Coastal connections

First World War activities took place in the waters around Wales, involving merchant ships, the Royal Navy and civilians. Three examples are provided here.

Seaman William Williams VC, DSM and Bar, of Amlwch, Anglesey, was serving as a Royal Navy Reservist when he was awarded the Victoria Cross medal for his part in the sinking of a German U-boat which had attacked the ‘Q-ship’ HMS Pargust on 7 June 1917 in the Atlantic ocean. Q-ships were converted merchant ships armed with concealed guns to lure U-boats into making surface attacks, at which point they could be attacked by the guns. A new memorial stone to honour his efforts was unveiled in Amlwch during a ceremony marking the centenary of the attack in 2017. Towards the end of the war there were two maritime loses in the Irish Sea and coastal waters around Wales within days of each other. On 4 October 1918 the Japanese merchant ship Hirano Maru was sunk south of Ireland by a German U-boat, despite being in an escorted convoy. The ship was en route to Yokohama from Liverpool. Over 300 were on board, but only 29 survived. Ten Japanese sailors were buried at Angle, Pembrokeshire. The 2018 centenary commemoration saw the unveiling of a new obelisk at St Mary’s churchyard, Angle, on 4 October 2018. The commemoration ceremony was attended by HRH The Duke of Gloucester and Japanese and local dignitaries. The memorial includes a trilingual inscription in Japanese, Welsh and English.

Right: Medal group of Seaman William Williams VC, including his Victoria Cross © Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales Opposite page: Seaman William Williams VC © Kenneth Williams Collection, courtesy of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales Only a week later, on 10 October 1918, the royal mail ship RMS Leinster was bound for Holyhead, carrying over 700 civilian passengers, crew, military personnel and postal workers. The ship was torpedoed by a German submarine with the loss of over 500 lives, including people from Ireland, Britain, Canada, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. It was the worst loss of life in the Irish Sea. In October 2018, commemorative events were held in Dún Laoghaire attended by the then First Minister Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM, and at Holyhead, attended by Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism.