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Pembrey War Memorial, the Great War, 1914-1918

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Pembrey War Memorial, the Great War, 1914-1918 Copyright © West Wales War Memorial Project 2015 Pembrey is a village situated between Burry Port and Kidwelly, overlooking Carmarthen Bay. The men of Pembrey who lost their lives in both World Wars are commemorated on a memorial inside St. Illtyd's Church, and also on a War Memorial outside Pembrey Community Centre, which also contains the details of the men of Burry Port who fell. Several men from the area are not listed on the memorial, and so are shown below. Many thanks are due to Pauline James, of the Carmarthen Family History Society for her photographs of the memorial. Pembrey War Memorial, The Great War, 1914-1918 Andrew Barbour, Private, 49368, Lancashire Fusiliers. Andrew was the son of William and Jane Barbour, of Springwell Place, Stewarton, Ayreshire. He must have worked in Pembrey prior to the war and enlisted there into the Royal Engineers. He subsequently transferred into the 19th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, who were attached to the 49th (West Riding) Division as Pioneers. The Division moved to France during April 1915 and saw its first major action on the Somme, during the Battle of Albert. They remained on the Somme, taking part in the Battle of Bazentin, the Battle of Pozieres, and the Battle of Flers- Courcelette, and the following year saw action at Third Ypres, during the Battle of Poelcapelle. The Division remained in Flanders over the final winter of the war, and it was here that they met the brunt of the German attacks on the Lys in April, 1918, taking part in the Battle of Messines, the Battle of Bailleul (and the Defence of Neuve Eglise), the First Battle of Kemmel, and the Second Battle of Kemmel. After the tide of war had been turned, with the Allied successes on the Somme during August, 1918, they took the offensive. The 49th Division took part in the resulting Pursuit to the Selle, the Battle of the Selle and the Battle of Valenciennes, which saw the war out. Andrew was killed in action during the Pursuit to the Selle on 13 October 1918. He was 32 years old, and is buried at Haspres Coppice Cemetery, Haspres, France. Andrew is not commemorated locally. Steven John Copyright © West Wales War Memorial Project 2015 George Bargewell, Ships Steward, 130104, Royal Navy. George was born at Pembrey on 30 September 1869, the son of George and Mary Bargewell. His father worked for H.M. Coastguard, and by 1881 the family had moved to Saundersfoot. George joined the Royal Navy at some time prior to 1891, and was the husband of Mary Louisa Bargewell, of 61, Station Rd, Keyham, Devon. During the war George served aboard the S.S. Romeo, a civilian ship which had been chartered by the Admiralty to carry supplies for the Royal Navy. On 3 March 1918 Romeo left Scapa Flow bound for Liverpool when she was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine. George was 48 years old when he died that day, and is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Devon. George is not commemorated locally. Daniel Charles Bevan, Seaman, R/6216, Royal Naval Division. Daniel was born on 26 June 1897, the son of John Arthur Bevan and Margaret Bevan, of Wenfa House, Pembrey. He was an Army Reservist prior to the war, and then joined Anson Battalion, Royal Naval Division. The Naval Brigades were originally sent to Antwerp and Dunkirk in September and October 1914 to guard against invasion by the Germans. However Antwerp fell to the Germans soon after, and so many of the RND units were withdrawn to England. After a lengthy period of refit and training the Division moved to Egypt preparatory to the Gallipoli campaign. Landing on 25 April 1915 the Division transferred from the authority of the Admiralty to the War Office on 29 April 1916, and was redesignated the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division on 19 July 1916. The Division moved to France, arriving at Marseilles during May 1916 and moved to positions on the Somme, where it took part in the Battle of the Ancre, and the resulting Operations on the Ancre. In April 1917 the Division was at Arras, and fought at the Second Battle of the Scarpe, where they captured Gavrelle. They then fought at the Battle of Arleux, before moving north to Ypres, where they took part in the Second Battle of Passchendaele. Their next major action was at Cambrai, during the Action of Welch Ridge, and they were still in the area when the Germans launched their Spring Offensive, and fought at the Battle of St Quentin, where Daniel was killed in action on 24 March 1918, aged just 20. He has no known grave, and so is remembered on the Arras Memorial, France. George Bradley, MID, Private, 306557, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. George was the son of George and Mrs. Bradley, of Lincoln. He resided with Annie Llewellyn Jones at Derwydd Bungalow, Burry Port prior to the war and enlisted at Pembrey on 10 December 1915 into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. On 25 July 1916 he landed in France and was posted to the 1/8th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, which was attached to 143 Brigade, 48th Steven John Copyright © West Wales War Memorial Project 2015 (South Midland) Division on the Somme. George saw his first action during the Battle of Bazentin, during the second phase of the Battle of the Somme, where the division captured Ovillers. They also fought at the Battle of Pozieres and the Battle of the Ancre. In March 1917 the division followed the German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line. George was Mentioned in Despatches on 9 April 1917, for his bravery during this period. The division then fought at the Third Battle of Ypres, before being posted to Italy on 21 November 1917, where it remained for the duration of the war, taking part in actions on the Asiago Plateau. George was killed in action during the Battle of The Piave River, on 15 June 1918, aged 30. He is buried at Magnaboschi British Cemetery, Italy. George is not commemorated locally, as by then Annie had moved to Yorkshire. Joseph Bulcock, Private, 63064, Welsh Regiment. Joseph was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Bulcock, of 16, Fir Street, Burnley. He resided at 69, Pottery Street, Llanelli prior to the war, playing football for Swansea City AFC, and enlisted at Pembrey into the Pembroke Yeomanry on 11 December 1915. On 29 September 1917 Joseph landed in France, and was posted to the 9th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was at Ypres attached to 58 Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. The Division had been in France since July 1915, and moved to positions near Loos. The Division fought during the opening attack of the Battle of Loos, and then moved to the Somme, where they took part in the second wave of the attack on Ovillers-La Boiselle on 1 July 1916, capturing the village at heavy cost, and fought through the Somme Battles of Pozieres and the Ancre in 1916. They then moved north to Ypres, taking part in the Battle of Messines, and fought on the Menin Road. The division then moved south to the Hindenburg sector north east of Bapaume for the winter, and on 21 March 1918 were hit by the German offensive, Operation Michael, suffering heavy casualties over the coming days. The battered division then moved north, taking up positions again along Messines Ridge. Unfortunately the division was hit again, by a renewed German offensive on the Lys, which was launched on 9 April, and took part in heavy fighting over the coming days. Joseph was wounded by a bullet in the head during the Battle of the Lys. He Steven John Copyright © West Wales War Memorial Project 2015 was transported back to the Casualty Clearing Station at Haringhe for treatment, but died of wounds there on 20 April 1918, age 39. He is buried at Haringhe (Bandaghem) Military Cemetery, Belgium. Joseph is not commemorated locally. Frederick Arthur Campbell, Second Lieutenant, Tank Corps. Frederick was born at London in 1884, the son of Robert Andrew Campbell and Eliza Campbell. He married Frances Mary Harries, of Sunny Bank, Gws-cwm Road, Pembrey in 1917 while home on leave from France. He had been commissioned from the Seaforth Highlanders into the Tank Corps, and served with their 2nd Battalion. On 21 March 1918 the Germans launched their infamous assault, Operation Michael, on the Somme, and drove the British back from the Hindenburg Line. On 22 March Frederick's battalion moved into action in an attempt to slow the German advance. His tank was one of four from the battalion that was destroyed during the gallant attack on the Germans that day. Tank crew were not popular among the German soldier, and prisoners were rarely taken. Frederick was 34 years old, and is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial, France. Frederick is not commemorated locally. William Johnston Campbell, Private, 310004, Gordon Highlanders. William was born at Stewarton, Ayrshire, and enlisted at Pembrey into the army. He was sent to France, where he joined the 7th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, attached to 153 Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division. The Division had been in France since May 1915, and saw the first gas attack at Ypres. They then fought at the Battle of Festubert, and took part in an attack near Givenchy on 15 June 1915. They then moved to the Somme, and took part in heavy fighting at High Wood in late July 1916. They captured the enemy strong hold of Beaumont-Hamel on 13 November 1916, taking more than 2,000 prisoners. During December and January in the bitter winter of 1916-17, the Division remained on the Somme in the area of Courcelette, and saw their next major action in the opening days of the Battle of Arras, capturing Roeux, before moving north to Ypres.
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