Ystalyfera Fallen

The information on Gwilym Charles has been compiled from a number of sources, including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the archives of the Llais local newspaper, and detail upon local memorials.

Gwilym Charles is remembered on the Ystalyfera County School War Memorial, and on war memorials within Clydach.

From the Labour Voice newspaper 22nd July 1916:-

Unofficial information has been received at Clydach that Privates G CHARLES of Twynybedw Road, David Rees of the Penrhedyn Dairy, Willie Cole of Aberclydach Place and J Williams Vardre, have been wounded.: Gwilym CHARLES has been wounded in the stomach, Rees in the shoulder, and wounded for the second time, Cole in the legs and Williams, in the arm and back.

From the Cambrian Daily Leader newspaper 27th July 1916:-

FATAL STOMACH WOUND

Mr and Mrs Richard Charles of Twynybedw Road Clydach were notified on Wednesday of the death from wounds of their son, Private Gwilym Charles of the Welsh Regiment. As previously reported, young Charles was seriously wounded in the stomach during the British attack made on the German positions on 10th July last. In a letter which he wrote to a Clydach journalist just when his regiment was being moved towards the fighting line, he was in a cheerful mood, and expressed much pleasure at having met Privates David R Charles (his Cousin) and D Emlyn Tomas, both Clydachites, serving in the Cheshires the previous week at a small village en route. "We were very glad to come across each other", he wrote, "We have been on the move during the last week and have travelled a good many miles". Unfortunately it proved to be his last long march.

From the Labour Voice newspaper 5th August 1916:-

CLYDACH

At the evening service at Hebron on Sunday last, references were made to the two soldiers brought up in this church who had fallen in battle - Private Archibald Morgan of the 4th Canadians and Private Gwilym CHARLES of the Welsh Regiment. Mr David Jones and Mr George Williams, two of the deacons, expressed the sympathy of the church with the bereaved families, and the highest respect in which the young men were held. The organist, Mr G Grove, played the "Dead March in Saul" while the congregation stood with bowed heads.

From the Labour Voice newspaper 21st October 1916:-

On view this week in the shop window of Messrs Ellis Bros., the enterprising drapers etc of the Square Clydach, is a reproduction which attracts the eye of passersby and reminds them of what the taking of that strong German entrenchment known as Mametz Woods has meant to Clydach. It is a very good photographic enlargement by Chapman Swansea, handsomely framed, of Pte Gwilym Charles, of the Welsh Regiment, son of Mr and Mrs Richard Charles of Twynybedw Road Clydach, a gallant young soldier who died of wounds in France after participating in a memorable charge, and who thus nobly sacrificed his life. The enlargement is a sympathetic gift to the bereaved parents by their immediate neighbours and bears upon it the inscription:
Presented by his friends of Twynybedw Road Clydach in loving memory of Gwilym Charles, who died from wounds in France on July 22nd 1916, gallantly fighting for his King and country. Aged 21
Toll for the brave, the brave that are no more!

The photograph with the above inscription is the one shown top left on this page.

On the 28th October 1916 some lines of Welsh Poetry "In Memoriam" were written for Gwilym Charles, by Mr John L Jenkins of Twynybedw Road Clydach.