Bernard Lewis - Swansea Pals

First published in Great Britain in 2004, published in this format in 2005 by

PEN & SWORD MILITARY

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Pen & Sword Books Limited

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Copyright Bernard Lewis, 2004, 2005

ISBN: 1 84415 252 9

eISBN: 9781783037025

The right of Bernard Lewis to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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Contents

Swansea Battalion officers and men. Simon Peter Lee

Acknowledgements

A work of this nature cannot be completed satisfactorily without the help and assistance of many others. I have been given this help and assistance willingly and in full measure, for which I am very grateful.

Starting with the formal archive repositories, I have to thank Susan Beckley, County Archivist at the West Glamorgan Archive Service (WGAS), in County Hall, Swansea. Susan kindly granted me permission to quote from the records in her care whilst her staff assisted with their usual efficiency in producing the numerous records relating to the formation of the battalion.

Marilyn Jones, Local Studies Librarian at the Swansea Central Library, was very helpful and also enthusiastic regarding the project. Marilyn allowed me to view and photograph certain original records that are not usually made available to the public and I am very grateful for that. The staff at the Swansea Reference Library also assisted me by producing reel after reel of newspaper microfilm.

A generous grant from the Glamorgan County History Trust enabled a week to be spent at the National Archives, formerly the public Record Office, Kew (pRO) whilst a further weeks study was made possible due to the kind loan of a London apartment by Mr Richard Winter of Bryncoch. Staff at the National Archives were always helpful in producing records and giving advice.

John Dart, Curator at the Welch Regiment Museum in Cardiff, also provided assistance and advice. Bernice Cardy at the Swansea Museum kindly allowed me access to certain records and also arranged for the photographing of the Swansea Battalion Cup. Edith Morgan, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages at Swansea also provided some assistance. Staff at the Imperial War Museum (IWM) and the National Army Museum (NAM), London responded to my requests with speed and efficiency. I am grateful to the IWM photographic Library for permission to reproduce certain photographs from its extensive holdings. The British Library newspaper library at Colindale provided access to the Rhyl Guardian newspaper. Lieutenant Colonel P.A. Crocker (Retd) at the Royal Welch Fusiliers Regimental (RWF) Museum at Caernarvon provided me with copies of certain RWF War Diary entries relating to the Mametz Wood encounter.

It was Dr John Alban, formerly of the Swansea City Council Archives Office but currently County Archivist in Norfolk, who first drew my attention to the existence of the Swansea Battalion. He had himself earlier written an account of its formation and graciously raised no objections when I advised him that I intended to further research the subject. I know that it is a topic that is close to his heart. John assisted by proof reading and commenting on an early draft and I now hope that he finds the finished work a worthy attempt to tell the story of the battalion in its entirety.

My appeal for contact from relatives or friends of those who had served produced a number of responses, all of which have proved extremely helpful. I will list them with respondent name first followed by the name of the serviceman: Connie Evans (Sergeant Haydn David); Denzil Thomas (private Colin Charles Thomas); Jason Muxworthy (Sergeant David Howell Evans); Kae Warr (Sergeant later Second Lieutenant Dick Lyons); Fred Gammon of Folkestone and John Powell of Mumbles (private Samuel Thomas Gammon); Hugo and Oliver Brooke (Lieutenant Colonel GF. Brooke); Ron Strawford and peter Wright (Sergeant later Lieutenant H.F. Strawford); Bill Beynon (private Ernie Beynon); H.T. Walters (private Viv Walters and Sergeant Howard Walters); Danny Rees (private David John Rees); Shirley Ferguson (Sergeant William Joseph Callaghan); Sue Rouse (private Edward George Hughes); Ceri Rees-powell (private Frederick Bond and private William Samuel Bond); Diana Stockford (Brigadier General H. C. Rees); John Hartley (private George Outram Smith); Hedley Morris (private Will Williams); Brian Simpson (private, later Second Lieutenant R. A. Simpson); Ian Milne (private Willie Williams).

Among others who have helped are:

Jason Muxworthy who, as well as providing information about a family member, also supplied much other information with great enthusiasm. Even his father, John, was roped in on the photographing of soldiers graves and memorials. Simon Lee is actually researching the history of the 6th Welsh Battalion but generously provided much information and some very rare photographs of the Swansea Battalion. David Warren is compiling a service record for all officers who served with the Welsh Regiment in the Great War. This is a truly Herculean task for which I greatly admire him. He willingly provided me with the fruits of his research as regards the Swansea Battalion Officers and filled in many gaps in my knowledge. Oliver Fallon of the Connaught Rangers Association provided further information on the career of Lieutenant Colonel G. F. Brooke as did Charles Messenger. Mike Renshaw (author of Mametz Wood) pointed me in the direction of several of his sources. Colin Hughes (author of Mametz; Lloyd Georges Welsh Army at the Battle of the Somme) did likewise after kindly scrambling about in his loft in search of the details. Richard Ollington allowed me to receive a copy of the poem written by private R. Thomas on the Mametz Wood action. George Edwards, former editor of the South Wales Evening post, granted me permission to use material from its predecessor, the South Wales Daily post. Harold Evans (of the South Wales branch of the Western Front Association) provided several items relating to the battalion, as did Glyn Samuel of Swansea. Harry Mason of the Royal Welch Fusiliers Club in Swansea advised me of the current whereabouts of the Swansea Battalion cup. Trevor Tasker provided several photographs from his personal collection. Mrs Teddy Noyes of Flanders Tours directed me to an account of the difficulties of getting uniform cloth in the early days of the war. Chris Bakers website at 1914-1918.net provided much background information and the Bakers pals who responded to queries posted on the site displayed an awesome knowledge on a wide variety of Great War topics. Alderman Charles Thomas kindly allowed me to use his photographs of the Swansea Territorial Force.