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John Edwyn Hughes (Edwyn J Hughes)
Second Lieutenant, 10th Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Died of wounds, 19 August 1916, aged 29
Buried at Dive Copse British Cemetery, Sailly-le-Sec, Somme, France
CWGC registered (Son of Edward and Mary Hughes, of Port Dinorwic, Carnarvonshire; husband of Sydney Ellen Williams [formerly Hughes] of Stag Cottage, Llanfair PG, Anglesey)
This officer is remembered locally as Edwin J Hughes (Llandudno War Memorial & Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church) and Lieutenant Edwin John Hughes (Llandudno Roll of Honour). However, his name was John Edwyn Hughes and he was known as Edwyn. Some references to him are as J Edwin Hughes or simply as Edwin Hughes.
Edwyn Hughes was born in October 1886 at Port Dinorwic (now Y Felinheli), Caernarfonshire. He was the son of Edward J Hughes, a slate loader, and his wife Mary Ann. The Census for Wales of 1891 records the family living at 10 Menai Street, Port Dinorwic. Ten years later, the family lived at 22 Augusta Place, Port Dinorwic. Edwyn was educated at the Port Dinorwic Board School, Carnarvon County School and the University College of North Wales, Bangor, where he graduated with a BA with first-class honours in history and was a member of the Officer Training Corps. The Census for 1911 described Edwyn (24) as Myfyriwr Ifod yr Athraw Ysgol (student schoolmaster-designate) and he lived with his parents at 27 Augusta Place. He later took the position of history teacher at Llandudno Central School, Trinity Avenue.
On the outbreak of war, Edwyn Hughes volunteered to join the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. His service number of 16222 indicates that he joined in October 1914. It is known that he served with the 10th (Service) Battalion which formed at Wrexham on 16 October 1914 as part of K3, Kitchener’s third new army in October 1914. His battalion moved to Codford St. Mary and then to Bournemouth, moving to Romsey on 29 April 1915 and to Aldershot on 3 June 1915. In the meantime, on 28 January 1915, Lance Cpl John Edwyn Hughes was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Later that year, he married Sydney Ellen Price (b 1893, Llanbedrgoch, Anglesey) of Deganwy and former pupil of John Bright School, Llandudno.
The 10th RWF disembarked at Boulogne on 27 September 1915. Edwyn Hughes was wounded in action on 18 August 1916 during an attack on Lonely Trench near Guillemont. Local newspaper reports say he was shot in the shoulder and the thigh. He died the following day aged 29 and was buried at Dive Copse Military Cemetery which received many casualties from the XIV Corps Main Dressing Station. Edwyn Hughes left a child as well as a widow – his daughter Joan Edwynn was born on 27 September 1916. Sydney Hughes married Thomas Williams in 1919 and the 1939 register records Thomas Williams, Sidney, Joan and Eric Thomas (b 1921) living on Anglesey.
Known memorials:
- Y Felinheli (Port Dinorwic) War Memorial
- Llandudno Roll of Honour
- Llandudno War Memorial
- Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
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