Pte 17221 Owen Williams Wells

• Age: 24
• From: Efenechtyd, Denbighshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 9th April 1917
• Commemorated at: Arras Memorial
  Panel Ref: Bay 3

Owen Lloyd Williams was born in Efenechtyd, Denbighshire, North Wales, in the summer of 1892, the son of Owen Williams and his wife Jane (née Williams).

Efenechtyd is a hamlet and community in a deep valley two miles south of Ruthin, and includes the village of Pwllglas (also written Pwll Glas) and the Church of St Michael and All Angels. 

His parents, both from Denbighshire, married in 1885 and had eight children, two of whom died young. Owen had older siblings William, born in 1886, and Dorothy 1889, and younger brothers John Evan 1895, Oliver 1897, and Oswald Lloyd, 1907, all born in Efenechtyd.  The family spoke both English and Welsh.

At the time of the 1901 census his parents are living at Tan Y Ffos, Efenechtyd, with five children. His father is 41, a wheelwright, employer, working from home, and his mother is 34.  William, 15, is apprenticed to his father, Dorothy is 12, Owen 8, John 6, and Oliver 3. 

In 1911 his parents are found at Bryn Awel, Pwll Glas with three sons at home.  His father 51, is now a builder, employer, working at home, his mother is 44.  William, 25, is a house joiner also working at home, Oliver, 13, is at school, and Oswald is 3.

His brother John Evan, 16, is boarding in Prestatyn, on the coast 20 miles away, working as a bank clerk.

By 1911 Owen has moved to Liverpool and is found at the Owen Owen Hostel, 1-15 Stafford Street.  He is 18, a draper’s assistant, one of about 90 employee boarders.  The hostel was around the corner from the large Owen Owen drapery store, a Liverpool institution for many years.

Owen Owen, a young man from Wales, came to Liverpool and in 1868, at the age of 20, with some help from an uncle, he opened his own drapery emporium at 121 London Road.  By 1873 he had over 120 employees, many from Wales, and a quarter of an acre of floor space. Owen Owen was interested in his staff's well-being and was the first employer in Liverpool to give staff a half day off each week.

He enlisted in Liverpool at St George's Hall on the 31st of August 1914 under the alias Owen William Wells.  Why he enlisted under a false name and the significance of the surname Wells is not known. He joined the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17221. His attestation papers record that he’s 5ft 5inches tall, weighs 119 lbs and is 22 years of age. His occupation stated as a salesman. He gives his religion as Church of England and as next of kin his parents Owen and Jane Williams at Bryn-Awel, Nantclwyd.

From the 23rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until the 3rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7th November 1915. 

On 08th June 1916 he was granted leave to the U.K. and rejoined his unit on 02nd July 1916 (the Battle of the Somme had begun the previous day).

On 31st August 1916 he earned a Good Conduct Badge for two years’ service. He served in No.4 Company.

He was confined to barracks for seven days on 05th November 1916 for absenting himself from parade, and the same day his record shows “ceases to receive 6d per day as cold shoer on being returned to duty with his co.”  The cold shoer’s role was to fit pre-made shoes on horses and mules (compared to hot shoeing which required a forge and the skills of a smith or farrier).  Men qualified for this occupation received an extra six pence a day in pay. 

Owen was killed in action on Easter Monday the 09th April 1917, the opening day of the Battle of Arras.

Details of the circumstances the 18th Battalion had to contend with are illustrated below:

The battalion formed the left assaulting battalion of the brigade, the 2nd Wiltshire Regiment being on the right, the 19th Manchester Regiment being in support and 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment furnishing “moppers -up” for the two assaulting battalions. The brigade advance was timed to begin at ---- hour after “Zero”, suited to conform with the movements of 56th Division and other divisions on our left further north (near Arras). This battalion’s objective was the front-line system Lion Lane on the left (exclusive) to Panther Lane on right (exclusive). This sector included the strongpoint known as “The Egg”.

The brigade advanced at prearranged time, i.e., 11.38 a.m, from position of assembly trenches south of Neuville Vitasse to German front line. This necessitated an advance across the open of at least 2,000 yards. This area up to Neuville Vitasse- Henin road was crossed in artillery formation; after this, owing to machine-gun fire and considerable resistance from German posts forward in the sunken roads, it was found necessary to deploy. During the whole movement across the open the advancing columns had been under considerable artillery fire from guns of all calibres. On gaining the position immediately in front of German line it was found that the wire was practically uncut; this wire formed two strong belts in front of German trenches. Two small gaps were eventually discovered and Second-Lieut H.F.Merry gallantly led a bombing party through them, but his three remaining men were killed as they reached the German trenches.

From the moment the battalion was “held up” in front of German wire Capt. R. W. Jones, the senior company commander on the spot, at once began the work of consolidating in front of German wire. The battalion held on in this position for the remainder of the day, until relieved by the 16th Manchester Regiment about 3 a.m. on the 10th of April, all the time under intense machine-gun and rifle fire.

Between 9th-10th April, 1917, the 18th King's lost 2 officers 2nd Lt. F. Ashcroft and 2nd Lt. H.G. Ewing and 59 other ranks killed. 8 other officers were wounded.

Owen's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as his name is recorded, as Wells O.W., on the Arras Memorial in France .

The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July).

Owen earned his three medals.

His Army effects and a War Gratuity of £12 went to his father Owen Williams.  No pension card has been found, as Owen was living away from home when he enlisted and had no dependents. 

In 1919 his father provided information on living relatives.  His four brothers are living at home with their father at Bryn Awel:  William 34, John 25, Oliver 22, and Oswald 12.  His married sister Dorothy Roberts, 31, is also living in Pwll Glas.  His mother is not listed as living; it is not known when she died.  

Owen Lloyd Williams is commemorated on the Ruthin School Memorial.

Linda Michelini one of our researchers brought the discrepency concerning the commemoration for Private Owen Williams Wells to the attention of CWGC, who have recently repsonded as follows:

Many thanks for the submitted evidence, which demonstrated that Private Owen Williams Wells was an alias for Owen Lloyd Williams. We have now amended his casualty record to show that Private Wells was an alias and created a corresponding casualty entry for Owen Lloyd Williams. I have also requested that his physical commemoration on the Arras Memorial be amended to reflect both his alias and true name. Please note that this will take some time to complete.

We currently have no further information on Owen William Wells, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.