Milford Haven war memorial

[nils d]

While in the far edge of Wales I was struck by Milford Havens memorial overlooking the bay.It is surmounted by a fine sculpture [in marble?]

of a togged up airman pulling on his gloves.Its a fine sight and its so rare to see the RAF/RFC/RNAS get a look-in artistically ,but why would MH do this

over a solder or sailor ,which flank the monument at a lower level ?  Units are given and theres only three airmen killed listed, yet around two-thirds

of the fallen are from the Navy.Milford was a big fishing port which explains it so why pick an airman?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[IPT]

The airman atop the memorial is allegedly modelled on the son of Canon Howells of Milford Haven, Lieutenant Edmund Howells, who lost his life during the Great War. That is also the reason the airman has the most prominent place

 

http://www.vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=CO&record=gbwa070

[clive_hughes]

IPT is quite right as regards the allegation made locally!  It's also curious that the sailor flanking the airman on the memorial is looking inland up the Haven, while the soldier is looking down the Haven and out to sea!

 

The "official" explanation is that the soldier is looking towards the (mainly Victorian) fortifications guarding the Haven; while the sailor is looking in the direction of the naval base at Pembroke Dock.  The airman...well, there was a naval air presence locally (?airships, seaplanes)...but whether it was the pre-eminent aspect of Milford in WW1 is another matter!

 

Clive

[little bob]

Lieutenant Edmund Sydney Howells had served in France as a Second Lieutenant in the Welsh Regiment before his transfer to the Royal Flying Corps. He was killed in a flying

accident on  March 27th 1918 along with his Observer  Lt John Armstrong. Edmund is buried in Milford Haven Cemetery.

Bob

[Airshipped]

There's a contemporary folk/indie Welsh band called 'Paper Aeroplanes' that have a lass from Milford Haven by the name of Howells as one of their members, though I doubt there'd be a family connection!

 

However, the Naval Air Station at Milford Haven did plenty of important anti-submarine work, i.e. even though it wasn't locally-crewed the station was an important part of the first air war's coastal patrol, convoy escort and anti-submarine efforts. If you look up the IWM's voice recordings there are a few accounts of operations from Milford Haven, though you'd have to trawl a bit. An easier example would be to obtain a copy of Malcolm Smith's excellent "Voices in Flight". One of the memoirs in it is an account by an air mechanic (A.H. Gamble) about patrolling the Irish Sea from Milford Haven. (He also refers to the mooring-out station in Wexford).

 

Although they don't mention it in the context of the war memorial they could've spun it as an ex post facto explanation for the prominence of the flying service's place of honour. 

[nils d]

Thank you all for your replies.Im all for airmen being represented on memorials but in this case lve never seen so many sailors

listed on a memorial .Here they should have pride of place , not the vicars son who died in an accident.

I imagine there was some local resentment at this if the rumour was true.

[little bob]

 

Milford Haven War Memorial.

 

Bob

[jay dubaya]

Photo of Howells prior to going overseas with the 11th Welsh and a closer look at the face of the airman atop Milford Haven War Memorial. Personally I think it's the same photo the sculptor E. Jones of Llanybyther used for the airman.

 

 

 

 

[nils d]

Big thanks to Little Bob your picture looks fine to me.

I agree with Jays interpretation of the sculpture .Good for the airman but hard on all those local fishermen drafted into the Navy.

[nils d]

For the record the other two airmen inscribed on the memorial are Lt R Bush of Bristol, and buried same  d 24/417 RNAS

and  A/M L Vaughan d 5/2/19 79 Sqn  buried  Cologne.

 

 

 

 

[Pillboy]

Prior to vandalism in the seventies both sailor and soldier had bayonets.