As the Second Battalion of the South Wales Borderers (2SWB) advanced on the Siegfried Line on 20 November 1917, on the first day of the Battle of Cambrai, Lt Christy James, aged 35, was struck in the head by a machine gun bullet. The War Diaries of 2SWB note that he died of his wounds on 22 November. He lies near to where he fell in Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt. In civilian life he was a solicitor born and bred and working in Merthyr Tydfil. His death was to result in a permanent legacy for the communities of Llangattock and Crickhowell.
How did this come to pass?
Family Background
Gwilym Christopher (Christy) Bowring James (above) was born in Merthyr in 1882. His family had a
substantial presence in the community. His grandfather, Charles Herbert James, had been the Liberal Member of Parliament for the Merthyr Boroughs. His father, Gwilym James, was a partner in the firm Gwilym James, Llewellyn & Co based at 51-53 High Street Merthyr. His father had practiced as a solicitor for almost fifty years. He was a well-known authority on mineral law and legal adviser to several colliery companies in South Wales. He was a JP and Commissioner for Oaths. A former Sheriff of Monmouthshire and member of Merthyr District Council, he was the military representative for the Crickhowell and Brynmawr Districts and Chairman of the Crickhowell Board of Guardians. He was awarded an OBE in 1920. His wife, Sarah, was from Aberystwyth. She was closely involved in several local charities and was President of the Merthyr Branch of the Women’s Liberal Federation and had entertained leading liberal speakers at their home.
Christy was one of four children. He had an elder brother, Rees, and two sisters, Gertrude and Dora. Gertrude married Norman Hankey, a mine owner, who was the mayor of Merthyr in 1917.
The 1891 Census shows the family resident at Gwaelodygarth in Merthyr. Gwaelodygarth had been built around 1809 by the ironmaster Richard Crawshay for his son in law Benjamin Hall. The house eventually passed to William Crawshay II who lived there while building Cyfartha Castle to which he subsequently moved.
In 1891 the household consisted of Mr James (aged 41), his wife Elizabeth (41), daughter Dora (14), son, Rees (10), son Gwilym C B (8), Elizabeth, mother in law (63) and four female servants aged from 19 to 38.
Lt James’ Early Life
Christy was educated at Eton and Magdalene College Oxford. He was a talented oarsman. After rowing in the winning eight at the Eton trials in 1901 he was at four in the final of the Ladies Plate at Henley. At Magdalene College he was in their eight which won the Ladies Plate in 1903. In 1905 he was in the Magdalene Crew which was head of the river at Oxford. He was a member of the Gelligaer Hunt and said to be ‘a straight and fearless rider to hounds’. The 1911 Census shows Christy living at Queen’s Road, Merthyr with a housekeeper, Kathleen Phillips.
By 1917 he was a partner in his father’s law firm. He had appeared in court in Crickhowell. A report in the Abergavenny Chronicle of Friday 10 July 1914 noted that he represented the Parish Council in an eviction order against Edward Price, a butcher occupying a stables and slaughterhouse near the church.
Military Career
Lt James had been a member of the Inns of Court Regiment before joining 2SWB. This was a training
regiment responsible for training thousands of officers prior to their deployment abroad. He did his initial training at Berkhamstead. The Brecon County Times of 3 May 1917 noted that his name had appeared in the London Gazette as having been granted a Commission. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 28 March 1917 and posted to 2SWB on 11 June 1917.
The War Diary of 2SWB for 11 June notes that the Battalion marched to Autheux, in the Somme region, and that it received reinforcements of three officers including Lt James. When he first joined the Battalion he was posted to A company and soon became Battalion Scout and Sniping Officer.
The diary entry for 14 and 15 August notes that Lt James of D Company was one of the officers who took part in a successful attack around Steenbeek near Langemark in the Third Battle of Ypres.
Losses amounted to 7 officers, 27 other ranks and 127 wounded.
The Battle of Cambrai 20 November to 7 December 1917
In late 1916 and early 1917 the Germans constructed a defensive line, the Siegfried Stellung, from Arras southwards, in places five miles deep. It was known to the British as the Hindenburg Line. The Germans made a tactical withdrawal from their old Somme positions and by May 1917 were embedded behind the Hindenburg Line.
In the first large scale use of tanks the British attacked the line with 476 tanks, one thousand guns, three regiments of cavalry and three hundred aeroplanes. In a departure from the army’s usual tactics, there was no lengthy artillery barrage before the attack because this would have lost the element of surprise and, more importantly, churned up the ground and made it difficult for the tanks to
proceed.
The attack was carried out along a front of 11,000 yards (about the distance between Crickhowell and Abergavenny). The tanks had a resounding success initially enabling the infantry to advance about 10,000 yards with 4,000 casualties. They were faced with a ferocious German counter attack and the British assault was effectively over after forty-eight hours. By the time the battle ended on 7 December the British held about 50% of the ground taken in the initial assault. The British had suffered 48,000
casualties and the Germans, 53,000, but the tank had come to stay.
The canal and river crossings were finally taken almost a year later by the New Zealand Division in an assault which ended on 5 October 1918.
The Role of 2SWB
2SWB was part of 87 Brigade under the command of Brigadier-General CHT Lucas, 87 Brigade was part of the 29 Division led by Sir Beavoir de Lisle. The night before the battle 29 Division had marched from a point north of Peronne to Gouzeacourt, a distance of seven miles. Their objective was some four miles away. They had to pass through the 12th and 20th Divisions, who had made the initial assault, and take the ten bridges over the St Quentin Canal.
On 20 November 2SWB joined the battle to secure the canal crossings 4,000 yards ahead between
Masnieres and Marcoing. On reaching the canal the battalion was stopped by ferocious rifle and machine gun fire from the opposite bank. Information subsequently received by the family from his fellow officers noted that because of a shortage of officers Christy was posted to A Company. Early in the attack the company’s commanding officer, Lt Weeks, was hit and Christy took command. He was shot shortly afterwards on the canal bank at the eastern end of Marcoing Copse and carried back unconscious to No 5 Casualty Clearing Station where he succumbed to his wounds.
JAMES_GWILYM_CHRISTOPHER_BOWRING.pdf
(Click link to view Lt. James’ final resting place)
The Aftermath
Lt James was awarded the War Medal and the Victory Medal. His name is recorded on the War Memorials at Crickhowell Health Centre and in Llangattock Church and in the Book of Remembrance for Merthyr Tydfil. He is also remembered on the Eton School Memorial and on that for Magdalene College Oxford where a memorial service was held on Shrove Tuesday 8 February 1921 to commemorate the thirty former graduates who died in the Great War.
The probate records for England and Wales record that at the time of his death he was resident at Pentrebach Cottage, Merthyr Tydfil and his effects amounted to £4,415 3s 2d. Probate was granted to his brother in law Frederick Hankey of Pentrebach House.
The 1911 England and Wales Census shows that Mr Gwilym James senior was resident at Llanwysg near Llangattock. Llanwysg is a substantial property on the road between Crickhowell and Llangynidr.
Built by John Nash in the 1790s for Admiral John Gell who had risen through the ranks to become the second most senior admiral in the navy. Lord Nelson is said to have visited Gell at Llanwysg in 1802. Mr James lived there with his wife Elizabeth, aged 61, and five single ladies in domestic service, aged from 15 to 33, with a child of seven.
The castle meadow between Castle Road and Beaufort Street, had been part of the Duke of Beaufort’s estate and was sold by the estate on Wednesday 17 November 1915 to a Mr R Jenkins of Crickhowell for £260. At the time of the sale part of the land was occupied by the Parish Council on a six monthly tenancy at an annual rent of £12.
By May 1916 the land belonged to Thomas Lewis . A report in the Abergavenny Chronicle of 26 May 1916 notes that Mr Lewis was prepared to continue renting the land to the Council subject to certain conditions including the closing of the footpath from Castle Road to Beaufort Street. The Council decided not to rent the land again and a report in the Brecon County Times of 25 May 1916 noted that this decision was confirmed by a parish meeting held on Saturday 20 May.
A report in the Abergavenny Chronicle of 5 July 1918 referred to a meeting of the Crickhowell Hospital Supply Depot on the previous Monday. Mr Thomas Vaughan, a solicitor, had told the meeting that earlier that day, Mr James of Llanwysg had purchased the castle field containing the historic ruins from Mr Thomas Lewis of Winburg, Crickhowell. The purchase price was £350 and Mr James intended to give it to the town of Crickhowell in memory of his son.
Copies of Parish Council minutes held in Crickhowell Archive Centre show that progress in formally handing over the grounds to the community proceeded slowly. The Parish Council meeting
on 17 January 1920 notes that the grounds were in a deplorable state. The meeting of 10 July 1922 noted that nothing had been heard from Mr James and one of the councillors, Mr Isaac, was
to ask Mr James about his intentions. A report back to the Council was made on 17 October 1922 following the meeting with Mr James who said that he intended to give £200 as part of his bequest and
the interest was to be used for the upkeep of the grounds.
Mr and Mrs James moved from Llanwysg to the Knoll in Abergavenny and he died there on 13 March 1925. Mrs James, who had suffered from ill health for some years, had died in 1921.
A report in the Abergavenny Chronicle of Friday 9 March 1934 refers to communications between the Charity Commissioners and Crickhowell Parish Council. The Management Committee of the grounds had run into financial difficulties in managing the grounds but could not raise money for their upkeep. The Council had the ability to raise funds but no legal authority to do so because they did not control the
grounds. The Charity Commissioners referred to a deed of 27 February 1925 and suggested that the matter could only be resolved by the transfer of control of the grounds to the Parish Council. If this deed was the formal transfer document for the castle grounds it means that the transaction was completed just before Mr James’ death on 13 March 1925.
The Abergavenny Chronicle of Friday 16 March 1934 reported that a memorial tablet of bronze had been erected the previous week in the recreation ground to commemorate the donation of the grounds by Mr Gwilym James of Llanwysg in memory of his son Lt James. The report noted that the tablet was fixed on a high stone built column. It was designed by Mr Louis Hurley and the work was completed by Mr A J Addis, builder of Llangattock at the request of the Castle Grounds Committee who were the trustees of the Recreation Ground.
The castle grounds remain as a recreational facility for the community.
Clive Ralph
26 November 2014
Sources
Mr Christopher Griffith, grandson of Mrs Hankey, the sister of Lt James
Various reports in the Brecon and Radnor, Brecon County Times and Abergavenny Chronicle
Crickhowell Parish Council Minutes held in the Archive Centre, Crickhowell
War Diaries of the Second Battalion South Wales Borderers held in Brecon Military Museum
Ancestry.com
Footnote
Thanks are due to Mr. Christopher Parry, Community Officer at Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery who provided the photograph above. It shows the Merthyr Volunteers in 1907. Lieutenant James is seated 2nd from the right in the 2nd row. Seated beside him, 3rd from right 2nd row, is another Merthyr Lieutenant, H.H.W. Southey, who also lost his life in WW1.
Clive Ralph
Crickhowell History Society 