HAWARDEN – County Herald 30th July 1915
CALL TO FLINTSHIRE VOLUNTEERS – Squire of Hawarden’s Exhortation
Mr H.N.Gladstone, the new Lord-Lieutenant of Flintshire, made his first public appearance since his appointment to Hawarden, on Friday night, when he attended a meeting there for the purpose of forming a Hawarden Corps. Mr. Gladstone said he could not make his appearance in that place in Hawarden for the first time as his Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Flint without expressing his deep regret that that duty should, on that occasion, fall upon him and not upon one whom, during the last ten years, they had learned to respect, admire and love. They all knew what he considered to be his duty in his country’s cause when this terrible war came upon them, and they could have no doubt as to what his attitude would be towards that movement of establishing a Volunteer Corps in Hawarden. He (the speaker) was sorry to say he was old enough to be a member of the old Volunteer Corps which was drilling in the park fifty years ago, and it was a satisfaction to know that they had a few of the old hands with them. The other day he had the advantage of attending a meeting of the Central Committee in London, and two of three interesting statements were made. In the first place the War Office had recorded their opinion that the Volunteer movement was a valuable ally for recruiting for the new armies. Some people had expressed a fear it might have a contrary effect, but experience had shown otherwise. In the town of Sheffied 2,000 Volunteers were enrolled, and they proceeded to obtain 1.600 recruits for the Regular Army. In the county of Surrey, they had twelve battalions of Volunteers, and the Eddisbury Division of Cheshire, which included Chester, had a battalion of 1,250 men. He did not see why Flintshire should not do what one division of Chester had done (hear, hear). It must be plain to them that in this great crisis of our country every possible preparation must be made for all contingencies. We knew now that the Government were making arrangements for war material for practically the whole of 1916. That brought home to our minds the seriousness of the position, and it behoved every one to do what he could in helping his country. Men not of military age in the Hawarden district could best help their country by joining the Volunteer Corps (Hear, hear).
After other speeches a large number of recruits were immediately enrolled.
In the same edition :-
Letters to the Editor
National Registration in Flintshire: The Lord-Lieutenants Appeal.
To the Editor of the County Herald.
Sir – May I, as His Majesty’s Lieutenant for the County of Flint, ask you to make known through your columns the importance of a general and hearty response to the appeal of the President of the Local Government Board for voluntary assistance from all classes in connection with the enumeration of the population between the ages of 15 and 65 to be undertaken in the middle of August, under the National Registration Act.
I attach the letter which Mr. Long has addressed to me, and would urge all those willing to help (and I am certain they are many) to offer their services promptly to the local authority of the district in which they live, namely, to the Town Council, or the Urban or Rural District Councils, in the County of Flint.
As Mr. Long says, with the aid of sufficient voluntary assistance the local authorities should experience no difficulty in getting the Register prepared in a prompt and effective manner, and I have no doubt it will be forthcoming.
I am, sir,
Your obedient servant, H.N.Gladstone, Burton Manor, Chester. – 23rd July 1915
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(COPY) Local Government Board, Whitehall, S.W. – 20th July 1915
Sir, – The National Registration Act received the Royal Assent on Thursday last, and under Regulations which have just been issued by my Department the enumeration of the population between the ages of 15 and 65 will take place in the middle of August.
The Act contemplates that a Register will be formed in each borough and urban or rural district under the direction of the local authority of the area.
It is most important that this work should be conducted a expeditiously as possible and it is therefore desirable that the local authority should have abundant help for the purpose. The Government is anxious on the one hand that the industrial occupations of the country should not be effected by the preparation of the Register, and on the other hand that the cost should be kept as low as is consistent with efficiency. For this reason I have suggested that local authorities should avail themselves to the fullest extent of voluntary assistance in the work of preparing the Register. I have myself received numerous offers of help from all classes, clergymen, professional men, school teachers, special constables, etc., and I am convinced that it is only necessary to inform the public that their help is needed to obtain from them an abundance of voluntary service.
I am therefore venturing to ask you if you can see your way to issue an appeal in the press asking persons in your county who are likely to have spare time during the month of August to offer their services to the local authority of their district, namely the Town Council, or the Urban or Rural District Council, for work in connection with the Register, such as distribution and collection of registration forms, tabulation of forms, or any other work, clerical or otherwise, that may be necessary. I am sure that such an appeal would meet with a ready response.
With the aid of such voluntary assistance, the local authorities should experience no difficulty in getting the Register prepared in a prompt and effective manner.
Yours sincerely, (signed) Walter Long.
H.N.Gladstone, Esq., H.M. Lieutenant of the County of Flint.
COUNTY HERALD 3rd September 1915 -Roll of Honour – MORRIS, Killed in action at the Dardanelles on the 7th Inst. Private Randall Foulkes MORRIS, 24, Wellington Avenue, Shotton.
COUNTY HERALD 3rd September 1915 -Roll of Honour – JONES, May 16th, Killed in Action, Private R.J. JONES, Royal Welsh Fusiliers of Connah’s Quay.
COUNTY HERALD 3rd September 1915. – Death of Private. R.J. JONES. For some time past a Mrs. R.J.JONES, of Connah’s Quay, has been endeavouring to obtain information regarding her husband; and on her behalf Mr. E.Ll. MORRIS, of the Customs, prosecuted enquiries. Yesterday (Wednesday) morning he received a letter from the Record Office, Shrewsbury, stating that the War Office regretted to inform them that Private R.J. JONES (5708), of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, died on the 16th May. The cause of death was “Killed in action.”
COUNTY HERALD 10th September 1915 Letter from Corporal H. Carter
Lance-Corporal H. CARTER, Garden City, promoted in the trenches for good work on the nights of August 10th and 11th, writes from St. Andrew’s Military Hospital, Malta, to Mr. & Mrs. WOOLLEY, 51, High Street, Higham Ferrers, with whom he was friendly; – “Just a line to let you know that we are still in the land of the living. Thank God for that, after what we have gone through. We went straight to the Dardanelles from Higham, and we had it rough as soon as w e landed which we did on Sunday August 8th. As soon as we landed they poured shrapnel into us, and we had casualties at once. Well, our hearts were in our mouths but we pulled ourselves together and formed up as soon as possible, but we felt a bit queer at first. We soon got used to them flying around us, and we made the best of it, but they made it too hot for us to stay there, so we had to move at once. We found the shelter of a small hill, where we rested and fed that day and night. We moved off at 3 a.m. on Monday and go as supports to the firing line. We marched just the same as Higham until the Turks spotted us, and then the fun began. We had orders to extend, which we did with all speed, and from there we had to advance four or five miles facing a murdering fire. We advanced in rushes, but our chaps were getting mowed down, but we reached the trenches about 6 p.m. You would have thought they would have given us a rest then, but from when we started to advance till Tuesday night we never had a minute’s rest. Never mind, we pulled through, and we rested the best we could for a full day. Then on Thursday we got the order to advance, which we did with a vengeance. The Turks ran like rabbits, shouting “Allah, Allah!” but we gave them Allah – about a foot of cold steel!……………….”
COUNTY HERALD – 10th September 1915 (Page 7)
Connah’s Quay War News
“An Army of Savages” – Killing And Burning Our Wounded.
Mr. S.J. Newell, of Higham Ferrers, has received an interesting letter from Private David E. WILLIAMS, of the Connah’s Quay Company 5th R.W.F., who was wounded in the recent severe fighting at Sulva Bay, Dardanelles, and, who is now in a British Red Cross Hospital, Netley, Southampton. He was billeted with Mrs. H. BLACKWELL, Kimbolton Road, when in Higham Ferrers.
He writes: – ” Just a line in answer to your kind letter. I do remember your corner shop for I often came there to enquire for Bill PARKER. We forced the new landing at Sulva Bay which no doubt you have read about in the papers. We had an awful hard time, and had to fight over every inch of ground against an enemy of savages who were killing and burning our wounded when any fell into their hands. We had five days and nights of it, and I was lucky to come out of it, as my regiment suffered heavy losses. All your four men were all right at the end of the first day, but on the second day I was attached to the New Zealand Brigade with the bomb throwing section, and I never saw any of my battalion after. I was on board the _____, wounded in the right foot. There is only one chap here out of the 5th Battalion, and he was turned deaf and dumb. He does not know them. You did quite right in writing to me. I am sorry that I cannot give you any news about them. Will PARKER and I are great friends. We used to go to Stanwick. Our Colonel and Major were killed the first day and my Captain Armstrong was first man to be wounded, shrapnel in both legs. The Colonial troops to which I was attached were fighting all one night. We were not allowed to load our rifles till dawn, and so we had to clear them with our butts and bayonets. There were some awful struggles, the details of which will never be known. Well, I had five days and nights of it, and was a lucky man to come out of it alive. I am very sorry not to be able to give you any news of your men, but if I should hear anything about them, rest assured I will let you know. Thank you very much for the fags and stamps. Please give my kind regards to all the people at Higham. The kindest and most generous people I have ever met are the people of Northamptonshire, and of Northampton town itself. Remember me to Mrs. Blackwell and tell her that the Welsh have done their bit in the worst fighting ever known in Gallipoli Peninsular.
On a postcard to Mrs. H. Blackwell, Pte WILLIAMS writes: -”Back in England and wounded in the foot. Had a rough time and lost 10 officers and God knows how many men. Lucky to have come out of it alive. I lost everything out there.”
I a letter received by Mrs. Blackwell on Monday morning he says: – “My foot is healing up splendidly, but I can only limp about. I would like to be at Higham Feast, but we are like prisoners , not allowed out of the grounds, and are in bed by 9 o’clock every night.”
COUNTY HERALD – 10th September 1915 (Page 7)
LIGHTS AT THE SEASIDE
Case Against Rhyl Council Withdrawn
Much interest was taken in Rhyl Police Court on Wednesday when Mr. J.W. JONES, Pavilion and Gardens manager, was summoned by the police for allowing lights to be visible from the sea on the occasion of a military tattoo. The Rhyl Council were also summoned for a like offence being the persons in charge or having the management for the time being. Mr. A.W. LEWIS, prosecuted for the police, and Mr. Joseph LLOYD defended.
The magistrates’ clerk said he had communicated with the Home Office with respect to the lights at Rhyl. In reply he received the following: – “The lights should be extinguished, because unobscured they would be visible from the sea.” The clerk added that his view was that if there was a light which could be seen from the sea it had to be extinguished, not partially obscured.
Mr. A. W. LEWIS said the Rhyl Council had been holding illuminated carnivals in the Marine Gardens notwithstanding that private individuals had been prosecuted for having lights on the sea front.
Coastguard CLARKE said that the lights were visible for 20 to 30 miles at sea.
Mr. LLOYD urged that the real defenders were the police and military authorities, but the Rhyl Council were willing to be the scapegoats. The Rhyl Council were to be praised for providing amusements for the troops, and as the soldiers were leaving Rhyl he suggested there should be the usual happy ending to the story.
The bench held that the police were justified in bringing the case forward, but considered that Mr. JONES had the consent of a competent military authority in the person of General DUNN. They dismissed the case. – Mr. LEWIS then withdrew the case against the Rhyl Council.
The adjourned case of Mrs. HARTLEY, of the Marine Hydro was then proceeded with, and on being called she said: – ” I thought my little light would sink into oblivion after the council case.” (laughter) – A fine of 5s. was imposed.
COUNTY HERALD – 15th October 1915 (Page 6, no cutting, a transcription)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Comforts for Connah’s Quay Soldiers serving in his Majesty’s Service
To the Editor of the County Herald.
Dear Sir, – At a meeting of the Comfort’s Committee held on Thursday last, a statement was submitted showing the work and parcels distributed as a result of their efforts, and I was directed to ask you to publish the same in your next issue, as the committee feel they owe this duty to the public.
The Committee, which is still continuing its good work, emanates from a public meeting held in the Drill Hall, Connah’s Quay on the 18th August 1914, Councillor Samuel Vickers being chairman of the Committee, with Mrs. Baird Jones, Church Street, Hon. Treasurer and Mrs. E.J. Davies, The Vicarage and Mrs. Charlton, Plas Bellin Hall, as Joint Hon. Secretaries of the Ladies Committee, all of them have worked most assiduously.
Yours truly, A.J. Mothersole.
Bank Buildings, Connah’s Quay 2nd October 1915.
The Statement referred to above shows that 313 individual parcels were sent comprising 390 pairs socks, 240 hand knitted and 150 (machine knitted), 100 woollen shirts and vests, 36 woolen scarves and other comforts, 102 handkerchiefs, 94 sixpenny packets of cigarettes, 24lbs of toffees and chocolates. Also, 14 x 5s. Parcels to prisoners in Germany; sixteen parcels to wounded in hospital, consisting of tobacco, sweets and fruit, parcels to the 5th, 8th, Dardanelles, and the 9th in France. – Eight boxes of Woodbines, eight dozen of matches, soap, note paper, envelopes, pencils and OXO tablets.
Local Casualties County Herald 24th Sept 1915