The Unveiling of the Roll of Honour
On 21 October 1920, Members of the Mumbles Methodist Church gathered to dedicate a brass tablet in memory of the thirteen Church members who had been killed in Action during the Great War of 1914-18.
The service began with the singing of the hymn 'O God our help in ages past' followed by a prayer by the Rev. Jolliffe of Swansea. Rev. D.C. Griffiths, the resident Minister then welcomed the ex-servicemen, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts and members of the Sketty and Murton choirs who had attended to assist with the musical parts of the service, the choir being under the leadership of J. Daniel, with the assistance of organist, Mrs. J. Cumming-Evans. Ex-servicemen, Messrs. J. Sanders and R.E. Bradshaw. They read verses of scripture and a collection was made on behalf of the Children's Home at Llangennith, which raised £5.
Mr. George Leaker who had been a long-standing and valued member of the Church for over sixty-three years and would celebrate his ninetieth birthday shortly, was invited to unveil the tablet. He began his speech by declaring that it was a great honour to be asked to undertake the unveiling and that 'while we mourn their loss, we honour their memory.' He had known all thirteen personally and went on to mention a few of them by name.' The first on the list was that of a dear friend, Joseph William Hughes, a devoted officer and Member of the Church, who had attended the men's Bible Class, the Society Class and Brotherhood and held the posts of Society Steward and Poor Steward. He had formerly served in the Coastguard and was latterly a member of the Naval Reserve, when he was called up at the outbreak of war.' Mr. Leaker recalled a conversation with him where he said " I don't mind going-it is my duty to go- but In don't think we ought to be fighting the Germans or the Germans fighting us, for we are supposed to be two Christian countries."
He went on to pay tribute to Arthur Daniel, a young man and faithful servant of the Church and remembered him as 'rather reserved and always inclined to look on the more serious side of things.' He continued with references to 'young, debonair and high-spirited Donald Davie' and to ' Ernest Radcliffe, our Deputy Organist', pronouncing that 'they and other men named on the tablet . . . had laid them all under a tremendous obligation of gratitude and of service.'
The inscription on the tablet read, 'To the Glory of God and in grateful remembrance of Joseph W. Hughes, Donald Davie, W. Hammett, Joseph Leach, B.E. Payne, Fred Morris, Arthur Daniel, Ernest J. Radcliffe, Herbert Rogers, Wyndham Jones, William Bowden, H.R. Strawford and Bert Kift, who gave their lives for us in the Great War, 1914-1918.
Today, in this renovated, refurbished and thriving building, a modern version of the tablet is set on the wall in the peaceful and atmospheric surroundings of the Church situated on the first floor
of the building, which had opened in 1877.
This new plaque commemorates
the Church members
lost from both World Wars
'While we mourn their loss,
we honour their memory'
Acknowledgment
Mumbles Press, 28 October 1920