There
was an article in last week’s newspaper that caught my attention.
The Oklahoman, Friday,
January 17, 2014: "Oklahoma soldier’s remains return to state".
After reading the article, I thought about my great-uncle, David
Morgan Richards, my Welsh grandmother’s brother. He died in France, during the Great War, and
is buried there. My aunt and uncle - a nephew
of David - made a trip to France a number of years ago to see the grave. The story of how that came about is
interesting and I hope I get it straight.
If I don’t, Mom will let me know and I’ll edit this article.
About 15 years ago, a fella from Wales went to the cemetery in France. He was just travelling and while in the
cemetery was looking for Welsh soldiers buried there. He found Uncle David’s marker and took
photos. When he returned to Newport,
Wales, he posted in the newspaper about the name and photos and was able to
make contact with my aunt and uncle to give them the photos of the marker. A few years later, they made the trip
themselves - well over 70 years since David’s death and the first time any of
the family had been there.
David Morgan Richards was born in Treorchy, Wales, the 18th of
November 1893. Treorchy was the
birthplace of all four children of John and Maggie Richards.
Margaret "Maggie" Evans and John D Richards
Annie Mary, Tom Euroswydd, Lilian Afanwy, David Morgan
John and Maggie eventually returned to John’s “hometown”, Llanafan,
much farther west in the country. David
was an apprentice carpenter; his father, John, a master carpenter in house
building.
On the 1911 Welsh census, John and 17-year-old David are working
in Treorchy, boarding with a family that is probably
related. That’s usually a good Welsh
joke - nearly everyone is related! [It’s just a matter of figuring out how.] Maggie and the girls, Annie Mary and Lilian,
and son, Tom Euroswydd, were living in the stone cottage in Cardiganshire.
Along came The Great War.
standing: my grandmother Lilian, great grandfather John,
great uncle David, great aunt Annie Mary "Lal"
seated: great uncle Euros, great grandmother Maggie
As you can see, David was a Very Handsome Fellow. When he entered the service in December of
1914, he was engaged to a girl named Maggie.
The photo below is from July 1915, France.
David is on the right, in uniform, without
cap.
The full uniform photo
of David is dated August 1917.
In November of 1917, David died two
days after his 24th birthday.
Here is his obituary from a Cardiganshire newspaper, 1917
Sapper D M Richards, R[oyal] E[ngineers], was killed in France by
a piece of shell on November 20th, while working on a concrete gun emplacement.
He was born at 74 High Street, Treorchy, twenty-four years ago, within 2 days of the date of his death. He was educated at the Treorchy school and Higher Grade, Pentre, and was for some years at Llanfan school. At the age of fourteen years he went as a booking clerk to Treorchy T V R, and after 3 years served 3 years apprenticeship with Mr Alban Richards, contractor, Ton Pentre, as carpenter. Before enlisting he was working with King and Davies, Marlborough road, Newport.
He joined the R E at Christmas following the outbreak of hostilities in August and after training at Porthcawl, Abergavenny and Winchester went to France on November 27, 1915. He went through many a hard night including Mametz Wood and Pilkem, and served 12 months in Belgium on the Ypres Canal.
His parents now reside at the old home at "Bontfach", Llanafan. In a letter to Mrs Richards, Liet. Doyle says that Sapper Richards was hit by a splinter from a shell whilst on duty. He was most concientious at his work and his death cast a gloom over the whole company.
The funeral took place at Erquinghem Cemetery (British) on Wednesday, 21st November. Second Lieut. Daman, who was with Sapper Richards when he was killed, writes: - "your son was working on a concrete machine gun emplacement behind our support lines. The Corporal in charge of the building of the emplacement was there and I started to give instructions. I asked for a foot rule which your son handed to me. About a minute afterwards the shell came along. For a second I thought we were all alright, but your son suddenly ran to me with his hand on his side and said quite quietly, "I'm hit, Sir." and fell down at my feet.
I sent immediately to the R A M C Dressing Station, which was quite near, and meanwhile dressed the wound. The doctor shortly after came along, but he saw at a glance that your son was dead. He was unconscious thirty seconds after being hit and must have expired within 3 minutes. He felt absolutely no pain. The wound was a small one in the right side about 10 inches from the underside of the shoulder."
[eliminating one brief paragraph] Second Lieut. A F Thomas in a letter says that David was buried by a Welsh Nonconformist minister and nearly all the old boys of the section and two officers of the company attended.
He was born at 74 High Street, Treorchy, twenty-four years ago, within 2 days of the date of his death. He was educated at the Treorchy school and Higher Grade, Pentre, and was for some years at Llanfan school. At the age of fourteen years he went as a booking clerk to Treorchy T V R, and after 3 years served 3 years apprenticeship with Mr Alban Richards, contractor, Ton Pentre, as carpenter. Before enlisting he was working with King and Davies, Marlborough road, Newport.
He joined the R E at Christmas following the outbreak of hostilities in August and after training at Porthcawl, Abergavenny and Winchester went to France on November 27, 1915. He went through many a hard night including Mametz Wood and Pilkem, and served 12 months in Belgium on the Ypres Canal.
His parents now reside at the old home at "Bontfach", Llanafan. In a letter to Mrs Richards, Liet. Doyle says that Sapper Richards was hit by a splinter from a shell whilst on duty. He was most concientious at his work and his death cast a gloom over the whole company.
The funeral took place at Erquinghem Cemetery (British) on Wednesday, 21st November. Second Lieut. Daman, who was with Sapper Richards when he was killed, writes: - "your son was working on a concrete machine gun emplacement behind our support lines. The Corporal in charge of the building of the emplacement was there and I started to give instructions. I asked for a foot rule which your son handed to me. About a minute afterwards the shell came along. For a second I thought we were all alright, but your son suddenly ran to me with his hand on his side and said quite quietly, "I'm hit, Sir." and fell down at my feet.
I sent immediately to the R A M C Dressing Station, which was quite near, and meanwhile dressed the wound. The doctor shortly after came along, but he saw at a glance that your son was dead. He was unconscious thirty seconds after being hit and must have expired within 3 minutes. He felt absolutely no pain. The wound was a small one in the right side about 10 inches from the underside of the shoulder."
[eliminating one brief paragraph] Second Lieut. A F Thomas in a letter says that David was buried by a Welsh Nonconformist minister and nearly all the old boys of the section and two officers of the company attended.
David was buried in Erquinghem-Lys Cemetery, which has this
information on the Internet:
ERQUINGHEM-LYS CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, France, Nord.
The village of Erquinghem-Lys is situated approximately 1.5
kilometres west of Armentieres. Take the D945 from Armentieres toward the
centre of Erquinghem-Lys and then turn right immediately before the Town Hall.
The cemetery is 50 metres along this road on the right hand side.
The village of Erquinghem-Lys was occupied by German forces early
in October 1914, and taken by the 1st Somerset Light Infantry on 16 October. It
remained in Allied hands until 10 April 1918, when the 101st Infantry Brigade
and the 1st/4th Duke of Wellington's, after a stubborn defence, evacuated the
village during the great German offensive. The village was finally retaken in
September 1918.
The earliest Commonwealth burials were made in two places in the churchyard itself, in October 1914 - January 1915, but these 27 graves were moved into the extension (Plot II, Row G, and Plot III, Row G) in 1925, the churchyard being closed for burials. The extension was begun in April 1915 and used by units and field ambulances until April 1918. It was continued down to the stream by the Germans (who also used the churchyard) in the summer of 1918, and in September and October 1918, it was used again for some Commonwealth burials.
The extension now contains 558 Commonwealth burials of the First World War (eight of them unidentified) and 130 German burials. One unidentified Russian servicemen is also buried in the extension.
You can Google "Erquinghem cemetery France" for a lot of images, including the cemetery plan.
The earliest Commonwealth burials were made in two places in the churchyard itself, in October 1914 - January 1915, but these 27 graves were moved into the extension (Plot II, Row G, and Plot III, Row G) in 1925, the churchyard being closed for burials. The extension was begun in April 1915 and used by units and field ambulances until April 1918. It was continued down to the stream by the Germans (who also used the churchyard) in the summer of 1918, and in September and October 1918, it was used again for some Commonwealth burials.
The extension now contains 558 Commonwealth burials of the First World War (eight of them unidentified) and 130 German burials. One unidentified Russian servicemen is also buried in the extension.
You can Google "Erquinghem cemetery France" for a lot of images, including the cemetery plan.
82588 Sapper / D M Richards / Royal Engineers / 20th November 1917 Age 24
My uncle has on display in his home the medals that were given to
the family for David’s service, along with a letter:
R[oyal] E[ngineers] Record Office, Chatham, 23.12.21 [23 Dec 1921]
Sir,
I am directed to transmit to you the accompanying British War and
Victory Medals which would have been conferred upon No 82588 D M Richards, R E,
had he lived, in memory of his services with the British Forces during the
Great War.
-In forwarding the Decoration I am commanded by the King to assure
you of His Majesty's high appreciation of the services rendered.
-I am to request that you will be so good as to acknowledge the
receipt of the Decoration on the attached form.
-I am Your obedient Servant, (can't read signature), Colonel, y_
Records R E
-Mr J D Richards, Crosswood
[David’s father]
Do you realize that this August it will be 100 years since that
war began? I think I need to read
Barbara Tuchman’s “The Guns of August”.
Links:
from obituary: Mametz Wood
from Wikipedia: Battle of Pilckem Ridge, 31 July - 2 August
1917, the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres
