Elizabeth Edmunds

Service: Chief Lady Welfare Superintendent, NEF Pembrey

Notes: Chief Lady Welfare Superintendent, NEF Pembrey (munitions). Awarded the MBE in January 1919.

Reference: WaW0139

Elizabeth Edmunds

Elizabeth Edmunds, chief Lady Welfare Superintendent, NEF Pembrey.

Reverse of photograph of Elizabeth Edmunds

Caroline Jackson Davies

Place of birth: Llandovery

Service: Chief section leader Cook: , WRNS, 22/05/1918

Death: 1918-10-26, Carmarthen, illness/salwch

Notes: aged 22. Buried at Llandingat

Sources: http://www.wwwmp.co.uk/carmarthenshire-war-memorials/

Reference: WaW0005

Mair Jenkins

Place of birth: Swansea

Service: Child

Notes: Possibly a birthday photograph of Mair aged 7 or 8. She was born on 18th April 1908, and is wearing a brand new ‘nurse’s uniform’.

Reference: WaW0125

Mair Jenkins in ‘nurse’s uniform.

Mair Jenkins dressed as a nurse, aged 7 or 8.

Ethel Roberts

Place of birth: Wrexham

Service: Child

Death: 1916/03.09, Moss, Wrexham, Explosion / Ffrwydrad

Memorial: Holy Trinity Church, Gwersyllt, Wrexham, Denbighshire

Notes: Ethel, aged one, died when a souvenir shell brought home by her uncle exploded, killing her and fatally injuring her sister and two cousins. Her uncle Private John Bagnall was seriously injured as well as her mother Sarah Roberts and her aunt Mary Bagnall. The children were buried in two graves in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Gwersyllt, where a memorial to the four girls was dedicated in March 2016.

Sources: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wrexham-remembers-four-children-killed-11027982

Reference: WaW0220

Newspaper report

Report of the shell explosion that killed four girls and injured three adults, North Wales Chronicle 10th March 1916

Newspaper Report

Report of the explosion giving the names of the victims.

Memorial

Memorial to Sarah Bagnall, Ethel Roberts, Mary Roberts and Violet Williams at Holy Trinity Churchyard, Gwersyllt, dedicated March 2016.

Mary Frances Roberts

Place of birth: Wrexham

Service: Child

Death: 1916/03/09, Moss, Wrexham, Explosion / Ffrwydrad

Memorial: Holy Trinity Church, Gwersyllt, Wrexham, Denbighshire

Notes: Mary, aged four, died when a souvenir shell brought home by her uncle exploded, killing her sister and fatally injuring her and her two cousins. Her uncle Private John Bagnall was seriously injured as well as her mother Sarah Roberts and her aunt Mary Bagnall. The children were buried in two graves in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Gwersyllt, where a memorial to the four girls was dedicated in March 2016.

Sources: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wrexham-remembers-four-children-killed-11027982

Reference: WaW0219

Newspaper report

Report of the shell explosion that killed four girls and injured three adults, North Wales Chronicle 10th March 1916

Newspaper report

Report of the explosion giving the names of the victims. Abergavenny Chronicle 17 March 1916

Newspaper report

Memorial to Sarah Bagnall, Ethel Roberts, Mary Roberts and Violet Williams at Holy Trinity Churchyard, Gwersyllt, dedicated March 2016.

Sarah Hannah Bagnall

Place of birth: Wrexham

Service: Child

Death: 1916/03/09, Moss, Wrexham, Explosion / Ffrwydrad

Memorial: Holy Trinity Church, Gwersyllt, Wrexham, Denbighshire

Notes: Sarah, aged 1, died when a souvenir shell brought home by her father exploded, killing or fatally injuring her and her three cousins. Her mother Mary Bagnall was seriously injured as well as her father and aunt Sarah Roberts. The children were buried in two graves in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Gwersyllt, where a memorial to the four girls was dedicated in March 2016.

Sources: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wrexham-remembers-four-children-killed-11027982

Reference: WaW0217

Newspaper report

Report of the shell explosion that killed four girls and injured three adults, North Wales Chronicle 10th March 1916

Newspaper report

Report of the explosion giving the names of the victims. Abergavenny Chronicle 17 March 1916

Newspaper report

Memorial to Sarah Bagnall, Ethel Roberts, Mary Roberts and Violet Williams at Holy Trinity Churchyard, Gwersyllt, dedicated March 2016.

Violet Williams

Place of birth: Wrexham

Service: Child

Death: 1916/03/09, Moss, Wrexham, Explosion / Ffrwydrad

Memorial: Holy Trinity Church, Gwersyllt, Wrexham, Denbighshire

Notes: Violet, aged seven, died when a souvenir shell brought home by her uncle exploded, killing or fatally injuring her and her three cousins. Her uncle Private John Bagnall was seriously injured as well as her aunts Mary Bagnall and Sarah Roberts. The children were buried in two graves in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Gwersyllt, where a memorial to the four girls was dedicated in March 2016.

Sources: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wrexham-remembers-four-children-killed-11027982

Reference: WaW0218

Newspaper report

Report of the shell explosion that killed four girls and injured three adults, North Wales Chronicle 10th March 1916.

Newspaper report

Report of the explosion giving the names of the victims.

Newspaper report

Memorial to Sarah Bagnall, Ethel Roberts, Mary Roberts and Violet Williams at Holy Trinity Churchyard, Gwersyllt, dedicated March 2016.

Helen Smith (Thomas)

Place of birth: Swansea

Service: Child

Death: 1993, Swansea, Cause not known

Notes: Helen Smith, born 1908, was the daughter of Alfred and Elizabeth Smith of Swansea who emigrated to America when Helen was a few months old. In 1915 they decided to return to Swansea, and sailed on the Lusitania. When the ship was torpedoed on 7th May 1915 Helen had become separated from her parents and baby brother Hubert. They died, but she was rescued by a Canadian journalist, Ernest Cowper. She was reunited with her aunt Cecelia Owens, another passenger who had lost her two sons in the sinking. She later married John Henry Thomas and lived the rest of her life in Swansea.

Sources: http://www.rmslusitania.info/people/second-cabin/helen-smith/

Reference: WaW0227

Helen Smith

Helen Smith with her rescuer Ernest Cowper. Photograph taken in Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland. Helen is wearing new clothes donated by local well-wishers.

Newspaper report (1)

Report of the story of Lusitania survivor Helen Smith (1). Cambrian Daily Leader 10 May 1915

Newspaper report (2)

Report of the story of Lusitania survivor Helen Smith (2). Cambrian Daily Leader 10 May 1915

Newspaper report (3)

Report of the story of Lusitania survivor Helen Smith (3). Cambrian Daily Leader 10 May 1915

Margaret Watts

Place of birth: Llanelli

Service: Child

Notes: In September 1915 11 year old Margaret Watts held a bazaar at home, selling ‘all her toys and little ornaments’ over two days. She raised half a guinea (10/6d) towards the cost of the Llanelly Motor Ambulance

Reference: WaW0234

Newspaper report

Report of Margaret Watts’s bazaar. Llanelly Star 25th September 1915.

Nancy Davies

Place of birth: Swansea

Service: Child performer

Notes: ‘Little Nancy Davies’, was billed as ‘Swansea’s little star’. She was a highly regarded child comedienne who appeared in fund-raising concerts in the Swansea area in 1918 and became a regular at the Swansea Empire. She also appeared on the bill of the Cardiff Empire.

Reference: WaW0456

Newspaper advertisement

Nancy Davies’s name on the bill of the Swansea Empire. Cambria Daily Leader 18th April 1919

Newspaper report

Review of Nancy Davies at the Swansea Empire. South Wales Weekly Post 10th May 1919

Newspaper report

Promotional piece about Nancy Davies. Cambria Daily Leader 15th November 1919