St PETERS [Cardiff]
Catholic Young Men’s Society
Roll Of Honour
1914-1918
Although the illuminated Scroll lists those who served as well as those who died. The scroll in an oak frame was originally placed in the CYMS Building in Richmond Road Cardiff. When the premises was sold the memorial was placed in the custody of the St Peters Church, St Peters Street, Roath, Cardiff.
Those who died have been listed here:-
D Bateman Spr R.E. W P Kelly Captain N.F
A Baker Pte R.I.R. G Kenefic Pte R.W.F.
D Cummins R.M.FUS
G Flynn Lt R.A.F. E Lord Pte 8th Welsh
F Fox Pte Middlesex Regt J Norton Pte R.T.R
H Hayes Pte S.W.B. W O’Hara AB R.N.D
R Hickey Pte 7th Welsh I Turnbull MC Lt Welsh
J Jenkins Cpl R.I.R W Young Sgt K.R.W.G
Details of the fallen will be added here:
ALLAN EDWARD BAKER
Rifleman, 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles (Service Number: 11050)
Allan Edward Baker was born in Cardiff in 1899 to William Baker, originally from Southampton and an orchestral musician who worked for Moss Empires Co, the music hall company and Margaret Baker née Dodd originally from Liscard, Cheshire. Allan was baptised at St John the Baptist church on 13 Jul 1899. In 1899 the Baker family were living at 99 Bedford St but by 1911 had moved to 7 Bedford St, close to St Peter’s church where Allan attended the Catholic Young Men’s Society. Allan served as a rifleman in the 2nd battalion Royal Irish Rifles in WWI. He was killed in action, aged 18, on 23 Oct 1918 on the Western Front. He is buried at the Harlebeke New British Cemetery, Belgium (grave X. A. 5). He is remembered on the St Peter’s Roll of Honour. Commonwealth War Graves Commission record.
DENIS CUMMINS
Private, 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers (Service Number 922)
Denis Cummins was born in Cardiff in 1895 to John Cummins, a docks labourer and Catherine Cummins née Barry. In the 1911 census Denis Cummins aged 16 is an errand boy. The Cummins family lived at 23, Oxford St, Roath. Denis enlists in Cardiff and serves as a Private in the 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers. He was killed in action 18 October 1918 aged 23. Denis is buried Highland Cemetery, Le Cateau, France. (plot s19.11.18). He is remembered on the St. Peter’s RC Church, CYMS Roll of Honour. Commonwealth War Graves Commission record.
JOHN JENKINS
Corporal, 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (Service Number: 13565)
John Jenkins was born in Cardiff in 1894, the son of Edward Jenkins, a coal tipper, originally from Cardiff and Margaret Jenkins née Cullinane also originally from Cardiff. In 1901 the family were living at 20 Byron Street, Roath. His father died sometime in the next ten years and his mother remarried James Crimmings, a coal trimmer. At the time of the 1911 census the family are living 19 Byron St and John was working as an outfitters errand boy. In WWI John served as a Corporal with the Royal Irish Fusiliers, initially with the 6th battalion in the Balkans where he was injured and subsequently with the 1st battalion on the Western Front. He was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme, age 22, on 12 Oct 1916 probably in the attack of Rainy Trench and Dewdrop Trench. He has no known burial place but is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 15A). He is also remembered on the St Peter’s Church roll of honour. Commonwealth War Graves Commission record. His newspaper death announcement records his address as being Shakespeare Street at the time.
WILLIAM PETER KELLY
Captain, 26th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
William Peter Kelley was born at 127 Price Street, Birkenhead on 27 Jun 1885 to William Kelley, a clothier, originally from Birkenhead and Margaret Kelley née Brierton, originally from Belfast. His father died shortly after he was born and his mother remarried Henry Canning, a marine engineer, originally from Manchester. By 1891 the family had moved to Roath and were living at 27 Glenroy Street. William attended St Bede’s Roman Catholic College, Manchester and St Peter’s Church in Tredegarville, Cardiff. In 1901 they lived at 89 Arabella Street and in 1911 at 66 Amesbury Road when William, then aged 25, was working as a shipping agent. Prior to the war he was a member of the Cardiff Exchange, being a partner in Vyvyan, Kelly & Co Coal Exporters. His obit in 1916 states ‘Captain Kelly on the outbreak of war enlisted in the Dragoons, subsequently obtaining a commission, and being an efficient officer his promotion was rapid. He had been in France for about 12 months. The gallant Captain first joined a cavalry regiment as a trooper, but when the Tyneside Irish Brigade was formed he applied to be posted to it. It was characteristic of him that he declined a staff appointment, which would have kept him hundreds of miles from the trenches’. He was wounded on Nov 10th 1916 on the Western Front whilst in temporary command of the 26th battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers and died of wounds on 12 Nov in hospital at No 2 Casualty Clearing Station, Bailleul, aged 31. He is buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (plot III. A. 209). In his will he left £4,791, a quarter to go to St Bede’s College and a quarter to St Peter’s Church. He is remembered on St Bede’s College memorial, Cardiff Coal Exchange Memorial and St Peter’s Roll of Honour. Commonwealth War Graves Commission record. (It seems William kept in touch with the Kelly family in Birkenhead after coming to South Wales. His obit mentions Bridget Kelly who seems to have been the matriarch of the family, being a car proprietoress in Birkenhead for many decades).
VINCENT CLARKE LASHFORD
Second Lieutenant, 120 Squadron, Royal Air Force (Service Number 152618)
Vincent Clarke Lashford was born on 9th Dec 1893 in Cardiff. He was one of thirteen children born to Edgar George Frederick James Lashford, a commercial traveller selling fruit and potatoes, originally from Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, and Alice Mary Lashford née Parker originally from Reading. The family lived at 122 Richmond Road in 1911 and Vincent worked as a clerk. In May 1912 he emigrates to Canada leaving Bristol and arriving at Montreal. He enlists in the Canadian Officers Training Corps based at the University of Toronto in 1917 and transferred to the Flying Corps at Fort Worth, Texas, later the same year. He arrived in England at Easter 1918 but is killed in an accident on 30 May 1918, aged 24, on his last training flight prior to going to France. He was flying an R.E.8, a two-seat biplane out of Cramlington, which dived into the ground in Newcastle. He is buried at Cathays Cemetery (section D, grave 1053). He is remembered on a plaque below one of the stations of the cross in St Peters Catholic church in Roath, Cardiff, and the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Commonwealth War Graves Commission record.
REGINALD WOLSTAN LEWIS
Private, 8th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (Service Number 45072)
Reginald Wolstan Lewis was born in the summer of 1900 in Cardiff to Frederick William Lewis, originally from Newport and an accountant in a coal exporting and ship broking company, and Elizabeth Anne Lewis nee Morgan, originally from Cwmbran. The family lived in some of the grand streets of the time, Stacey Road (1901), Connaught Road (1911) and at 49 Richmond Road (1918). He enlisted in Farnborough joining the Royal Flying Corps at 16 and became A.M.I. (Wireless) (service no.67748); subsequently joined 1st Reserve Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) C Company in Nov 1917 and then the later the 8th Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales Royal Berkshire Regiment. He was killed in action on 24 Aug 1918 aged 18 on the western front in the Somme region of France and is buried at Bapaume Post Military Cemetery. He is also remembered in St Peter’s church, Cardiff with a plaque below the XI Station of the Cross. His parents also donated a Processional Cross to the church in 1922 in memory of their son. Commonwealth War Graves Commission record.
EDWARD JOHN LORD
Private, 8th Battalion, Welsh Regiment (Service Number: 47445)
Edward John Lord was born on 23 Feb 1889 at 5 Darran Street, Cathays, to Edward John Lord, a labourer at a patent fuel factory, originally from Springfield, Essex and Mary Agnes Lord née Cox, originally from Downside, Somerset. At the time of the 1891 census the family had moved to Bedminster, Somerset but they had returned to live in Cardiff, at 101 Bedford Street, by 1901. In 1911 they were living at 59 Bedford Street when Edward worked as a chartering clerk. He served with the 8th Battalion, Welsh Regiment (possibly the 15th Battalion before that). Edward died on 9 Oct 1918 in India of pneumonia, aged 29, and is buried at Kirkee New Cemetery, Pune, India (Plot B. Row 4. Grave 8). A CWGC headstone was erected above his resting place in 2016 when his burial place had been identified. He is remembered on the Cardiff Coal Exchange Memorial and the St Peter’s Roll of Honour. Commonwealth War Graves Commission record. Four of his brothers also served in WWI but survived. His younger sister Sarah Catherine Lord was headmistress at St Peter’s RC School for forty years (1921-1961) and passed away in 1999 aged 99.
GERARD ILLTYD TURNBULL
Lieutenant, 18th Battalion, Welsh Regiment
Gerard Illtyd Turnbull was born in Cardiff on 11 Jul 1886 to Philip Turnbull, a ship owner, originally from Whitby, Yorkshire and Everilda Turnbull née Smith, originally from Egton, Yorkshire. At the time of the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census the Turnbull family were living at 130 Newport Road. His mother sadly passed away in 1893 and in 1894 Illtyd started attending Downside School in Somerset where he was an excellent all-round sportsman and boxing champion for the whole school on a number of occasions. After leaving school he played hockey for Cardiff and became Captain of the Glamorganshire Golf Club second team. He worked as a chartering clerk for Messrs Mann, George & Co in Cardiff Docks. His school record records: In Aug 1914, on the outbreak of war, he offered himself to the Honourable Artillery Company, but was medically rejected. Eventually, he joined the Inns of Court O.T.C. In 1915, obtained a commission in the Welch Regiment, and went to France in Oct 1916. On 21 Mar 1918, he was wounded, but remained on duty. On 9 Apr he was again wounded, this time severely (shrapnel in upper right arm), and was taken prisoner. He died in a German field hospital on 20 Apr 1918, aged 31. It has been ascertained that, whilst fully conscious, he received the last Sacraments, and that he was buried with the rites of the Catholic Church and full military honours in the cemetery at Ronchin, a village near Lille. A number of German officers and men and many of the French inhabitants of the village attended the funeral which took place on 22 Apr. Over his grave has been placed a cross bearing his name. The colonel of his battalion wrote to say that Illtyd Turnbull had been recommended for the Military Cross for fine services rendered during the fighting on 21 Mar and subsequent dates. The following is the official statement which appeared a little later: ‘When acting as battalion scout officer, he carried out a series of daring reconnaissances into enemy lines for six days and nights without rest, bringing back information of the greatest value’. He is remembered on the Downside School War Memorial, Cardiff Coal Exchange War Memorial plaque, one of the Stations of the Cross at St Peter’s Church, and on the grave of his parents grave at Cathays Cemetery. In 1930 his brother paid for a memorial statue of St Illtyd which stood in an alcove on an exterior wall of St Illtyd’s School in Splott. The school and statue suffered bomb damage in WWII and for some time afterwards the remaining head of the statue stood on top of the WWII War school memorial. It is now thought to have been reconstructed and in St Illtyd’s School in Rumney. Commonwealth War Graves Commission record.
Roath Local History Society 