This year saw the centenary of the end of that awful war that promised no others. There is now an exhibition at Llansadwrn Church of the men and boys lost in that terrible war and the one that followed.
Every town and village lost young men and boys in the horrors of that time and Llansadwrn was no different. Young men were recruited and sent out into the trenches from across the village. In all the two wars saw twenty young men lost from Llansadwrn.
The exhibition remembers all twenty young men and tells their stories, we tell three of their stories here.
Benjamin Trevor Davies, Gunner, 123915, Royal Garrison Artillery – The Great War, 1914-1918
Benjamin was the son of Daniel and Esther Davies, of Pantyrhendre, Llansadwrn. He resided at Manchester House, Caio prior to the war, where he worked as a grocer.
Benjamin enlisted at Llandovery on 21 October 1916 into the Royal Garrison Artillery.
On 17 April 1917 he landed in France, where he entrained for Marseilles.
Benjamin then sailed to Egypt before joining the 304th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, which was part of the XCV Heavy Artillery Group.
Benjamin fought in the Mesopotamian theatre, where he was wounded, and he sadly died of Meningitis following wounds on 5 March 1918, aged only 21. He is buried at Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel.
Benjamin Trevor Davies, Gunner
Benjamin Trevor Davies’s grave
Benjamin Wright, Private, 11479, Welsh Regiment – The Great War, 1914-1918
Benjamin was born at London, but resided at Pwllyfan, Llanwrda prior to the war, and worked as a Grocer’s Haulier for David Griffiths, London House, Llansadwrn.
He also worked as a Gardener for Mr Hunter at Abermarlais. He became the first man from the district to enlist, having enlisted at the outbreak of war at Carmarthen into the 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which landed in France on 13 August 1914 as part of 3 Brigade, 1st Division.
The Division fought at the Battle of Mons, and then during the epic retreat to the Marne, where they helped stop the German Advance before pushing them back to the Aisne. They were then rushed to Ypres, and took part in First Ypres, where the German advance across Flanders was stopped, although at great cost.
After a hard first winter in Flanders, the Division fought at the Battle of Aubers in May 1915 then moved to Loos, and took part in the Battle of Loos throughout September and October that year.
In 1916 they fought on the Somme, where Benjamin was killed in action on 23 August 1916, aged 27. He is buried in Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Mametz, France.
Benjamin Wright, Private,
Grave of Benjamin Wright, Private
Thomas Vicars Hunter, Captain, Royal Air Force – The Great War, 1914-1918
Thomas was born in London on 2 April 1897, the son of Henry Charles Vicars Hunter, J.P., and the Hon. Mrs. Florence Edith Hunter, of Abermarlais, Llansadwrn.
Thomas was educated at Ladycross and Eton, which he left early at the age of 17 for a Commission at Sandhurst, joining the 5th Battalion, the Rifle Brigade.
Soon after being gazetted, he broke his leg in a motorcycle accident, which necessitated the amputation of his badly injured leg. This didn’t stop him though, as he returned to service in October 1916, but quickly discovered that he was hampered by the loss of his leg, and so he volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps in February 1917.
He gained his wings in May, and served in France flying scouts, with 66 Squadron. Thomas was gazetted Flight Commander in September, and in November 1917 was posted to Italy with his Squadron.
Sadly Thomas was Killed in Action there on 5 December 1917, aged just 20, and is buried at Carmignano Di Brenta Communal Cemetery, Italy.
Thomas Vicars Hunter, Captain, Royal Air Force