Cecelia Mildred (Cissie) Owens (née Smith)

Place of birth: Swansea

Service: Mother

Death: 1966, Swansea, Cause not known

Notes: Cecelia and her husband Hubert Owens moved to the United States in 1909, together with their two sons Ronald and Reginald. She and the boys were returning to Wales on the Lusitania, together with her brother Alfred Smith, his wife Elizabeth and their children Helen [qv] and baby Hubert. Both sets of parents and children were separated after the explosion, and Cecelia and her niece Helen were the only survivors. Helen was rescued by a Canadian journalist, while Cecelia, who could swim, stayed afloat with the aid of a lifebelt and was rescued by a fishing boat after some hours in the water. She was recognised by Helen at the hotel in Queenstown, Ireland, where the survivors were taken. Cecelia returned to the United States with her husband, but they came back to Swansea during the 1930s.

Sources: https://www.garemaritime.com/lusitania-part-4-families/http://www.rmslusitania.info/people/second-cabin/cecelia-owens/

Reference: WaW0294

Cecelia and Hubert Owens

Cecelia and Hubert Owens photographed in Pennsylvania. Gare Maritime, Courtesy of Carol Keeler.

Ronald and Reginald Owens, Helen Smith

Photograph of Ronald and Reginald Owens, and their cousin Helen Smith. Gare Maritime, Courtesy of Carol Keeler.

Newspaper report

Part of a report of Cecelia Owens’s experiences on the Lusitania. Cambrian Daily Leader 11th May 1915.

Minnie Pallister

Place of birth: Kilkhampton, Cornwall

Service: Teacher, activist, writer

Death: 1960, Cause not known

Notes: Minnie Pallister was born in Cornwall in 1885, and was educated at Cardiff university, after which she became a teacher in Bryn Mawr. She was elected president of the Monmouthshire Federation of the Independent Labour Party just before the outbreak of War in 1914. She was renowned as a speaker on peace and the Labour movement, and was the national organiser in Wales of the No Conscription Fellowship. She was also an accomplished pianist, accompanying the Brynmawr Ladies Choral Society and others in fund-raising concerts for the Red Cross.

Reference: WaW0230

Minnie Pallister

Minnie Pallister, teacher, activist, writer

Newspaper report

Report of Minnie Pallister’s appointment as Monmouthshire ILP President, Llais Llafur 1st August 1914

Notice of meeting

Notice of meeting in Merthyr, 18th September 1915.

Newspaper report

Report of a lecture by Minnie Pallister, the Pioneer 27th May 1916

Janet Parry

Place of birth: Newtown

Service: Nurse (Sister), TFNS, 1914 - 1919

Notes: Before the War Nurse Parry worked at Heswall Hospital, Wirral. After a spell working in the First Western General Hospital (Fazackerly Hospital), Liverpool, she served on HMHS Mauretania, sailing to and from Egypt several times. On arrival in Egypt the second time, she wrote home “I can't say that I am in any way struck with Egyptian life, and the food, oh dear! I suppose you get used to it. ... ‘. She later served in France and was awarded the Royal Red Cross in January 1919.

Sources: Montgomeryshire Express, Montgomeryshire County Times

Reference: WaW0149

Louisa Parry

Place of birth: Holyhead

Service: Stewardess

Death: 1918-10-10, RMS Leinster, Drowning / Boddi

Memorial: War memorial, Holyhead, Anglesey

Notes: aged 22. RMS Leinster was torpedoed in the Irish Sea. LP died together with Hannah Owen

Sources: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=15368549

Reference: WaW0042

Holyhead War Memorial

Name of Louisa Parry on Holyhead War Memorial

Welsh National Book of Remembrance

Name of Louisa Parry in the Welsh National Book of Remembrance

Louisa Parry

Place of birth: Holyhead

Service: Stewardess, CPSPCo, 1914 - 1918

Death: 1918/10/10, RMS Leinster, Drowning/Boddi

Memorial: War Memorial, Holyhead, Anglesey

Notes: aged 22. RMS Leinster was torpedoed in the Irish Sea. LP died together with Hannah Owen.

Sources: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?/topic/3929-wanted-photos-nationwide/&page=19

Reference: WaW0042

Holyhead War Memorial

Name of Louisa Parry on Holyhead War Memorial

Welsh National Book of Remembrance

Name of Louisa Parry in the Welsh National Book of Remembrance

Queenie Parry

Place of birth: Ebbw Vale ?

Service: Nurse, Munitions worker, VAD, March 1915 – May 1918 Mawrth

Notes: Queenie was originally a member of Ebbw Vale VAD, but transferred to Maindiff Court Hospital Abergavenny. She worked there as a night nurse on £20 p.a. She then moved to work in munitions at Rotherwas, Hereford. She offered to come back to Maindiff Court if needed.rn

Reference: WaW0424

Red Cross record card

Record of Queenie Parry’s VAD work.

Red Cross record card [reverse]

Reverse of Queenie Parry’s card with details of her move to munitions.

D Parry Jones

Place of birth: Ystrad Mynach ?

Service: Munitions worker

Memorial: Bethania-Siloh Calvnistic Methodist Chapel, Ystrad Mynach, Glamorgan

Notes: D Parry Jones’s name appears on the Roll of Honour.

Reference: WaW0156

Roll of Honour

Name of D Parry Jones Munitions on Roll of Honour Bethania-Siloh CM Chapel Ystrad Mynach

Doris Patterson

Place of birth: Swansea

Service: Munitions Worker

Notes: Aged 34. Doris Patterson witnessed the explosion that killed Gwenllian Williams and Eleanor Thomas, and was uninjured although she was only 'two yards away'.

Reference: WaW0095

Witness account of explosion

Newspaper account: Doris Patterson's witness account of explosion, South Wales Daily Post 18 January 1919

Gladys Paynter-Williamson

Place of birth: Margam

Service: Nurse, QAIMNSR, 1914/08/05 - 1919/ 08/24

Death: 1936, Carcinoma

Notes: Gladys trained as a nurse at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. Her father was the Vicar of Margam. As a reservist, she was called up in August 1914. Initially she served in war hospitals in England, but in 1917 she was sent to France (Etaples), and after the Armistice to Bonn in Germany. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross in February 1917. She seems to have been a solitary person; she had to ask for financial assistance when she developed cancer in 1934, and on her death her record states ‘Miss Paynter-Williamson does not appear to have any relations with whom she had kept in touch’.

Reference: WaW0401

Newspaper report

Report of Gladys Paynter-Williamson’s award of the Royal Red Cross. Cambria Daily Leader 11th April 1917.

Medical report

Doctor’s letter passing Gladys Paynter-Williamson as fit for overseas service. 27th July 1917.

QAIMNS gratuity claim form

Gratuity claim form for Gladys Paynter-Williamson.

Violet Pearce

Place of birth: Swansea

Service: Booking clerk, NWR

Death: November 1918, Swansea, Influenza / y ffliw

Notes: Violet Pearce was a booking clerk at Swansea Victoria Station when she died of Spanish Influenza in early November 1918.

Reference: WaW0373

Newspaper report

Report of the death of Violet Pearce. Cambrian Daily Leader 5th November 1918.