A Pembrokeshire soldier, who gave his life in the Great War, is to be honoured at Belgium's Menin Gate on November 11 - the 84th anniversary of his death.

George Elwyn Davies, of Templeton, is the first local soldier to have his name read out in an event to commemorate the 25,000th sounding of the Last Post at Menin Gate, Ypres, an event which has occurred daily since 1929.

The Last Post Committee decided that each day in the year from October 31, 2001, the name of one soldier should be read out on the anniversary of their death. The biographies of two soldiers from the area were submitted and later accepted.

George Elwyn Davies's name will be read out on November 11, 2001, and the name of William John Lewis, of Ludchurch, on June 17, 2002.

Elwyn Davies, as he was familiarly known, was one of five children to Mr. and Mrs. William Davies, of Bryn-Mor Farm.

Born in 1895, Elwyn later attended Templeton Council School in 1900 where, coincidently, his descendants, great-great-niece and nephew, Rhodri and Leah Davies, attend today.

He went on to become one of Narberth's youngest shopkeepers, operating a successful butchers shop in Sheep Street (now St. James Street).

In 1916, aged just 23, Elwyn joined the Lancashire Fusilier Regiment. Here he met up with old school friends, Privates Jack Evans and William Bower Stephens.

Stephens, however, went missing when the battalion was in the trenches at Givenchy in, April 1917 and his body was never found.

Elwyn took part in the battle of Poelcappele in October 1917 and was later moved to the Ypres salient at Passchendale.

On November 11, Elwyn died at a casualty clearing station, from wounds he received to his abdomen, thigh and arm.

Only days prior to his death, Elwyn wrote his final letter to reassure his worry-stricken parents, ending it with a moving "Goodbye and best Love". Almost a premonition of his fate to come.

Elwyn was laid to rest at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium, with his name being commemorated on not only Narberth's war memorial, but on memorials at St. Johns Church, Templeton UR Chapel and Molleston Baptist Chapel.

The research for the Last Post Committee was carried out at the Wilson Museum, Narberth, by volunteers Mary Jones and Tom Thomas.

Initially Mary, a member of the Western Front Society in Carmarthen, became interested in World War One in a bid to discover more about her grandfather who fought in the Great War.

Further inspired by Siegfried Sassoon's 1920 poem 'Aftermath', she decided to discover the stories behind the names on Narberth's war memorial.

As a result of local interest, the project has grown and is still continuing.

Today, many of Elwyn's family are still alive in Pembrokeshire. His nephew, also named Elwyn Davies, of St. Davids, mentioned how he felt honoured by his uncle's remembrance in Ypres.

Also, his nephew William Davies still lives in the area.

Researchers at the museum are still continuing with the research and hope to build up a larger picture behind the names on the war memorial.

Pauline Griffiths, the museum's curator, would appreciate public help to contribute to the project.

She said: "We would like to have a collection of photographs and other artefacts of people who not only fought overseas, but also remained at home during the First World War.

"We would like to build up a clear picture of what the Home Front was like and include the efforts of everyone, like nurses, for example. This research could then be used to assist school projects and provide people with first-hand evidence."

Anyone with information, photographs and other memorabilia from the First World War, is asked to contact Pauline Griffiths at the Wilson Museum, Narberth, on 01834 861719.