VALE CENTRE FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICES BARRY WORLD WAR ONE
Apr 01, 2016
VALE
CENTRE
FOR
VOLUNTARY
SERVICES
BARRY WORLD WAR ONE
Barry: WW1 In 1881, Barry had 484 inhabitants. Barry Docks opened in 1886 and by 1901 the population was 27,000, limited only by the speed of house building. The majority of these were not from Wales: they were from all over the UK and the world.
In 1901 Barry was no longer a village. Barry Town was born, and so were its first generation of Welsh children. Their parents may have been from all over the world but they are the generation that created the Barry that now exists. Regardless of race, faith or origin they are Welsh, and their children learn Welsh in Barry schools. Amongst this new generation of Barry born Welsh people are the girls that became wives and the boys who went to War, many of whom did not return. This presentation focuses on the Merchant Seaman.
The Shame
of War
One of the scandals of World War 1 was the decision
made by the German High Command that passenger
ships were legitimate targets. However, a far
greater shame was the targeting of hospital ships by
the submarine fleet.
A Family
and the
Merchant
This family’s story shows how the new Welsh of
Barry gave to their country.
14 to 66
years old
This presentation focuses on the Merchant Seaman,
the youngest and oldest Barry men who died in
World War 1 were from the Merchant Navy.
SS Ribstone
Sunk by a submarine 66 miles W of Fastnet
16/7/1917
Their parents were from all over the world
Frederick Bubbins
THE SHAME OF WAR
One of the scandals of World War 1 was the decision made by
the German High Command that passenger ships were legitimate
targets. This brought the USA into the war when the Lusitania was
sunk. However, a far greater shame was the targeting of hospital
ships by the submarine fleet. One such ship was the Glenart Castle
sunk 10 miles west of Lundy Island. No warning was issued and
the ship was not defensively armed. 162 died, including J Kennie
from Barry. Evidence was found suggesting that the submarine
may have shot at initial survivors of the sinking in an effort to
cover up the sinking of Glenart Castle. The body of a junior officer
from the Glenart Castle was recovered from the water close to the
position of the sinking. It was marked with two gunshot wounds,
one in the neck and the other in the thigh.The body also had a life
vest indicating he was shot while in the water. Kapitanleutnant
Wilhelm Kiesewetter — the commander of UC-56 — was arrested
after the war on his voyage back to Germany and interned in the
Tower of London. He was released on the grounds that the British
had no right to hold a detainee during the armistice.
A FAMILY AND THE MERCHANT NAVY.
Samuel Bubbins from Lancashire had two wives (Mary Ann Jones and Eliza Ann Heaven) and 12 children all born in Barry. This family’s story shows how the new Welsh of Barry gave to their country, Mary Ann's two youngest sons dying at 15 (Albert) and 16 years of age (Samuel) on ships sunk by submarines.
This presentation focuses on the Merchant Seaman. The youngest
and the oldest Barry men who died in World War One were from
the Merchant Navy, aged 14 to 66 years old. They had no pension,
their wages stopped when the ship sank (even if they survived)
and there was no compensation for their families. These working
class men were so important that the Government introduced
legislation stopping them joining the Army, supported by a
distinct identity card with their picture on.
William
BARTLETT
(20)
B. COLSON
(49)
Charles
WILSON
(24)
Zania
COUTSOUDIS
(58)
John Owen
VINCENT
(28)
Charles
CROWDEN
(23)
George
LIXTON
(19)
Joseph
KAYS (32)
Benjamin
Charles
EVANS
George
Mansel
DURBIN
John
KONCHERSIS
(58)
Francis
KEMP (28)
George
TAYLOR
(21)
SS RIBSTON
Sunk by submarine
66 miles off Ushant,
Finistère, Brittany
25 lives lost
Barry WW1 They were from all over the world