The small community of Llangain is situated in a pleasant location in the Towy Valley, about four miles south of Carmarthen on the road to Llansteffan. The War Memorials for the men of Llangain who fell during both World Wars are located on memorials located inside Smyrna Independent Chapel and inside the village Memorial Hall. Smyrna Chapel also contains a framed memorial which contains photographs of the men connected with the Chapel who served during the Great War. There is also a separate memorial inside Llangain Church to William David Davies. There is a mistake on the memorial inside the hall, as it shows that one man served with the A.E.F., while he actually served with the A.I.F. which is correct on the original memorial. The photographs of the memorials were kindly sent in by my former R.E. teacher at Whitland, Haydn Williams. This page commemorates the men commemorated in the Memorial Hall.
The Great War, 1914-1918
John Davies, Private, 320373, Welsh Regiment. John was the son of John and Mary Davies, of Factory Road, Llansteffan, and lived at Glyn Cottage, Llangain. He enlisted at Carmarthen into the Pembroke Yeomanry in June 1915, and moved to Egypt with the battalion in 1916. The Pembroke Yeomanry merged with the Glamorgan Yeomanry in 1917 to form the 24th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was attached to 231 Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division. The division had been formed in Egypt in January 1917 and took part in the march through Palestine, fighting at the three battles of Gaza, before finally capturing Jerusalem at the end of the year. John was killed at the Third Battle of Gaza on 6 November 1917. He was 34 years old, and is buried at Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel. John left a widow and two children. His brother, William Charles Davies, also fell.
William Charles Davies, Private, 3365, 10th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. William was the son of John and Mary Davies, of Dyffryn Factory, Llansteffan Road, Carmarthen. William had emigrated to Western Australia in 1909 and found work as a Groom near Blackboy Hill. He enlisted there on 17 October 1916 into the Australian Infantry. William embarked at Fremantle aboard the H.M.A.T. Berrima, and arrived at Devonport on 16 February 1917. After several months in camps at Larkhill and Dorrington, where William was court martialled for being absent without leave for over a week, he was sent among a batch of reinforcements to the 10th Battalion, arriving in France on 22 August 1917. His papers show that he was wounded in Action on 1 October that year, rejoining the Battalion four days later. The next entry in his papers shows that he deserted his post on 1 January 1918, and was apprehended by the Military Police two days later. His trial on 15 February 1918 ended up in his being awarded five years penal servitude, but on 7 March this was suspended and William rejoined his Battalion at the front. The Battalion were by now in Northern France, and the German Offensive was in full swing, with the Australian Corps in the Borre area. William was killed in Action near Borre on 30 May 1918 aged 31 and is buried in Borre British Cemetery. His brother John also fell. The new memorial incorrectly states that William served with the A.E.F., which would be the American Expeditionary Force, while the original memorial is correct.
William David Davies, Private, 52657, Welsh Regiment. William was born at Trenewydd, Newchurch on 12 June 1897, the Son of John and Mary Davies. The family later resided at Green Castle Farm, Llangain. William worked at his parents farm before enlisting at Cardiff into the Welsh Regiment on 14 August 1916, and was posted to France, where he joined the 9th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was attached to 58 Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. William joined the battalion after the Somme battles of 1916. In 1917 the Division moved North to Ypres, taking part in the Battle of Messines, and fought on the Menin Road and at Polygon Wood, before moving up to Broodseinde, Poelcappelle and Passchendaele Village itself. In 1918 they were caught up in the German Spring Offensive near St. Quentin, where they suffered terrible casualties, and fought at the Battle of Bapaume, taking part in a famous action at Beugny. William was wounded at Beugny, and died at No. 7 Canadian General Hospital, Étaples on 25 April 1918, aged 21. He is buried at Étaples Military Cemetery, France. There is also an individual memorial plaque to William inside Llangain Church.
David Idwal Griffiths, DCM, Private, 29403, South Wales Borderers. David was the son of John and Margaretta Griffiths, of Cochybarlys, Llangain. He enlisted at Carmarthen into the Army on 26 January 1917, and was posted to France on 26 May, joining the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, who were attached to 87 Brigade, 29th Division. In the spring of 1917 the division had fought at the Battle of the Scarpe, which was part of the Arras Offensive, and then moved further north to Ypres. Here it fought at the Battle of Langemarck, and then at the Battles of the Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde and Poelcappelle, before moving to Cambrai. Here they fought at the Battle of Cambrai in November and December 1917 before moving back to Flanders early in 1918. The German Spring Offensive hit the British on the Somme on 21 March 1918, and hit in Flanders just weeks later. The 29th Division fought a series of desperate battles in the coming weeks before the war turned in favour of the Allies after a series of successes on the Somme in August. The Division then took part in the Offensive in Flanders, where they took part in the Action of Outtersteene Ridge, and then at the Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Courtrai. It was during the terrible fighting at Outtersteene that David showed his mettle, and for his brave actions was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The citation for the award, listed in the London Gazette of 10 January 1920 read; ‘For conspicuous gallantry and determined courage at Outersteene on 18th August 1918. When his platoon was held up by heavy machine gun fire, he and another man crept forward and rushed the post, capturing two machine guns, killing three enemy and taking five prisoners. After the objective was reached, these two worked forward and captured a sniper who was causing casualties during consolidation.’ Sadly just weeks after this, David was wounded when a German shell landed among a group of men of the 2nd SWB. He died of his wounds on 3 October 1918 aged just 20 and is buried at Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Belgium.
William Howells, Gunner, 122051, Royal Artillery. William was born at Ferryside, the son of Lewis and Mary Howells, of Neptune Villa. He resided at Tynewydd, Llangain prior to the war and enlisted at Carmarthen into the Royal Artillery. William was posted to ‘X’ 32nd Trench Mortar Battery, which was attached to the 32nd Division. The Division fought on the Somme in 1916, moving to Arras in the spring of 1918. After the Battles of Arras in 1918 the Division moved south to the old Somme battlefield, where the tide was turned against the German advance. From then on, they pushed the Germans back toward the Hindenburg Line from 22 August onwards. William was killed in action during the Battle of the Sambre on 4 November 1918, aged just 23. He is remembered on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France.
John Morris, Private, 79395, Royal Army Medical Corps. John was born in Llangain in about 1884, the son of William and Anne Morris. The family lived in Tycanol, Waunfort, Llanstephan Road and John worked as a Mental Nurse at Carmarthen prior to the war. He enlisted at Carmarthen on 29 November 1915 into the Royal Army Medical Corps and was stationed in England before embarking for India on 23 September 1916. John served in India for over two years with the 38th Company, RAMC before contracting malaria and died in the 34th (Welsh) General Hospital at Deolali on 3 July 1919, aged 35. He was buried in Deolali Government Cemetery, India, where he still lies today. John does not appear to be commemorated locally.
World War Two, 1939-1945
Thomas Henry Davies, Sergeant, 991591, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Thomas was born in 1920, the son of David Davies and Mary Ann Davies (nee Richards), of Werncorgam Fach, Llangain, Carmarthen. He enlisted into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and after completing his training as a Wireless Operator, was posted to 103 Squadron, Royal Air Force, a heavy bomber squadron which flew the Avro Lancaster III, based at RAF Elsham Wolds. On the night of 18 October 1943, Thomas took off from Elsham Wolds aboard an Avro Lancaster III, Serial JB279, which joined a massive force of 260 Lancasters sent to bomb targets in Hannover. Tye Lancaster collided With Lancaster JB220 of 97 Squadron whilst flying over Erichshagen, and crashed. Thomas had reportedly managed to bail out and landed safely, but was captured and executed by the Germans on 19 October 1943. The 23-year-old has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
Thomas Lloyd, Sergeant, Home Guard. Thomas was the son of Jane Lloyd, of Llangynog, and the husband of Hannah Mary Lloyd, of 3, Morfa Bach, Llansteffan Road, Llangain. Being too old for overseas service, he served at home in the 1st (Carmarthenshire) Battalion, the Home Guard. Thomas died at the Carmarthen Infirmary on 22 July 1941, aged 45. He is buried at Llangynog Churchyard.
Lawrence Walters, Warrant Officer, 1316296, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Lawrence was born in 1922, the son of Rachel Eunice Walters, the daughter of William John Walters, of Ffordd, Llangain. His mother married Percy Allney Jones, of Carmarthen, in 1926 and later emigrated with him to Australia. Lawrence enlisted into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and after gaining his pilots wings was posted to the Far East to join 681 Squadron, Royal Air Force, which had been formed at Dum Dum in India in 1943, flying on coastal defensive work. The Squadron was initially equipped with the Spitfire IV, but was re-equipped with the Mosquito IX in August that year. In October it received a batch of brand new Supermarine Spitfire XI’s, and moved to Alipore in May 1944. The Squadron flew missions over the Far East throughout its time at war. Lawrence was tragically drowned during a swimming incident on 22 February 1945. The 23-year-old has no known grave, so is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial, Kranji.
