What's your story?

Many Porthcawl residents have not originated from this area but still have their own story to tell. Whilst remembering Porthcawl, it is essential that other stories from the time are not overlooked or soldiers not remembered .
Therefore, these pages are dedicated to Porthcawl residents and the memories they have of their ancestors during the First World War.

                                                     


                                                Corporal Albert Edward Ironside
                                                              K.I.A  22nd July 1917

            Bridgend MP Madeleine Moon
                  shares her memories of 
                        her grandfather.
                
I have lived all of my life with two old faded photographs of Albert Edward Ironside my grandfather. Apart from a small pocket diary written during active service in France and Belgium I have his Soldier’s Small Book, the two photographs, his Will and the King George memorial Penny send to the families of those who served and died on the front line.  I am covering just the first three months of the diary in this brief account of those early months of the war as a member of the Royal Engineers responsible for providing signals communications.

The First World War was declared on August 4th 1914. My grandfather left his wife and son, my father, then aged 18 months and was sent to Ireland in preparation for the war as part of the British Expeditionary Force..  On Thursday August 13 he embarked on the SS Matheron and arrived in Le Havre on 14th August.

The next few days’ entries record lots of rain and train journeys to the front

‘Station platforms were all crowded with people to see us go by.  We got chocolate and cigarettes in galore and splendid reception.’

This lighthearted note did not last long.  The entry for August 23rd records

We rested for the day.  The war commenced around here at 12 o’clock, the firing was terrible to stand all day and all night.  We are about 2 miles from the firing line.  Saw 2 German aeroplanes above our head.

This was the first battle of Mons and by the next day the British army was in retreat.

Passed through Mons at Bavay stayed at Wwaso for a rest, we were exposed to shell fire for 3 hours before we retired.  The shells fell in the town as we were leaving it.  We had to leave everything behind us, cables and communications lines as we could not pick them up on account of the closeness of the Germans.  We were lucky to get away at all.

The diary jumps four days at this point with no entries. Few know of the horrors of the retreat from Mons where thousands of soldiers spread out across the fields fleeing for their lives without orders, food, water or rest in boots full of blood from bloated feet.  When the diary resumes it is to describe the wounded, the shelling and the fear all around.

We arrived at Monthyon stayed there for the night properly knocked out both horses and men.  We found this place upside down with the people, their houses its terrible to see these poor people on the road in a large cart and they don’t know where to go for safety, it’s heart breaking to see them.

 



 

 

Albert E Ironside Medal Index Card

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The diary records constant movement during September, rain, exhaustion and heavy firing. The entry for October 17  is revealing

Very fine morning, all my chums congratulated me on my birthday.  We got a blanket served out to us.  We have had nothing to cover us since we came out. Severe fighting is going all along the canal

The men of the British Expeditionary force had little more than the clothes they were wearing. During the retreat from Mons they had thrown away anything that was not seen as essential for survival including kit bags, shovels, guns and the triplicate books required to obtain replacement items. The forms had been be completed by officers many of whom had also been killed during the retreat thus leaving soldiers without access to replacements. 


* Information provided by Mrs Madeleine Moon.