Roch War Memorial

The Parish of Roch sits about six miles North-West of Haverfordwest, and centres around the site of an early Castle. Roch Castle was founded in the 1250’s, although an earlier fortress may have existed here. It is supposed to have been built by Adam de Rupe, a member of a very influential family which had played an important role in the English settlement of Pembrokeshire. Roch Castle was built as one of the outer defences of Little England beyond Wales , as it is near the unmarked border which for centuries separated the English and Welsh areas of Pembrokeshire. The castle was greatly neglected after the Civil War, but in 1900 Viscount St. David began extensive restoration, and subsequent owners have continued this. It is therefore considerably altered, but the tower is unmistakable for miles around, and traces of the old earthwork bailey can be seen at the foot of the outcrop. Two of the sons of the Viscount were killed during the Great War, and the details of these men, and the others of the locality, are remembered on the marble War Memorial which is fixed to the boundary wall outside the Castle. This memorial duplicates one inside St. Mary’s Church, which also contains a fine collection of memorials to the Philipps family.

The Great War, 1914-1918

George Winfred Bowen, Private, 201578, Welsh Regiment. George was known as Fred, and was the illegitimate son of either Sarah or Hannah Bowen, of Haroldston, and the Nephew of Mary Louisa Summons (nee Bowen), of 84, Portfield, Haverfordwest. He enlisted at Haverfordwest into the 4th Welsh. He served with the 15th Battalion, which was attached to 114 Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division. The Division had landed in France during December 1915 and had spent their first winter in the trenches near Armentieres. In June they marched south to the Somme, where they were tasked with the capture of Mametz Wood. The attack on the wood began on 7 July, but met with fierce resistance, and it took until 12 July to clear the wood. The Division suffered terrible casualties at Mametz, and were taken out of the line, and moved to Ypres to rebuild. Here they fought at the Battle of Pilckem Ridge and at the Battle of Langemarck. Fred was wounded at Langemarck, and evacuated to a nearby Casualty Clearing Station, where he died of his wounds on 20 August 1917, aged 23. He is buried at Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium.

Thomas Davies, Private, 71974, Kings Liverpool Regiment. Thomas was the son of David and Amy Davies, of Nolton, Pembrokeshire, and the husband of Hilda Twigg (formerly Davies), of 7, Union Street, Gelli, Ystrad, Glamorgan. Thomas enlisted at Cardiff into the Kings Liverpool Regiment, and was posted to their 16th Labour Company. The Company was sent to the Western Front. Thomas was then transferred to the 81st Company, Labour Corps, and his Regimental Number changed to 48129. He was working with the Company at Ypres when he was killed in action on 5 July 1917, during the build up to the Passchendaele Offensive. Thomas was 36 years old, and is buried at Lone Tree Cemetery, Belgium. His brother Benjamin also fell, and is commemorated at Camrose.

William Evans, Private, 54441, Welsh Regiment. William was the son of James and Catherine Evans, of Castle Farm, Roch, Pembrokeshire. William worked at home on his Fathers Farm before the war, and he enlisted at Haverfordwest into the Welsh Regiment after war was declared. He was posted to the 14th (Swansea) Battalion, which was attached to 114 Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division. The Division had landed in France during December 1915 and had spent their first winter in the trenches near Armentieres. In June the division marched south to the Somme, where it captured Mametz Wood. The Division suffered terrible casualties at Mametz, and was taken out of the line, and moved to Ypres to rebuild. Here it fought at the opening Battle of Third Ypres, at the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, and then at the Battle of Langemarck. William was killed in action just after the Battle of Langemarck, on 22 August 1917, aged 22. William has no known grave, and so is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. James and Catherine received a letter from William’s Lieutenant, which read “Dear Mrs. Evans- I expect that you have already heard that your son was killed in action last week. He was hit by a shell and died instantaneously. You will be proud to know that he died doing his duty. He was one of my very best men, and a credit to his Company. His companions in his Platoon feel his loss in a way which can be second only to your own feelings. His companions write with me in expressing our deepest sympathy in your sad loss, – Yours Sincerely, E. H. Balsom.” Sadly, Lieutenant Ernest Balsom himself was killed just a year later, during the Battle of Albert.

Ernest Johnson, Private, 16036, Gloucestershire Regiment. Ernest was born at Whitchurch in 1893, the son of William and Margaret Johnson. Prior to the war he worked at Roch as a Teamster, and enlisted at Haverfordwest into the 10th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. On 8 August 1915 the Battalion moved to France, where they became attached to 1 Brigade, 1st Division. The Division was a Regular Army Division that had been on the Western Front since the opening Battle of Mons. The 10th Gloucester’s then joined them, and saw their first action during the Battle of Loos and the action at the Hohenzollern Redoubt. The Division was then moved south to the Somme in the summer of 1916, where they fought during the opening of the Somme Offensive at the Battle of Albert. They then saw action at the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, and the Battle of Pozieres Ridge. It was during the terrible fighting that raged around this time that Ernest was killed in action, on 18 August 1916, aged 23. He is buried at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval, France.

John Stuart Phelps, Rifleman, 34067, South Lancashire Regiment. John was born in 1886, the son of Moses and Frances Phelps, of New Cottage, Roch. John was a Draper prior to the war, and enlisted at Cardiff in December 1915 into the 7th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, a Territorial Cyclist Battalion. On 26 July 1916 he landed in France, and was posted to the 1/5th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment, which was attached to 166 Brigade, 55th Division. The division was in the front line opposite the village of Guillemont, on the Somme. Here they fought at the Battle of Guillemont and the Battle of Ginchy. There was a short period of rest at Ribemont, and then the Division fought at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette and the Battle of Morval. The division moved to the Ypres salient in October 1916. It was destined to remain in this area for almost a year, stationed near Railway Wood. John was killed in action here on 18 November 1916, soon after the battalion took up positions there. He was 29 years old, and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.

Joseph James Prescott, Private, 37520, Kings Liverpool Regiment. Joseph was born on 8 March 1897, the son of Joseph and Jane Prescott, of Southport, Cheshire. He was serving with the King’s Liverpool as a Private, based in Pembrokeshire when he met and married Edith Mary Williams, of Simpson, Roch, in the summer of 1917. Joseph was then transferred to the 571st Agricultural Company, Labour Corps. He didn’t serve overseas, but died on active service on 11 December 1918. Joseph was 21 years old, and is buried at Halsall (St. Cuthbert) Churchyard, England. Joseph is not commemorated on the Roch War Memorial.

World War Two, 1939-1945

John George John, Private, 3959232, the Welch Regiment. John was the son of Henry and Mary John of Roch, Pembrokeshire. John served with the 1st Battalion, Welch Regiment, which was stationed at Mersa Matruh, Western Desert at the outbreak of war. The Battalion fought in the Western Desert campaign for its duration, and on the 10th June, 1943 took place in the Landings on Sicily. They fought their way up through Italy, during a hard and stubborn campaign by the Germans, who had dug themselves into well defended positions such as Monte Cassino. By November, 1943 the Battalion was withdrawn to Egypt, and remained there until 12 July 1944 when they sailed from Alexandria for Taranto. Again, they were pitched head first into the terrible fighting, slowly pushing north, and on 25 April, 1945 crossed the River Po. John was killed in action during this dogged campaign in Italy, on 20 June 1945. He was 30 years old, and is buried at Bari War Cemetery, Italy.

The Brothers Rawdon-Hastings

Lord St. David’s first wife Leonora Gerstenberg, the mother of Colwyn and Roland Erasmus Philipps, died in 1915. The following year he remarried Elizabeth Frances Rawdon-Hastings. The new Lady Elizabeth Frances Philipps, Baroness St. David’s, had two brothers who had fallen within weeks of each other during the Great War, and she erected a marble memorial plaque within St. Mary’s Church in their memory.