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WORLD WAR ONE

The Men Who Died

WORLD WAR ONE

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Private Philip Hargest

Lancashire Fusiliers. 2nd Battalion, service no. 240

Killed in Action in France on August 26th, 1914

Buried at Departement de Seine-et-Marne, Ile-de-France,

France

Soon after he moved to the Brecon branch of the bank when he became senior clerk.

He was well known in Brecon having been a good sportsman and involved himself in a number of pastimes including cricket, snooker and billiards.

When war broke out he volunteered, joining the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry, and was stationed in Welshpool. Leonard was attached to the motor cycle section having recently applied to be a despatch rider at the front.

Philip was born in the Summer of 1885, the son of Evan and Margaret Hargest of 11, St David Street, Llanfaes, Brecon. Evan was a stone mason like his father and uncles before him, and a number of his sons also become stone masons, including Philip.

His father Evan died in 1891 when Philip was only 6, although a number of older brothers were still living at home and able to support their widowed mother.

Phillip is shown as an apprentice mason in the 1901 census, and a journeyman mason in 1911, alongside his brothers Reuben and James, all still single and living at home.

Whilst born and bred in Brecon, Philip enlisted in Pontypool in August, 1914 and joined the Lancashire Fusiliers. He embarked to France on August 22nd and was killed in action just four days later at the Battle of Mons.

He was initially posted as missing but the relatives received a letter in the December of 1914 stating he was killed in the retreat from Mons.

Lance Corporal Leonard Augustus Hedge

Montgomeryshire Yeomanry 2nd/1st Btn., service no. 2471

Died on active service June 16th, 1915 at Llanymynech, aged
27

Buried at Welshpool (Christ Church) Churchyard

Leonard was born in Shelton, Stoke on Trent, in June 1888, the son of Charles Edward Hedge and his wife Mary Ann (nee Mugliston). Charles was the managing director of a brewery firm.

Leonard attended boarding school at Dean Close Memorial School in Cheltenham and after leaving school worked as a clerk for the United Counties Bank in several towns, including Uttoxeter where he was boarding in 1911.