Unknown Soldiers

H.Whittingham

H. Whittingham is listed on both the St John’s and St Michael’s rolls of honour as having served with the South Wales Borderers. None of the public records list any H.Whittingham as having died whilst serving with the S.W.B. Of the ten H.Whittingham’s listed with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, none has any obvious connection with Machen. Members of the Whittingham family believe that the serviceman commemorated was Hiram Whittingham who had served in Great War and contracted Tuberculosis and died shortly after being discharged. The only Hiram Whittingham who served and had been awarded service medals for the Great War was Gunner 202186 of the Royal Garrison Artillery. To date it has been impossible to confirm that this is the serviceman commemorated on the Machen War Memorial.

D.J. Rees

D.J.Rees is listed on the St John’s Church Roll of Honour as David John Rees (R.F) The official records list 12 soldiers and 2 sailors with the names David John Rees, none of these servicemen has any obvious link with the village of Machen. To date it has proved impossible to confirm which of these 14 individuals is the man commemorated on the memorial.

A.Thomas

There are 213 servicemen listed in the official records as A.Thomas. The St John’s Roll of Honour records an Albert Thomas although a number of these had links with S.E.Wales to date it has proved impossible to confirm which of these men is the is the A.Thomas commemorated on the memorial.