Lest we forget

Remembrance Sunday approaches. This year, much has been done to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of WW1. In Pembrokeshire, history societies like ourselves have been researching and gathering material in a concerted effort to bring to light as much as possible about the impact of that tragic war in our area and the stories of the people involved in it.

In February, we made a start by organising a highly successful commemorative event which was very well attended and involved other local heritage groups including Pembroke Civic Trust and West Wales Maritime Heritage Society. Work has continued and we are now to hold a follow up event on Saturday, November 1, in Pembroke Town Hall, an event supported by Pembroke Town Council.

The Pembroke Project

In the Main Hall of Pembroke Town Hall we have an exhibition of photographs and memories; this we have added to throughout the past months and it will be brought up to date for the event. Other groups will display material of their own and there will be additional displays of artefacts.

We have two speakers during the course of the morning. George Lewis will begin proceedings by giving a talk about the Painters of WW1, while Alice Pyper from the Dyfed Archaeological Trust will update us on the Trust's work of investigating WW1 sites around Pembrokeshire. She will be demonstrating how you can get involved in this work, should you wish. As a history society, we hold many events, some of them purely social (which helps raise funds), but research is an important part of our work. We need the contribution of the community in this and indeed all aspects of research into Pembroke's past. A great example of this has been the recently published Through My Eyes: a community history of Pembroke and Monkton, a major work of original material which has provided us also with a unique archive of oral history.

A coffee morning will run throughout the event - beginning 9.45 and ending at 12.30 during which time there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and examine the displays. Money raised will go towards Pembroke Museum.

Adding to the story

We are always on the lookout for new material so please bring in any information you may have and, during the course of the morning on November 1, we will have scanning equipment on hand to scan photographs brought to the event.

Here is a recent contribution to our WW1 project. The information and photographs were given to us by Meg Hardy and concerns the parts played be her grandparents during the time of the First World War.

Olive Jeremiah

Meg showed me a photograph of her grandmother and told me: "My grandmother was Mrs. Olive Jeremiah. A Canon's daughter, she was married to Alfred Saunders Jeremiah the Vicar of St. Michaels and All Angels Church, Castlemartin, from 1912-35. She became Commandant of the British Red Cross at the Military Hospital, Pembroke Dock, during WW1 caring for the wounded who were returning by ship from the battlefields."

To give a bit of background here, the Pembrokeshire Red Cross Society was formed in 1907 under the presidency of Lady Cawdor and a few years later, in 1911, the society committee was asked to provide Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs) to staff the hospital at Pembroke Dock in the event of war. The VAD was formed in August 1909 because of concern for nursing shortages should there be war and it was to fill this wartime need that the voluntary aid detachment nurses and assistants were recruited. It was decided that the county should be divided into districts, each with its own president, vice-president and hon. secretary.

Meg continued: "My grandmother was Red Cross Commandant of Castlemartin VAD. She joined the Stackpole-Lambton working group during the early days of the war when the service was organising itself to deal with the wounded and convalescent soldiers.

"Olive served in military hospitals in South Pembrokeshire and had 64 Red Cross nurses under her supervision. Following the outbreak of war, VADs were being trained in ever increasing numbers and her duties involved coordinating recruitment, and ensuring the smooth running of her hospitals and quality of nursing care."

She added that Olive Jeremiah was well-respected by the local people of Castlemartin who dedicated a credence table to her memory in the church. She received medals for her remarkable service during the First World War which Meg donated to British Red Cross.

Rev. Alfred Saunders Jeremiah

Meg also told me about her grandfather, the Rev. Alfred Saunders Jeremiah, and brought in a magazine article (no details available) which described the naval activity in the Haven and the demise of the steamship Ionian. On October 20, 1917, Ionian sailed from Milford Haven but was torpedoed two miles west off St. Govan's Head and drifted ashore near Huntsman's Leap. Whilst all 160 men escaped the stricken ship, one of the lifeboats overturned as it attempted to land. Six out of the 22 men drowned and the survivors were taken to the hospital at Pembroke Dock where Olive Jeremiah was the British Red Cross Commandant. The Ionian crew members who perished were buried at Castlemartin churchyard.

"A few years ago," Meg told me, "I was arranging flowers at the church when a gentleman, who had travelled down from Liverpool in the search for family graves, came to me to ask if I knew of any history. So I accompanied him to the grave of his relative who had perished on the Ionian. Just chatting, I explained that my grandfather had conducted the funeral service assisted by Father Daniel, of the Roman Catholic Church, Pembroke Dock. He stated that he was so comforted at hearing what had taken place.

"My grandfather Rev. A. S. Jeremiah, also decided the siting of the Memorial Cross at Freshwater West. It was built by the Lambton Family, of Brownslade, and its inscription is dedicated 'to all who made the ultimate sacrifice'. Its setting is unique. Although at one time rather neglected, the British Legion does care for it now and holds a Remembrance Service each year."

Contact

If you have any stories, photographs or feedback for this column, please contact me, Linda Asman, on 01646 622428, email [email protected]">[email protected] and visit our website http://www.pembrokeandmonkonhistory.org.uk">www.pembrokeandmonkonhistory.org.uk

Next Event

Friday, November 7 - visit to Narberth Museum. If you are interested please contact me.

Friday, November 21 - quiz night and social at Monkton Church Hall, 7.30 pm. £4 includes buffet.