Maricourt Posted 1 November , 2013 Share Posted 1 November , 2013 Many thanks, Scalyback [great name!] for the offer of help. Please feel free to contact me via the GWF - any assistance appreciated. I broadly agree with everything above. My own interest in the 53rd [Welsh] Division lies in the fact that it is the Division that men from my town in North Wales were assigned to and locally, until a dedicated few with family connections started doing research, their role in the Gallipoli campaign and beyond, had slipped away from local memory into history. No one was more surprised, when we put on a small exhibition in 2005, at the interest it generated and since then we have tried to gather as much information in the form of letters, memoirs, photos etc. as we can in preparation for the 100th commemorations that start next year. Of course, not every man from our town was with the 53rd - though most were - and those who fought with other battalions, divisions or, indeed, in different forces will be equally commemorated. The 53rd drew many men from North Wales' Territorial battalions and the 10th August, 1915 was one of our blackest days of the war - as can be seen by the names on local memorials - not only at Gallipoli but beyond when the Division moved on to Egypt and Palestine. Any study of World War One needs to be picked out of a larger tapestry and although I know that Suvla was a disaster for our local Quarry Boys, and the men of the 53rd - there is much to tell from the research we have been able to gather that conveys their story to a wider audience to whom the war is difficult to understand and seems very distant. Martin G - I totally agree about Dudley Ward's History of the of the Division - I think my quote was one of the more factual ones! Finally, I fully support Kevin's comments - the war inflicted terrible suffering on the men who went off to fight and to those left at home, regardless of where they came from, either from places in Wales or beyond and I welcome this chance to commemorate them. Maricourt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ifanlloyd Posted 2 November , 2013 Share Posted 2 November , 2013 I wonder if use will be made of Cofeb Y Dewrion (Heroes Memorial ) 1914-1918 by Parch W.J.Owen (Afallon) Bangor. I am lucky to have a copy,which I rescued from my Grandmothers house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maricourt Posted 2 November , 2013 Share Posted 2 November , 2013 Hello Ifan I have a copy of Cofeb y Dewrion - a little-known, but excellent memorial book, that has helped a lot with information about local men who went off to war from the Bangor and the surrounding North Wales area. Glad you managed to rescue a copy! Regards ... Maricourt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ifanlloyd Posted 2 November , 2013 Share Posted 2 November , 2013 It is quite haunting as you can put a face with the name. The one thing that puzzles me as to why some are in Welsh and the rest in English,when the book was published there wasn't the Welsh PC bit about. Any ideas??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swiper Posted 2 November , 2013 Share Posted 2 November , 2013 Furthermore to 53rd Division enthusiasts I have a copy of The Seventh which contains some material on WW1 if anyone is interested in me emailing them some images. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 3 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 3 November , 2013 Thanks for the further comments chaps. Again more is made of by 1918 it was not Welsh. What about August 1914? My unit marched then as Welshman, the TA centre has a photo of this. When pointed out to me as a spotty onik "sh$t hits the fan son, that be you marching" then it hit home. It was styled Welsh in the division title, are you going to strip the RWF of the Welch title due to its alleged recruitment areas? You defend your capbadge! I just wish the 53rd to be remembered. I don't care what regiment/Corp they came from, where born. They deserve to be remembered. Maricourt the name is alleged to either come from signalmen using a fish factory in WW1 or the batteries leaking on them. Both complete rubbish, I prefer it to a bleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 3 November , 2013 Share Posted 3 November , 2013 Ifanlloyd, I have my own copy and (like a smaller but similar volume covering the Amlwch, Anglesey district) I reckon that the language used was the family's own language of choice, hence two distinct sections. An online version is available here; http://www.bangorcivicsociety.org.uk/pages/hisso/cofeb/index.htm Scalyback - curiously, "scalybacks" [and "fish-heads"] were derogatory terms used elsewhere in Pembrokeshire for the people of Milford Haven, which was formerly a sizeable fishing port. The Milfordians had their own retaliatory nicknames as well... Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 3 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 3 November , 2013 Just returned from that neck of the woods last month! The size of Pembroke and Milford is a surprise. A few great war connections there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ifanlloyd Posted 6 November , 2013 Share Posted 6 November , 2013 LST 164 I had no idea about the Amlwch book,sounds interesting. A friends grandfather,Peacock was his surname was killed at Gallipoli. Have you done any research on him ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 6 November , 2013 Share Posted 6 November , 2013 James (Jim) Peacock, Private 2494 in the 1/5th Welsh Regiment (TF). Born and enlisted at Aberdare, Glamorgan, next of kin resident Llangefni, Anglesey. Landed in the Theatre of War 9th August 1915, presumably Suvla Bay. Killed in action 8th December 1915 at Gallipoli, aged 26. Late of 21 Mill Street, Llangefni, Anglesey where his parents James and Annie lived; and also husband of Mary Thomas (formerly Peacock) of Ty'n Gamfa, Llangristiolus, just a few miles away. Apparently 39 men from Mill Street were reputed to have enlisted, of whom 12 died; but that can't be verified. No known grave, so named on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli. The Llangefni Roll of Honour (1919) wrongly gives his unit as S.Wales Borderers (and the Theatre as France), but adds the helpful information that a David William Peacock of the same address served with the MGC. He was Private 116672 in "L" Company, 7th Battalion MGC by mid-1918. There is a family of Peacocks resident in Bridge Street, Llangefni in the 1911 Census, plus one single man elsewhere in town, but the personal details only partly fit. James is commemorated on the Llangefni town war memorial (as died 7th December); and the Llangefni panel of the North Wales Heroes Memorial Arch in Bangor, Gwynedd. Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ifanlloyd Posted 7 November , 2013 Share Posted 7 November , 2013 WOW I will pass that on,many thanks.If I remember there is a bit more history to him.When his daughter was born he went AWOL and was caught on the Menai Bridge by Military Police . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 7 November , 2013 Share Posted 7 November , 2013 ifanlloyd, Doubtless that little gem - and more - would have been recorded in his service record, but alas it seems not to have survived the Blitz in 1940. Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipdavies48 Posted 8 February , 2014 Share Posted 8 February , 2014 Scaly back is missing the point. The 38th(Welsh) Division memorial at Mametz Wood is just that! The South Wales Branch of the WFA which established this memorial in 1987 made no other claims. Others may have done so! I agree that there is no memorial to the 53rd Division and agree that perhaps there should be.The 38th Div memorial is a battlefield memorial. Any such memorial to the 53rd Div should be on Gallipoli or in Palestine. The 5th Welsh, a battalion of this division, has an impressive memorial at Pontypridd unveiled by Lord Allenby in the early 1920's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garron Posted 8 February , 2014 Share Posted 8 February , 2014 I'm heading to the planning meeting for Rhondda Remembers (an off shoot of Wales Remembers) in a two weeks time, so it will be interesting to see what we'll come up with. For 53rd Welsh, I'd suggest Gallipoli, given the challenges to put one in Israel/Palestinian territories, then again the new Welsh Memorial in Flanders, will cover them (said tongue in cheek) as its dedicated to all Welshmen regardless of what regiment they served with yet the major flaw to this plan is its built on a 38th Welsh Division Battlefield. When I asked them about it they try to distance themselves from 38th Welsh Div saying it is for all Welshmen, sadly the location undermines the aims of a national memorial when a large proportion of the men from that nation never went there. I think Folkstone or Dover would have been a good choice as thats where the majority set off from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirlgwil Posted 22 March , 2014 Share Posted 22 March , 2014 Hi guys - can you help me? We wish to gather in as many WW1 photos of Royal Welsh Fusiliers as possible. We would like to save as many as we can in our Museum in Caernarfon for posterity. Also wish to commemorate the Fallen by showing their names, a little info and a photograph of each man on the day he fell. We are appealing for help in getting photos and in getting our message out around the country that we are looking. Our email is rwfmuseum1@btconnect.com Thanks so much Shirley Williams Museum Education Officer RWF Museum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 22 March , 2014 Author Share Posted 22 March , 2014 I'm heading to the planning meeting for Rhondda Remembers (an off shoot of Wales Remembers) in a two weeks time, so it will be interesting to see what we'll come up with. For 53rd Welsh, I'd suggest Gallipoli, given the challenges to put one in Israel/Palestinian territories, then again the new Welsh Memorial in Flanders, will cover them (said tongue in cheek) as its dedicated to all Welshmen regardless of what regiment they served with yet the major flaw to this plan is its built on a 38th Welsh Division Battlefield. When I asked them about it they try to distance themselves from 38th Welsh Div saying it is for all Welshmen, sadly the location undermines the aims of a national memorial when a large proportion of the men from that nation never went there. I think Folkstone or Dover would have been a good choice as thats where the majority set off from. Garron, what happened in the meeting after? Personally I'm happy with a dedicated welsh memorial seperate from the 38th memorial but as you say the 53rd are hard to place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garron Posted 26 March , 2014 Share Posted 26 March , 2014 Garron, what happened in the meeting after? Personally I'm happy with a dedicated welsh memorial seperate from the 38th memorial but as you say the 53rd are hard to place! The majority covered basic planning and such, their website, the aims of the project, what to do, where and so on, how to involve schools, the community and stir interest really, it was only the initial meeting. Its great there is a memorial and its a good looking one too, very fitting, I'd love a model of it and Mametz Woods for my desk, I think the design is probably one of the best out there when its 100% finished when the dragon on top. I'd like to see a 53rd Div memorial as they are somewhat forgotten about really but unless its in the UK, I don't think that will ever happen really happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 26 March , 2014 Author Share Posted 26 March , 2014 Cheers Garron. Do you know if I could get any minutes or contacts for this, I work within the youth groups so we can get them involved. I say this as sometimes the schools can be a bit offside with a project but a local youthgroup a child/youth attends may be working on the project. Archbaldlindsy sorry missed your post before. Sorry my point stands. I do not begrudge the 38th dragon or memorial of them. What does push my buttons is the thought that the 38th is the only Welsh formation. The 53rd sailed in the opening months of the war to shores far away and as I keep pointing out are more or less dismissed. A fully welsh memorial to all that served is a fantastic move forward for all Welshmen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garron Posted 26 March , 2014 Share Posted 26 March , 2014 Cheers Garron. Do you know if I could get any minutes or contacts for this, I work within the youth groups so we can get them involved. I say this as sometimes the schools can be a bit offside with a project but a local youthgroup a child/youth attends may be working on the project. Archbaldlindsy sorry missed your post before. Sorry my point stands. I do not begrudge the 38th dragon or memorial of them. What does push my buttons is the thought that the 38th is the only Welsh formation. The 53rd sailed in the opening months of the war to shores far away and as I keep pointing out are more or less dismissed. A fully welsh memorial to all that served is a fantastic move forward for all Welshmen. Drop me an email mate and I can send you the contact details, I don't think minutes were taken or if they were I don't have a copy. Garronevans at aol dot com Gaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 27 March , 2014 Author Share Posted 27 March , 2014 Will do Garron, got a few other emails to deal with 1st. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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