Violet Williams

Place of birth: Wrexham

Service: Child

Death: 1916/03/09, Moss, Wrexham, Explosion / Ffrwydrad

Memorial: Holy Trinity Church, Gwersyllt, Wrexham, Denbighshire

Notes: Violet, aged seven, died when a souvenir shell brought home by her uncle exploded, killing or fatally injuring her and her three cousins. Her uncle Private John Bagnall was seriously injured as well as her aunts Mary Bagnall and Sarah Roberts. The children were buried in two graves in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Gwersyllt, where a memorial to the four girls was dedicated in March 2016.

Sources: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wrexham-remembers-four-children-killed-11027982

Reference: WaW0218

Newspaper report

Report of the shell explosion that killed four girls and injured three adults, North Wales Chronicle 10th March 1916.

Newspaper report

Report of the explosion giving the names of the victims.

Newspaper report

Memorial to Sarah Bagnall, Ethel Roberts, Mary Roberts and Violet Williams at Holy Trinity Churchyard, Gwersyllt, dedicated March 2016.

Florence Valentine Johnstone

Place of birth: Newport

Service: Munitions worker, 1916 - 1918

Death: 1918/02/05, Coventry, explosion / ffrwydrad

Memorial: St Woolos Cemetery, Newport, Monmouthshire

Notes: Florence Johnstone was born in 1893 shortly after her parents had moved from Scotland to Newport. In 1916 she moved to Coventry to work in one of the munitions factories there. In January 1918 she was promoted to charge hand, but on 5th February a fuse exploded in her hand and she was killed. Her body was brought back to Newport, where her gravestone has recently been discovered in St Woolos cemetery. Thanks to Pete Strong and Sylvia Mason.

Reference: WaW0375

Gravestone

Recently discovered gravestone including the name of Florence Johnstone ‘killed on war service’.

Dorothy Mary Watson

Service: Munitions Worker

Death: 1917:07:31 , NEF Pembrey, Explosion / Ffyrwydrad

Memorial: Cenotaph, Swansea, Glamorgan

Notes: aged 19. Died in an 'unexplained' explosion with Mildred Owen and two male workers.

Sources: Funeral / Angladd South Wales Daily Post 11 August / Awst 1917; Inquest/Cwest The Carmarthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser 24th August / Awst 1917

Reference: WaW0062

Swansea Cenotaph

Name of Dorothy Mary Watson on Swansea Cenotaph

Grave of Dorothy Mary Watson

Grave of Dorathy Mary Watson Dan-y-Graig Cemetery, Swansea

Newspaper report

Report of the funeral of Dorothy Mary Watson and Mildred Owen.

Newspaper Report

Report of inquest into the deaths of Dorothy Mary Watson and Mildred Owen.

Dorothy Mary Watson

Mary’s photograph was collected by the Women’s Subcommittee of the Imperial War Museum as part of its collection of women who died during the War.

Mildred Owen

Service: Munitions Worker

Death: 1917:07:31 , NEF Pembrey, Explosion / Ffyrwydriad

Memorial: Cenotaph, Swansea, Glamorgan

Notes: aged 18. Died at the same time as Dorothy Mary Watson.

Sources: Funeral / angladd South Wales Daily Post 11 August / Awst 1917; Inquest / Cwest The Carmarthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser 24th August / Awst1917

Reference: WaW0039

Swansea Cenotaph

name of Mildred Owen on Swansea Cenotaph

Newspaper report

Report of the funeral of Mildred Owen and Dorothy Mary Watson.

Newspaper Report

Report of inquest into the deaths of Mildred Owen and Dorothy Mary Watson.

Caroline Maud Edwards

Place of birth: Newport

Service: Nursing Sister, QARNNS

Death: 1915/12/30, HMS Natal, Cromart, Explosion/Ffrwydrad

Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial, Chatham, Kent

Notes: Sister Edwards was serving on HMHS Drina, but was visiting HMS Natal with others to see a Christmas film. She died with at least 400 others in an unexplained explosion.

Sources: http://www.northern-times.co.uk/Opinion/Stones-Throw/The-little-known-tragedy-of-HMS-Natal-07112012.htm

Reference: WaW0091

Caroline Edwards's name on Chatham Naval Memorial

Name of Caroline Edwards, QARNNS, on Chatham Naval Memorial..

Maud Edwards

Maud Edwards in QARNNS uniform

Mary Fitzmaurice

Service: Munitions Worker

Death: 1918-11-18, NEF Pembrey, Explosion/Ffrwydrad

Memorial: Cenotaph, Swansea, Glamorgan

Notes: aged 36, mother of seven children. She was killed in the same explosion as Edith Copham and Jane Jenkins; MF and EEC shared a public funeral.

Sources: Explosion report Herald of Wales 14th December 1914 / Adroddiad am y ffrwydrad Herald of Wales 14eg Rhagfyr 1914

Reference: WaW0020

Swansea Cenotaph

Name of Mary Fitzmaurice on Swansea Cenotaph

Newspaper report

Report of Funeral of Mary Fitzmaurice and Edith E Copham

Newspaper report

Explosion report Herald of Wales 14th December 1918

Eleanor (or Sarah Jane) Thomas

Place of birth: Cwmbwrla

Service: Munitions Worker

Death: 1919-01-08, NEF Pembrey, Explosion/Ffrwydrad

Memorial: Cenotaph, Swansea, Glamorgan

Notes: aged 20. 'Evidence showed that the explosion occurred when Gwenllian Williams was drilling out a screw from a shell. Eleanor Thomas was carrying in a shell at the time of the explosion.'

Sources: http://newspapers.library.wales/search?query=gwenllian&page=14; The Carmarthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser

Reference: WaW0059

Swansea Cenotaph

Name of Eleanor Thomas on Swansea Cenotaph

War memorial

Name of Eleanor Thomas on the war memorial at St Stephen's church Swansea.

Gwenllian (Gwendoline) Williams

Place of birth: Kidwelly

Service: Munitions worker

Death: 1919-01-08, Explosion/Ffrwydrad

Notes: aged 21. Evidence showed that the explosion occurred when Gwenllian Williams was drilling out a screw from a shell. Eleanor Thomas was carrying in a shell at the time of the explosion.'

Sources: http://newspapers.library.wales/search?query=gwenllian&page=14; The Carmarthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser

Reference: WaW0065

Newspaper report

Newspaper report of the death of Gwenllian (Gwendoline) Williams

Catherine Anne Carroll (née Rees)

Place of birth: Swansea

Service: Munitions worker, Not known / anhysbys

Death: 1918/10/21, Swansea, Gas gangrene / Madredd nwy

Notes: Catherine, mother of four children, was a munitions worker in Swansea. According to her grandson she ‘fell from a tram injuring her leg and as a result got gangrene because of the working conditions in the munitions factory. She died 21.10.1918.’ Her husband. Pte William Carroll died in hospital in Egypt just over a month later. The children were brought up by their grandparents. Thanks to Roger Latch.

Reference: WaW0355

Catherine Carroll and Family

Catherine Carroll with her children May, Ted William and baby Betty. October 1914. Thanks to Roger Latch

Newspaper photograph

Photograph and report of death of Pte William Carroll. South Wales Weekly Post 23rd November 1918.

Emily Frost Phipps

Place of birth: Devonport

Service: Teacher, activist, barrister

Death: 1943, Heart disease / Clefyd y galon

Notes: Born November 1865 and the daughter of a dockyard coppersmith, Emily Phipps worked her way from pupil teacher to headmistress of Swansea Municipal Girls’ School in 1895. She was an active feminist, boycotting the 1911 census with her partner Clara Neal (and three others, staying in a sea-cave overnight), was President of the National Union of Women Teachers 1915, 1916 and 1917, and was the editor of the Union journal. She promoted professional careers for girls, shocking some in March 1914 by suggesting that they could become dentists. Emily Phipps stood for Parliament, for Chelsea, in the 1918 election, one of only two women in Wales to stand. She later studied for the bar, and became a barrister in 1925.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Frost_Phipps

Reference: WaW0247

Emily Frost Phipps

Emily Phipps in academic dress

Newspaper headline

Headline to report of Emily Phipps’s speech at Municipal Secondary Schools Prizegiving, 20th March 1914. Cambrian Daily Leader 21st March 1914rnrn

Newspaper report

Report on women candidates’ results in the 1918 General Election. Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard 3rd January 1919.rn