WW1 letter sent home from Kinmel Camp by Private Richard Williams

Description

Private Richard Williams was in B Company & C Platoon, 17th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers. The letter was sent home from Kinmel Camp to his mother and father in Glynafon, Rhydwyn, Holyhead. He was killed in action in Ypres, Belgium, in 1917. Richard's mother woke up one morning to find a note in Richard's shoe to tell her that he and his friend Lewis Jones from Ysgoldy Pedair, Llanrhyddlad, had gone away to join the army at Kinmel Park. Both Richard and Lewis were enlisted to different Battalions, and they went their separate ways. Sadly they were both killed in action on the same day. Astonishingly, although they were killed at separate locations they were coincidently buried back to back at Bard Cottage Cemetery, Belgium. Richard was born on 12 June 1895 in Chapel Street, Rhydwen, or Rhydwyn as it is known today, a small village in Llanrhuddlad Parish near Holyhead, Anglesey. Richard was one of eight children born to Hugh and Catherine Williams, who later moved to Glyn Afon, Rhydwen. Richard departed to France in 1916 and there he joined the 17th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers, part of the 38th Division. He then went to the trenches near Ypres, and he fought also in Boesinghe and along the Yeser Canal in the period that led up to the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917. He lost his life on 16 June 1917 at the age of 23. He was part of the unit that laid communication cables at the time.