Our August meeting was our “away day”. I led a party of 20 around Rhyl Town Cemetery, visiting Great War graves & telling their stories. We were greeted with warm, sunny conditions. Our first stop was at the memorial stone of the Beech family where Eddie Beech was commemorated.
(John Edward “Eddie”Beech)
He was born in Rhyl in 1896. He lived with his parents Edward & Mary at 14 Clwyd Street. They had a large glassware & china shop in the town. Eddie later moved to London where he was an apprentice gentleman's outfitter. He enlisted in Holborn, into the 15th RWF, the 1st London Welsh. He was killed in action on the 22nd July 1916. He is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial.
Our next stop was at the grave of Trooper Francis Leo Dobbin of the Denbighshire Hussars Yeomanry. He was born in Rhyl in 1895. He died from typhoid fever while on training duties in East Anglia.
Next to Francis is the grave of William Edward Davies. He was born in Rhyl in 1889. He lived with his parents Edward & Mary at 8 Windsor Street. He was a barman. He enlisted in Rhyl into the 8th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He suffered a gun shot wound to the head. He died on the 13th February 1919 as a result of his wound. I have his medals & placed them at the foot of his headstone, where photographs were taken to mark the occasion.
William's Headstone & medals.
Next to William was the memorial stone of the Byrne family where 2 brothers, Francis & Hugh were commemorated. Francis enlisted into the 17th Battalion Manchester Regiment (the Manchester Pals). He was killed in action on the 1st July 1916. His brother Hugh enlisted into the 9th Welsh Regiment. He was killed in action on the 17th April 1918. We then visited the grave of James Owen Jones. He was born in Rhyl in 1882. He was a corporal in the Royal Engineers. He died of a haemorrhage of the lungs on the 4th January 1916. His headstone was replaced in 2021after the CWGC issued an appeal to trace his relatives. I managed to contact a family member. Despite requests to be informed on a new commemoration I heard nothing but at least his headstone has been replaced.
David Shepherd took us to the memorial to one of his relatives, Arthur Osborne. He was born in Toxteth, Liverpool on the 2nd February 1890. He lived with his parents Marcus & mary at 27 Prince William Street, Toxteth. He married Esther Jones from Holywell, on the 17th November 1912. He enlisted into the 13th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment. He was later transferred to the 8th Battalion. He was killed in action on the 11th September 1918. He is commemorated on Vis-En-Artois Memorial. He is commemorated in Rhyl due to his widow Esther later moving to Rhyl.
We also Visited the grave of Harry Weale who was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was born in Shotton, Flintshire on the 2nd October 1897. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on the 26th August 1918. At Bazentin-Le-Grand he was ordered to deal with some hostile posts. When his Lewis gun failed he rushed the nearest post, killing all the machine gun crew. He made for the next post but the enemy fled before him. He later moved to Rhyl where he died on the 13th January 1959.