At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month – we will remember them!
Remembrance Day is a day of reflection. It allows us to remember and think about all those people who are affected by wars, both in the past and now. It allows us to think about all those people who suffer in wars all around the world. And it reminds us how important it is to work for peace.
For over a century a grave lay without a headstone in Milford Haven cemetery, lost in the passing of time. Efforts were made to find out who this grave belonged to. Milford Haven has a strong connection with conflicts fought by our brave service men and women and so the story of the forgotten grave is a really amazing one.
In World War One soldiers from across the empire fought side by side with Welsh soldiers . Milford Haven welcomed refugees from across the war zones. Belgian families and children fled to the Haven they knew from fishing businesses and on local farms and forests international workers kept the home fire burning by helping with supplies. Many remained here to enrich our community over the post war years.
Throughout the war brave soldiers were often killed and buried in far corners of the world – far from home and this is what happened to John Myers.
John Myers was killed on the morning of March 28, 1915 when the 4,806 ton passenger and cargo ship on which he worked – the SS Falaba – was torpedoed by a German U-boat 38 miles west of the Smalls lighthouse off the Pembrokeshire. The 21-year-old Nigerian was employed with a Liverpool-based shipping company that traded with West Africa. His job was as a trimmer or fireman based in the boiler room. 104 people including over 50 crew were killed.
Many of the dead were returned home after being brought to but John was buried just in front of the caretaker’s house in Miford Cemetry and then forgotten over time. No stone marked his grave for over 100 years. We do not yet have a photo of John. Thankfully members of Milford Haven community did the research , got together and raised money and then with the support and help of the Commonwealth Graves commission , John’s grave was finally given a headstone so the people of Milford Haven could remember the service of a 21 year old Nigerian who died over 3000 miles from home.
F V Richards
W C Hall
L Rabaiotti
W A Edwards
J D Lyons
W H Thomas
F R Hastings
Molly Oliver (Mrs Price)
R Smith
B S Taylor
E Reynolds
WTC Watkins
S Farmer
ETW Davies
LL Nicholas
O T B Sayers
S C Watkins
C E Mansell
L N Reynolds
G R James
J E Apter
C T Durkin
J Foster-Powell
J H Snelling
H C Jenkins
P E T Pettit
D W Baker
A Lewis
E S Memery
J D Harness
Lewis V C
F R Thomas
H Davies
J H Eden
E L Settafield
A G Adams
I M Bennett
D Boutcher
I Chance
C Davies
G Edwards
R G Foster
F Harris
M E Headley
C W King
J C Leggett
E Horn
E Collins
J McSparron
T R E Roach
R Roberts
W Sherriff
A H Tucker
G H Warner
Marjorie Job
W C J Gough
W H Thomas
