the later stages happened in the area near the river in September that thirteen of our Somme in northern France one police officers died: ten from hundred years ago. The huge loss of Glamorgan and one each from life for the British Army on the first Merthyr, Swansea and Cardiff. day alone, when nearly 20,000 men died, is, despite the passage of the There are too those who died years, still difficult to comprehend. elsewhere and whose stories are The police officers from the told in this booklet. forces mentioned bore many losses. We remember all those who Five from the Glamorgan served, their endeavours and their Constabulary lost their lives at sacrifices and hope that this Mametz Wood at the beginning booklet will stand as a worthy of July. tribute to them. WE REMEMBER THEM ALL WITH PRIDE. YN ANGOF NI CHANT FOD. Peter Vaughan QPM Chief Constable, South Wales Police 1 THE GREAT WAR CENTENARY • 191 6 FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT GROUP The work of the Group during the Museum Partnership Day at past year has largely been Aberystwyth University in concentrated on the research January which provided an which has been required to opportunity to learn about the produce this booklet. It contains commemoration activities more biographies than the being undertaken throughout booklets for 1914 and 1915 put Wales. together. This is, of course, a sad • The creation of electronic reflection, in particular, of the scale versions of our booklets which of the loss of life in the British are now available on the South Army during the various phases of Wales Police Museum website: the Battle of the Somme between www.south-wales.police.uk/ July and November 1916. en/about-us/museum/first- It is pleasing to note, despite world-war-centenary/ the passage of the years, how much information we are, and the Welsh Government’s generally, able to gather and, in community history portal, the particular, how many photographs Peoples’ Collection: we come across of the individuals www.peoplescollection.wales/ we are remembering. users/9665. Another aspect of the work of (Indeed due to the amount of the Group, which is particularly material which we have for this rewarding, is the contact we have year we have not been able to been able to establish with the include it all in the hard copy of relatives of some of those who this booklet. There is, died and with others who are therefore, a longer electronic interested in researching this version available on the period. This shared history is websites referred to). proving to be a valuable point of • Attendance by members of the contact with our communities. Group at the Welsh National Some other highlights of our Service of Commemoration work are: and associated events at • Attendance at the Welsh Mametz Wood on the Somme Government and Imperial War in July. 2 THE GREAT WAR CENTENARY • 191 6 I was also pleased, with the graphic designer Peter Williams, Chief Constable’s support, to for their expert assistance. accept an invitation to join the We hope that our efforts will Welsh Government’s Centenary be regarded as a worthwhile Programme Board chaired by contribution to remembering Professor Sir Deian Hopkin, the those within the pages of this First Minister’s Expert Adviser on booklet who have gone before us the First World War. and made the ultimate sacrifice. I would like to take the Gareth Madge OBE opportunity not only to thank the Chair, First World War Project Group other members of the Project Group, whose names appear on the rear cover of this booklet, for their unstinting support during the past year, but also others who have assisted us, notably: the South Wales Branch of the Western Front Association, Dr. Jonathan Hicks, Mr. Gwyn Prescott, Mrs. Rhian Diggins, Senior Archivist at Glamorgan Archives, Police Sergeant Sara Tomkinson and her mother for information and material regarding PC 68 Thomas Voyle Morgan, Mr. Peter Pope for information relating to his great uncle PC 225 William James Williams and the Welsh Guards through their Regimental Adjutant, Colonel (Ret’d) Tom Bonas and Mr. Christopher Mooney. As in past years, particular thanks go to Ian Oakley and his The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of staff in the South Wales Police the Somme where 15 police officers who Printing Department and especially died in 1916 are commemorated 3 THE GREAT WAR CENTENARY • 191 6 1916 A SUMMARY 6TH JANUARY 7TH MARCH PC 61 Walter Archibald Stubbs of PC 270 Joseph Patrick Deehan of the Merthyr Borough Police dies the Glamorgan Constabulary dies of wounds in France. of tuberculosis contracted whilst on active service with the Royal 8TH JANUARY Marines Artillery. The evacuation of Allied forces 13TH MARCH from the Gallipoli Peninsula is completed successfully bringing PC 533 John Alfred Griffiths of the an end to the campaign there. Glamorgan Constabulary is killed in action in France. 27TH JANUARY 25TH MARCH The Military Service Act receives Institution of the Military Medal the Royal Assent to come into for NCO’s and other ranks for force on 2nd March acts of bravery. The first awards implementing compulsory are announced on 5th April 1916 military service for all unmarried and one of the first two recipients men between the ages of 18 and is PC 187 41 subject to some exemptions. Frederick A further Act in May 1916 William Mallin extends conscription to married of the men. Glamorgan 20TH FEBRUARY Constabulary for bravery PC 760 David Taffinder of the whilst serving Glamorgan Constabulary dies of with the Royal Garrison Artillery wounds in France. during the bombardment of 21ST FEBRUARY Hartlepool by the German Navy in December 1914. The start of the Battle of Verdun when German forces attack 11TH APRIL French defences. In the ten German spy, Ludovic Hurwitz, a months of the battle, total French Peruvian by birth, is executed by and German casualties amount to firing squad at the Tower of over a million men. London. 4 THE GREAT WAR CENTENARY • 191 6 24TH APRIL commences. By 1st June the German High Seas Fleet has The Easter Rising by Irish inflicted substantial damage and nationalist forces in Dublin losses on the Royal Navy’s Grand attempts to overthrow British rule Fleet but in doing so suffers in Ireland. It leads to hundreds of deaths and injuries. Subsequently considerably itself with the result leaders of the uprising are that it does not put to sea again executed. during the war. 29TH APRIL 5TH JUNE The besieged Allied garrison at The British Secretary of State for Kut-el-Amara in Mesopotamia War, Lord Kitchener, is drowned (Iraq) surrenders after 143 days. when the ship which was taking 13,000 British and Indian troops him to Russia, HMS Hampshire, are captured by Turkish forces hits a mine off the Orkney Islands. most of whom die of disease and 643 others also lose their lives. starvation in prison camps. 8TH MAY PC 62 Edward John Taylor of the Glamorgan Constabulary is killed in action in Belgium. 21ST MAY British Summer Time is implemented for the first time. 25TH MAY PC 68 Thomas Voyle Morgan of the Merthyr Borough Police dies of wounds in France. 31ST MAY The biggest naval action of the Recruiting poster featuring Lord Kitchener war, the Battle of Jutland, © IWM (Art.IWM PST 2734) 5 THE GREAT WAR CENTENARY • 191 6 1ST JULY 7TH JULY The start of the Battle of the The Battle for Mametz Wood (the Somme. 750,000 Allied soldiers largest wood in the Somme are involved and by the end of the region), commences. The 38th day there are nearly 60,000 British (Welsh) Division sustains 4000 casualties of whom nearly 20,000 casualties before the wood is are dead. The Battle is to continue captured from German forces on 12th July. through several phases to November 1916. PC 122 Robert John Harris, PS 200 Richard Thomas and PC 89 PC George Henry Lock of the William Edward Trinder, all of the Cardiff City Police and PC 225 Glamorgan Constabulary, are William James Williams of the killed in action at Mametz Wood. Glamorgan Constabulary, are 10TH JULY killed in action in Belgium. PC 205 Edward Beresford and PC 4TH JULY 766 William Henry Loud, of the David Lloyd George is appointed Glamorgan Constabulary, are Secretary of State for War.