Heroes of both world wars came from Llantrisant.

Those gallant men who laid down their lives for king and country. Those who made the ultimate sacrofice so that future generations could live in freedom and democracy.

At Llantrisant almost 100 lost their lives in the two world wars and are remembered in various memorials around the town, including the Llantrisant Memorial which was unveiled in 2016.

While our heroes – many of them Freemen - fought on foreign soil so the families left behind raised funds for the war effort. During World War I the Sailors and Soldiers Fund welcomed hundreds onto the Castle Green for their fundraising activities for instance.



In the Second World War it was the residents of the Llantrisant and Llantwit Fardre Rural District Council who raised sufficient monies to pay for the building of a ship.

The Home Guard, originally known as the Local Defence Volunteers, was set up in May 1940 to defend the British Home Front from enemy invasion In Llantrisant the officer in charge was Captain Morgan, a local barber. 

American troops were encamped on Llantrisant Common prior to the D-Day Invasion in June 1944. The bulk of the American Divisions in the eastern half of South Wales were elements of the V11 Corps commanded by Major General J. Lawton (Lighting Joe) Collins. The GIs stationed at Llantrisant were of the 187th Ordnance Depot Company.

In subsequent years many of our proud sons and daughters of Llantrisant heritage continue to play a role in the armed services. We salute them all.

History

Fallen Freemen

Llantrisant lost many of its residents, including Freemen of the town, in the two world wars and subsequent conflicts. Here are the stories of just two of those fallen heroes

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Private Ivor Jenkins
1894 - 1916

Born in 1894, Ivor, whose sister was married to fish & chip shop owner Isaiah Griffiths, served in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers during the First World War.

At the age of 22, he was mortally wounded in France and died on his return to England. He was buried at Llantrisant Parish Church on July 18, 1916. A memorial was presented to his sister, Jennie Griffiths also of Newbridge Road by the Llantrisant Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Reception Committee.

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Arthur Thomas Williamson
1880 - 1917

Arthur was born in 1880 in Talbot Green, the son of John, a local carpenter of Llantrisant and Elizabeth Williamson (formerly Harriet) of Llantrithyd. During his teenage years Arthur began playing rugby locally for the Llantrisant Stars, later to become known as Llantrisant Rugby Football Club. He is pictured on the left of the 1 XV squad photograph from 1900. Arthur was a Freeman of Llantrisant and was enrolled in May 1906.

During World War I Arthur served with the 11 Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers in the Entente Powers’ Salonika campaign which comprised British, French and later Italian, Serbian and Russian troops. Its objective was to bring relief to Serbia under attack by Austro- Hungarian, German and Bulgarian army by opening a new front and eventually attacking the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the south, through the Balkans.

Arthur passed away on 22 December 1917 at the age of 37 near the small village of Sarigol in northern Greece. It is not known how he died, but it is certain he languished for some time at the British Military Hospital, probably following a gunshot wound. He was buried in the British Military Cemetery in Salonika.