Heyope, or Llanddewi-yn-Heiob, is a community which lies about two and a half miles from Knighton, in Radnorshire, near the River Teme. The area is served by St. David’s Church, next to which is the Victorian Heyope School. The former pupils of the school who served, and those who fell, during the Great War are commemorated on a war memorial which is located in the nave of St. David’s Church. Heyope is famous for the three gold Bronze-Age torcs which were found there in the 1950’s, and which now reside within the National Museum in Cardiff. The memorial Is split into sections: ‘Killed in Action’; ‘Died Since War’; and ‘On His Majesty’s Service’. Below are short biographies of all those who are commemorated in the first two sections on the memorial. Those in the ‘On His Majesty’s Service’ section are listed as per the memorial.
The Great War, 1914-1918
James Davies. James cannot presently be identified, but the memorial lists him under the section ‘Died Since War’.
Thomas Vaughan Griffiths Davies, Private, 77210, Manchester Regiment. Thomas was the son of Ann Davies, of Cwm, Heyhope. He was living at Gorseinon, Swansea prior to the war, where he worked in a Tinplate factory. Thomas served with the 16th Battalion, Manchester Regiment during the war. After being demobilised he returned to Gorseinon, where he died on 22 January 1924, aged 47.
George Ernest Deakins, Private, 493909, Labour Corps. George was the son of John George and Eliza Jane Deakins, of The Castle Inn, Knucklas. He worked as a labourer and as a barman at the Castle Inn prior to the war. George enlisted at Knighton into the army on 26 April 1917, and was placed on the Army Reserve before being mobilised and was initially posted to the 3rd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. He was then transferred to the Labour Corps at Brecon on 11 December 1917, and served with the 569th Agricultural Company, Labour Corps for the rest of the war. George was discharged from the army on 19 February 1919, and returned home to Knucklas, but his health sadly deteriorated and he was sent to Llandrindod Wells Hospital after being diagnosed as suffering from tuberculosis. George died of tuberculosis on 20 January 1921, aged 31, and was buried in St. David’s Churchyard, Heyope.
John George Deakins, Corporal, M/280730, Royal Army Service Corps. John was the son of Samuel Webb Deakins and Sarah Ann Deakins. He worked as a Morocco Dresser for several years prior to becoming a motor engineer at Llandrindod Wells. John enlisted into the 6th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry at Llandrindod Wells on 4 September 1914 and was posted to Shrewsbury Barracks. The battalion formed at Shrewsbury before moving to Aldershot attached to 60 Brigade, 20th (Light) Division, moving to Aldershot and then on to Larkhill in April 1915. John trained as a specialist machine-gunner, before embarking for France with the battalion on 21 July 1915. John suffered wounds in action on 30 June, but was soon back in action, re-joining the battalion on the Somme on 6 July 1916. He saw heavy fighting with the battalion on the Somme during the coming weeks before suffering with his teeth, and by 14 November 1916 was posted to the Infantry Base Depot at Rouen, due to being unfit for duty. He remained there until 17 July 1917, by which time he had been promoted to Corporal, and was then transferred to the Motor Transport Branch, Army Service Corps on 23 July and was posted to No. 2 OSB Repair Shop. He then had a spell at the front with the 583rd Motor Transport Company, before being posted to the Heavy Repair Shop in Italy. John was demobilised on 3 April 1919 and returned home to Knucklas. He died on 18 March 1926, aged 39, and is buried in St. David’s Churchyard, Heyhope, Radnor.
Maurice Lloyd, Private, R/382350, Royal Army Service Corps. Maurice was the son of George and Sarah Lloyd, of Llangynllo. He worked as a farmer prior to the war. Maurice enlisted into the 38th (Welsh) Divisional Royal Field Artillery at Knighton on 26 May 1915 and joined the Divisions artillery units at Porthmadog, where he was posted to B Battery, 121st Brigade, RFA. When the Division embarked for France in December 1915, Maurice remained at home, posted to the 38th Division Reserve Battery, but was then compulsorily transferred to the Army Service Corps Remount Depot at Woolwich Dockyard. Maurice remained on home service until his health began to break down, and he was discharged as medically unfit on 26 July 1918. He returned home, but his health continued to fail him, and Maurice died of tuberculosis on 21 June 1923, aged 33.
Charles Morris, Private, 56827, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Charles was born at Knucklas in 1889, the son of George and Helen Morris. His parents later moved to Woodville Grove, Stowe, where Charles later worked as a coachman. He enlisted at Newtown into the Welsh Horse Yeomanry, but was later transferred to the 25th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, which was in Egypt attached to 231 Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division, having been newly formed from Yeomanry battalions in March 1917. The newly formed 231 Brigade assembled at Khan Yunus during the first week of April 1917 and the division began to relieve other units in the front line, which had been taking part in the First Battle of Gaza, the offensive into Palestine. The battle had been a disaster for the Allies and a second offensive, the Second Battle of Gaza, was planned for 17 April. The 74th Division was held in reserve for the attack, and on 20 April began to advance. Lord Kensington led the 25th RWF forwards under heavy shellfire, and it was soon realised that this second attempt had also failed. Charles was wounded during this move forwards and died of his wounds at the 231st Field Ambulance, Palestine on 24 April 1917, aged 26. He is buried in Gaza War Cemetery.
Ernest Hamilton Price, Private, 25595, Worcestershire Regiment. Ernest was born on 27 July 1896, the son of John James Price and Mary Jane Price, of Llandrindod Wells. Ernest, his brother, and three sisters had come to Knucklas to live with their grandmother Maria Price, at Sunny View as young children, and were educated at Heyope School. Ernest enlisted into the army on 15 November 1915, and served with the 14th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment during the war. On 23 January 1919 he was discharged from the army due to wounds suffered during the final stages of the war, and upon returning to Britain, married Lucy Robins in Dorset on 22 November 1919. The couple set up home in Nutbourne, Hampshire. Ernest died in Westbourne, Sussex on 18 May 1922, aged 25.
Harold Richard Stedman, Sapper, 562662, Royal Engineers. Harold was born on 7 January 1888, the son of Charles Menlove Stedman and Laura Caroline Stedman, of Heartsease, Radnor. He worked as an electrician for the Buenos Aries Western Railway Company in Argentina prior to the war. Harold then returned to Britain and enlisted into the London Electrical Engineers, Royal Engineers (Territorial Force) in London on 7 January 1914. Following the outbreak of war, he was mobilised, but remained on home service until embarking for France on 24 August 1915. Harold served on the Western Front until 20 January 1916 when he embarked for Salonika, and then served in Egypt and Cyprus until 8 May 1918, when his health began to break down. He was diagnosed as suffering from Tuberculosis and was discharged from the army as medically unfit on 15 June 1918. Harold had married Daisy Eggleton, a Clerk, from Battersea, on 25 May 1918, just prior to his discharge and the couple sailed for Argentina where Harold resumed work at the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s Department, in Alta Gracia, Cordoba. His failing health forced him back to England and after disembarking at Liverpool on 14 August 1920, the couple came to live at Sunnyside, Knucklas. Harold died of tuberculosis on 17 September 1920, aged 32. He is buried in St. David’s Churchyard, Heyope.
Ernest John Webb, Driver, T3/028078, Royal Army Service Corps. Ernest was born at Heyope, Knighton on 10 May 1889, the son of William Webb and Naomi Webb (nee Griffiths). He was educated at Heyhope School before becoming a Carpenter and by 1911 the family had moved to the Colony, Stonewall Hill, Norton. Ernest enlisted at Shrewsbury into the Army Service Corps on 7 November 1914 and was posted to France on 8 September 1915, where he became attached to the Royal Army Medical Corps. On 20 November 1917 he was with a group of men watering horses at Hersin when the Germans began shelling the area and a shell exploded over the men, killing them all. Ernest was 28 years old when he was killed that day, and is buried in Hersin Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
The Full Memorial Detail
1914-1918
HEYOPE SCHOOL
ROLL OF
HONOUR
Killed in action
Ernest Webb. R.A.M.C. Charles Morris, W.H.
Died since War
James Davies. Harold Stedman, E.E.
George E. Deakins, D.C. Maurice Lloyd, R.F.A.
Thomas V.G. Davies, R.W.F. Ernest Price, Pion.
On His Majesty’s Service
Beaumont, Herbert, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Davies, Arthur, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Davies, David, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Davies, James
Davies, Percy, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Davies, William, Royal Army Medical Corps
Deakins, John G., King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
Deakins, John, Royal Monmouth Royal Engineers
Evans, Eddie, Royal Engineers
Evans, Harry, Monmouth Regiment
Evans, John, Hereford Regiment
Evans, Kenneth W., Royal Army Medical Corps
Evans, Phil A., Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Evans, Richard, MM., Welsh Horse
Hamar, G. I., Hereford Regiment
Jones, Stanley, Rifle Brigade
Joseph, William, Welsh Horse
Lewis, Arthur, Royal Field Artillery
Lewis, Evan, Montgomery Yeomanry
Lloyd, George, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Morris, Arthur, Army Service Corps
Morris, Bryan, Army Service Corps
Powell, Victor, Army Service Corps
Price, Wilfred, Royal Field Artillery
Pugh, Cecil, Army Service Corps
Pugh, Harold, Montgomery Yeomanry
Pugh, John
Reynolds, Charles, Royal Engineers
Reynolds, Frank, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Sayce, Bert, Royal Field Artillery
Sayce, Henry, Army Service Corps
Stedman, Frank, US Army Air Force
Stedman, Walter, Hereford Regiment
Thomas, Cyril
Thomas, Edward, Welsh Horse
Tudge, James, Royal Field Artillery
Webb, Sydney, Australian Imperial Force
Williams, Franklin