War Memorials in Anglesey
War Memorials on Anglesey in North Wales – The lasting tributes to our brave men and women that gave up their lives for Freedom.
Anglesey, Holyhead War Memorial
As with most villages and towns in the United Kingdom, on Anglesey we have erected memorials to the brave men and women who gave their lives in two world wars. Many war memorials are to be found in the village and town squares or greens, others on a plaque – or a window – in the churches or the chapels.
Some memorials are to individuals belonging to the Anglesey Gentry, and are quite elaborate, e.g. the Town Clock at Llangefni, dedicated to a life lost in the Boer War. There is a spectacular individual memorial in Llansadwrn Churchyard, again to a life lost during the Boer War, which I find amazing.
As with the rest of Great Britain during the great war and WWII, Anglesey gave up its youth to defend the right of freedom in the face of oppression, and because Anglesey has such a merchant naval tradition we also lost older men and women of ages that would not normally serve in the Forces. Many did not return, and these cold concrete or marble memorials are all that is left of their memory. We see these memorials in the towns, we see them in the villages, and we see them in the chapels and the churches, and I will, because I have photographed many Church and Chapel memorials, put high resolution images on the relevant village or town memorial pages.
Lives of Anglesey men and women were snuffed out in far off lands, like so many candles extinguished, proof that war is such a disgraceful and evil waste of life. Husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters, all with their futures stolen from them.
There are personal tragedies, such as the three Thomas brothers of Brynddu, Llanfechell. And the fallen were not restricted just to the working classes, Major R.G.Williams Bulkeley M.C. Welsh Guards, remembered on the Beaumaris memorial, wais a member of one of the premier families of Anglesey.
To their eternal memory, I would like to add their names and other details, in loving memory of these men, women, boys and girls who “gave their tomorrows for our todays”. So proudly they marched off in their ignorance of the carnage and horror that lay ahead. God bless them all.
Some of the graves that we find in chapel and church graveyards are of servicemen and women who have either been wounded and sent home, or contracted a disease abroad and again been sent home, only to subsequently pass away. Sometimes World War casualties have a Commonwealth
Gwalchmai and the surrounding areas on Anglesey are quite rural and yet quite populous in Anglesey terms. During World War One (WWI) most men would have worked on the land. Gwalchmai has one of the finest war memorials on the Island, a clock tower similar to the
The village of Gaerwen on Anglesey has a most impressive Celtic Cross War Memorial, upon which is engraved the names of the servicemen that died as a result of enemy action in World war One (WWI). A later stone plaque was added to the plinth with the
Cemaes Bay War Memorial on the island of Anglesey is quite difficult to see as it is directly behind a bus stop. That said, it is a lovely, well-kept memorial to the wonderful men that paid the ultimate price for our freedom during WWI and WWII. It
In the graveyard of Hebron Calvinistic Methodist Chapel in Bryngwran on Anglesey are a couple of memorials to world war casualties, which I have shown below in high-resolution images.
In the churchyard of the Holy Trinity Church in Bryngwran on Anglesey, there are several casualties of the world wars mentioned on graves, and some are actually buried there. I cannot say for definite that this is the full list, but I did have a good look.
Bryngwran War Memorial stands in a prominent position on the High Street. The old parish name for Bryngwran was Llechylched, and you may see that name on the Commonwealth War graves Commission website results when you are looking for casualties details. In the churchyard of the Holy
Bryn Du is in a very rural location on the Isle of Anglesey, close to both Llanfaelog and Rhosneigr. The War Memorial is located in a small cemetery close to Bryn Du Chapel.
In the churchyard of Heneglwys Church in Bodfford, there are a row of three commonwealth war graves commission memorials to three aircrews who died – probably in accidents – whilst based at RAF Valley. Inside the church is a memorial to Lance Corporal William Arthur Lloyd-Jones who
Bodedern is a rural village on the Island of Anglesey. The War Memorial is on the front wall of the village community hall. When time permits I will do my best to present as much personal information as I can about the brave men and women from
