Family & Social History Group
To commemorate the centenary of the end of WW1 and to express the debt of gratitude we owe the servicemen from this area, Gilwern u3a Family & Social History group spearheaded the preparation of the biographies of all those servicemen who fought in WW1. It followed on from work that originally identified the servicemen from the area who had died but it now includes those that fought and survived. A successful exhibition of the biographies was held in the village in 2018 and following positive feedback it was decided that it should be printed in hardback book format to be kept in remembrance of those now gone.
Many of the biographies are very poignant, with families suffering great loss and some having more than one family member going away to fight. There are 33 biographies for servicemen killed in action and 115 for servicemen who survived the fighting. Six servicemen were awarded the Military Medal and these have also be highlighted in the book. We have not been able to uncover sufficient information on a further 25 biographies. Half of the WW1 military records have been destroyed and so it may never be possible to give complete them all. However, we will continue to research these servicemen and hopefully, following the publication of this book members of the public may be able to come forward with further information.
The book was paid for by a generous grant from Llanelly Community Council and it was distributed to the main religious and civil institutions locally including Gilwern Library, Gilwern Primary School, churches, chapels and other locations where they may be inspected.
WW1 Exhibition in Gilwern Village Hall 2018
Page last updated on 28th November 2024