Tavernspite is a small village about six miles southeast of Narberth in the county of Pembrokeshire, which lies on the B4314 road between Princes Gate and Red Roses, close to the border with Carmarthenshire and near to the larger town of Whitland. The village sits in the Lampeter Velfrey community and parish. Tavernspite has no village war memorial, and although it was never noted among the list of ‘Thankful Villages’ who did not suffer the loss of any of their sons or daughters in the Great War of 1914-1918, in recent times there has been mention of Tavernspite being also among them.
However, if you dig a little deeper, then five men can be found who had ties to the village, who died during the Great War of 1914-1918, whilst another man died during the Second World War. Some of these men are commemorated on the War Memorial at Lampeter Velfrey Parish Church, which makes sense seeing as Tavernspite lies within its Parish.
Does the fact that Tavernspite has no war memorial make it a Thankful Village, or does the fact that its local men are commemorated on the Lampeter Velfrey Parish Church memorial nullify that claim?
The Great War, 1914-1918
David John Price Davies, Gunner, RMA/11928, Royal Marine Artillery. David was born on 13 July 1889, the son of David Davies and Eliza Davies (née Price), of Penrheol, Ciffig. The family had moved to 24, Warriner Gardens, Battersea by 1891, and later resided at 186, Battersea Park Road, London. David had trained as a carpenter with his father prior to enlisting into the Royal Marine Artillery in London on 6 February 1907, initially with the rank of Boy. After completing his training, he was granted the rank of Gunner and on 5 January 1909 was posted aboard the pre-dreadnaught battleship HMS Lord Nelson, which was under the command of Rear Admiral Arbuthnot. On 11 January 1911 David left the ship for a brief shore posting, then on 26 April joined the crew of the Drake-class armoured cruiser, HMS King Alfred. He served aboard her until 28 January 1913 when he returned to shore, then had a brief posting aboard HMS Carnarvon and then aboard HMS Bacchante before being posted aboard the Minotaur-class armoured cruiser HMS Defence on 2 September 1913. HMS Defence had been built at Pembroke Dock and was stationed in the Mediterranean at the outbreak of war. Upon her transfer to the First Cruiser Squadron, Defence became the flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Robert Arbuthnot, leading the First Cruiser Squadron. Towards the end of May 1916 the Admiralty received reports that the German High Seas Fleet was putting to sea, so the Grand Fleet was despatched to the North Sea to intercept. The First Cruiser Squadron formed the starboard flank of the cruiser screen, ahead of the main body of the Grand Fleet, with Defence to the right of the centre of the line, when at about 17.50 Defence and HMS Warrior, the leading two ships of the squadron, spotted the German II Scouting Group and opened fire, opening the great naval Battle of Jutland. Not long into the battle, Defence and Warrior began to engage a disabled German light cruiser, SMS Wiesbaden, but were spotted by the German battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger and four other battleships, which opened fire with their huge guns. Defence was hit by two salvoes which detonated her magazines, and the ship exploded at 18:20 with the loss of all hands, some 903 men. David was 27 years old when he was killed in the sinking of HMS Defence that day. He has no known grave but the sea, so is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire.
Arthur George Jacobs, Lance Corporal, 12338, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Arthur, known as George, was born on 31 October 1887, the son of David Jacobs and Elizabeth Jacobs (née Loveluck), of Old Bridge, Llwynbrain, Ciffig. He was educated at Whitland Council School before moving to Tumble to work as a collier and found lodgings at 60, High Street, Tumble. Arthur enlisted at Llanelli into the 8th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers soon after the outbreak of war. The battalion had formed at Wrexham in August, joining 40 Brigade, 13th (Western) Division on Salisbury Plain, then moved to Chisledon in billets. During February 1915 the division moved to Blackdown to complete its training before embarking for the Mediterranean in July 1915 and then sailed from Mudros for Gallipoli, landing at Cape Helles from 16 July. The division was withdrawn back to Mudros at the end of the month before landing at Anzac Cove on 4 August to take part in the great Anzac offensive which opened on 8 August and saw terrible fighting in the coming weeks. George was evacuated from Gallipoli in September, suffering from dysentery, and was hospitalised in Alexandria. Upon recovering he was attached to the Indian forces in Mesopotamia and on 9 April 1916 was wounded. After recuperating in hospital in India, George rejoined the 8th RWF in September that year, by which time the 13th (Western) Division had joined the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force. He then took part in the Divisions fighting at the Battle of Kut al Amara, then at the capture of the Hai Salient and the capture of Dahra Bend, before the Division took part in the passage of the Diyala, in the pursuit of the enemy towards Baghdad. At the beginning of January 1917, the 8th RWF was in reserve at Bassouia Camp, but by 12 January was moved into the front line, where the men began carrying out improvements to the trenches. On 24 January the 8th RWF took part in an assault against the Turkish defences opposite them, gaining some 1,200 yards of trench before digging in and consolidating their gains. George was wounded during the fighting that day and died of his wounds two days later, on 26 January 1917, aged 29. He was originally buried in a trench at Um-as-Saad, together with a number of other men who had been killed during the attack, but after the war their graves were exhumed and re-interred in Amara War Cemetery, Iraq.
William John Phillips, Private, 53991, Welsh Regiment. William was born in 1897, the son of Lewis Phillips and Elizabeth Phillips (née Williams), of Blaengwaith Noah Farm, Lampeter Velfrey. He worked on his fathers farm prior to the war, before enlisting into the 4th (Training) Battalion, Welsh Regiment at Narberth and upon completing his training was drafted to France, joining the 16th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was attached to 115 Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division. The battalion moved to France on 4 December 1915 and moved to the Nursery Sector near Fleurbaix with the division for trench initiation alongside the Guards Division. The Division then held a sector of the line near Cuinchy before marching south to the Somme sector in June 1916 to take part in the assault on Mametz Wood. The first attack on the wood was launched on a two-battalion front on 7 July, but failed, and the Divisional Commander, Sir Ivor Philipps, was replaced before the Division attacked again on a two Brigade front on 10 July 1916. After two days of ferocious hand-to-hand fighting, the wood was cleared up to its northern edge, before the battered Division was relieved. It then took over a section of the front at Hébuterne before moving to the Ypres Salient, and taking over the Canal Bank sector at Boesinghe. The infantry battalions of the Division then began carrying out the normal pattern of rotation in the trenches, four days in the front, four in support and four in reserve, whilst also working on trench improvement, digging new trenches, and also carrying out regular patrols and trench raids. On 31 July 1917 the division assaulted Pilckem Ridge, during the opening offensive of the Third Battle of Ypres, or Passchendaele as it’s better known and successfully captured its objectives. The bulk of the Division was then withdrawn to rest areas, leaving the 15th and 16th Welsh behind to assist the 20th (Light) Division in an attack on Langemarck. William was killed in action during a suicidal attempt to attack the German lines at Langemarck through a barrage on 27 August 1917. The body of the 20-year-old was never recovered, due to the terrible conditions of the Battlefield, and so he is commemorated on the walls of the massive Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. William is commemorated on his parents grave at Glanrhyd Baptist Chapelyard, Tavernspite.
John Wynford Thomas, Private, 29828, South Wales Borderers. John was born on 8 July 1898, the son of Evan Thomas and Sarah Thomas (née Harries), of Gellirenwyn, Lampeter Velfrey. Just prior to the war the family moved to 2, King Edward Street, Whitland. John worked as a Draper prior to enlisting at Cardiff into the South Wales Borderers in May 1917. After completing his basic training he was posted France on 7 July 1917, joining the 6th Battalion, South Wales Borderers, which was the Pioneer Battalion to the 25th Division. John joined the battalion at Ouderdom, from where it was despatching daily working parties for road making duties, in readiness for the forthcoming Passchendaele Offensive, known as the Third Battle of Ypres. When the battle opened, on 31 August, the battalion moved forward to positions at Belgian Chateau, where it continued to supply working parties, under terrible conditions. The 25th Division remained at Ypres for two further months, before moving south to the Bethune sector in the middle of September and began training in the Francquehem area before moving to Beuvry, to commence its work again. John was killed in action here on 31 October 1917, the sole man of the battalion killed that day. The 19-year-old was buried in Gorre British and Indian Cemetery, France. John is commemorated on his parents grave at Glanrhyd Baptist Chapelyard, Tavernspite.
Levi Thomas, Private, 8226, South Wales Borderers. Levi was born in 1883, the son of Daniel Thomas and Jane Thomas (née David), of Cyffig. By 1891 the family was residing at Shop Back, Tavernspite. David worked as a stockman at Tavernspite and then as a Collier prior to enlisting at Pontypridd into the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers (2nd SWB) in 1903 and served with C Company. The 2nd SWB was based in Tientsin in China at the outbreak of war, where it took part in an operation alongside the Japanese army to force the German garrison from Tsingtao. The battalion embarked from Hong Kong on 4 December 1914 for Plymouth. Once back on British soil, it joined 87 Brigade, 29th Division at Rugby. On 17 March 1915 the battalion sailed from Avonmouth aboard the SS Canada for Alexandria, and on 25 April 1915 the entire division landed at Gallipoli. Levi was killed in action during the landings on Gallipoli that day. He was 31 years old, and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial to the missing.
World War Two, 1939-1945
James Edward O’Brien, Sapper, 4208432, Royal Engineers. James, or Jimmy as he was known, was born in 1922, the son of Patrick O’Brien and Fanny O’Brien (née Giles), of Delphin, Cyffig. He served in the 1024 Docks Operating Company, Royal Engineers. The men of the Company consisted of the various trades required to operate a dockyard, crane drivers, forklift drivers, engine drivers and so on. Jimmy was possibly an engine driver with the GWR, which led to his being called up into the Royal Engineers, and he served with them in North Africa, but was posted as missing, believed killed, in Tunisia on 4 August 1943. No trace of the 20-year-old was ever found, so he is commemorated on the Medjez-el-Bab Memorial, 60 km west of Tunisia.