Though a small village St Hilary made a notable contribution to the war.
World War 1 – The Great War
28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918
An estimated 8,500.000 soldiers died as a result of wounds and/or disease. The greatest number of casualties were wounds inflicted by artillery, followed by small arms and then by poison gas.
The 1916 Somme offensive was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the war. The bloodiest day in history was 1 July 1916 when the British Army sustained 57,000 casualties,
Though a small village St Hilary made a notable contribution to the war
- Fourteen men from the village enlisted – two were killed in action and 12 returned
- New Beaupre House was used as a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers - click here to read more
There is also a war memorial on the St Hilary Downs.
Below is information about the two men who were killed in action and a photo of a plaque naming the men who returned. It can be found in the lychgate of the church. And, there are photos of the memorial on St Hilary Down
Hugh Thomas Ackland–Allen
Born in Plymouth, Devon on 17 September 1893.
His parents were Captain Charles Ackland Allen JP from Tenby, Pembrokeshire and Gertrude Elizabeth Ackland Allen (nee Bearcroft ) from Hanbury, Worcestershire. He was the second of two sons and two daughters, his brother dying when he was only 3 days old.
At the time of the 1901 census the family were living at the Cross, St Hilary. Although living is St Hilary in 1911 the actual address of the family residence is uncertain. They were however, living in St Hilary Manor at the time Hugh died and continued in residence there at least util the time his father passed away in 1934.
Hugh was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was gazette 2nd Lieutenant Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 3 September 1913. He went to Malta with his regiment in January 1914 and returned to England in the September of that year. He served with the British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from4 October 1914. He was killed in action near Zonnebeke, West Vlaanderen, Belgium on 23 October 1914. He was 21 years old. He is commemorated at Ypres, Menin Gate Memorial.
He was awarded posthumously the British War medal, the Victory medal and the 1914/15 star
There is a commemorative plaque in St Hilary Church.
Click here to read more about the Ackland Allen family https://www.sthilary.org.uk/history/acklandallen?highlight=WyJhY2tsYW5kIiwiYWxsZW4iXQ==
George Rees 1892-1918
Died 27 August 1918 Reg No. 56701 13th Battalion Welsh Regiment
He was the son of John Rees of Llanmaes and Catherine Williams of St. Hillary. John and Catherine were married at St Hilary on 16 April 1885; John was a mason, as was his father before him and Catherine was a domestic servant. George was one of 5 children, 4 boys and 1 girl Annie[i]. He was born in St Hilary in early 1892 and Baptised there on 6th March 1892.
The family lived at Rectory Lodge at the time of the 1901 census. According to a news article about Miss A.M Rees (Annie) dated 10 May 1958 it is stated that her father first accepted the sub post office in St Hilary in 1903. Catherine was Assistant Postmaster and George was working as a gardener.
Annie later took on the role of looking after it. She retired in 1958 after serving the village for 35 years[ii].
George enlisted in the army in Cardiff on 1 September 1915 in the 7th (Cyclist) Battalion of the Welsh Regiment. He was later transferred to the 10th Welsh Regiment and embarked at Southampton for France on 26 July 1916, disembarking at Rouen the following day. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 21 July 1916, to Corporal on 11 May 1917, made acting Sergeant on 3 August 1917 and promoted to Sergeant on 17 October 1917. He was with the 10th Battalion when he was promoted to Sergeant but was posted to 13th Battalion. He was killed in action on 27 August 1918 and is buried in the Guards Cemetery at Lesboeufs, Somme, France.
He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
At the time he died his parents were still living at the Post Office in St Hilary with his sister Annie, and one of his brothers David was living at Aubrey Terrace in Cowbridge.
There is a plaque in the church dedicated to George.
Below is an old photo of one of the Rees family, Abbotswood. Possibly John Rees.
A former neighbour who saw the photo of the St Hilary bellringers from the 1950s (see below) identified Denzil Griffiths[iii]. She said that he married and then divorced Joan Rees of Abbotswood.
In 2021 we heard from Jo Robinson who was tracing her family tree. She mentions that her great grandfather was Edward Griffiths but wasn’t sure of her grandmother’s name – possibly Joan? Their children were Edward, Thomas, Denzil (at school 1939) and Bernard. Douglas was Jo’s grandfather[iv]
The plaque with the names of the men who returned from the war can be found on the wall inside the lychgate.
Below are photos of the memorial on the St Hilary Downs
[i] Glamorgan History Society; Monumental Inscriptions St Hilary Church, South Glamorgan (no date)
[ii] Glamorgan County News (10 May 1958) Fifty Three Years a Village Postmistress
[iii] St Hilary Community website (June 2025) https://www.sthilary.org.uk/memories/villagers-stories/carolinearnold?highlight=WyJkZW56aWwiXQ==
[iv] St Hilary Community website (June 2025) https://www.sthilary.org.uk/memories/villagers-stories/cyrilgriffiths?highlight=WyJncmlmZml0aHMiXQ==