With Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day around the corner, we open our archives to bring you a small selection of stories of local heroes who sacrificed their lives so that we may live in peace.
Thanks to our museum and archive services here in Wrexham, the memories of these brave souls can live on and be remembered for many years to come.
Highflying heroics
RAF Wing Commander Fred Rosier was born in Wrexham in 1915 and was educated at Wrexham County School. He was described in a local news article as “a popular old boy” of Grove Park school.
In 1935, Rosier was commissioned and commanded a fighter wing during operations in Libya both in the air and on land.
During the Libyan operations, Wing Commander Rosier became embroiled in an aerial dogfight near El Adem. Whilst engaged in combat, Rosier witnessed one of his comrades being shot down to the desert below.
Incredibly, the Wing Commander landed his Hurricane next to his fellow pilot and brought the crashed airman on board his plane.
Upon taking off, they had to crash the plane due to a burst tyre, which sent the rescue party back to the ground. The airmen found themselves surrounded by Italian troops. They were challenged twice by the Italians but luckily managed to evade them under the cover of nightfall.
After a four-day trek and being reported missing, the two pilots made it back to their Advance Fighter Squadron. Upon their return, Rosier was quoted as saying, “Well, here we are again”.
In recognition of the gallantry he displayed, Wing Commander Fred Rosier was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
Those in peril on the sea
The HMS Upholder was a Royal Navy U-Class submarine which had a service record of legendary status. She was described as a “ship of heroes”.
She has 14 successes to her name throughout her career including the sinking of three U-boats, a destroyer and an armed trawler. For the entirety of her career, she was commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn.
On April 6, 1942, the Upholder set off on her 25th patrol, which was to be her last before her return to England. Tragically, HMS Upholder, along with all hands on board, were lost. On August 22 1942, the Admiralty announced her loss, leading an outpouring of tributes and high praise for all who served on her.
Among those lost on the Upholder was Mr Gwilym Hughes of Ponciau. He was the 25-year-old son of Mr and Mrs Samuel Hughes.
Before joining the Navy, Gwilym worked at the Johnstown depot of the Crosville Motor Services. He was described in the local news as having a “pleasant disposition” with a large group of friends.
Tributes went on to say that, although friends and family grieved for his loss, they were very proud that he served on such a distinguished ship.
Divisions of war
Every week of the war, an “Active Service” column was published in the local paper. Here, local families would send in pictures of their loved ones serving in the armed forces to be printed in the article.
Below, we have an example of a family sent in different directions due to the war. Mr and Mrs Evan Evans of Rhosymedre submitted photos of their three serving sons.
A/C S. J. Evans served with the RAF. L/Cpl D. J. Evans served with the RWF. The third brother, S.P/O R. H. Evans served with the Royal Navy. A poignant reminder of how war separated families in so many ways.
Why not see if you can find heroic tales from the war in your family? Our archive service has a new search room based in the Wrexham library. It is open during office hours Monday – Wednesday.
Pop in during their opening times and see who you might be able to discover in your family tree.
