Photograph of Ben Williams of the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion

Description

Ben Williams was born in 1883 into a farming family in Llansawel, Carmarthenshire. He fought in the Boer War and then in 1906 he set sail for Halifax and a new life in Canada. He said years later that while serving in South Africa he had met up with some Canadian volunteers who had encouraged him to take advantage of the opportunities available in the Canadian Northwest, especially to those with farming experience. In 1914 Ben joined the Canadian army, his previous military experience probably securing him a commission. He served for almost the entire war, being posted overseas in early 1915. He saw action in some of the bloodiest battles on the Western Front, including the Battle of Vimy Ridge where he was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery. After the war, Ben returned to Saskatchewan and settled down to farming. He retired to Langley on Canada's west coast in the late 1950's and made several visits back to Wales, especially to the Llansawel area. Major Ben Williams MC died without fanfare in the Shaughnessy Veterans Hospital in Vancouver in 1967.

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