Swansea Connections with Victoria Cross Winners 1

Last week I wrote an introduction the Victoria Cross, when it was established 1856 not as I wrote 1956, and how many people had been awarded it, Today I will look more closely at those people who have connections with Swansea.

Starting off with William Charles Fuller

Fuller was born during 1884 in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire. Another connection with Laugharne and Swansea during the 1930s is that the poet Dylan Thomas lived here and owned the boat house, where he wrote his poems

Fuller, came to Swansea, where he was educated, he joined up in the army during 1902 the time of the Second Boer War.
The memorial located on the sea front was erected during 1904, and commemorates those men from Swansea who lost their lives during this conflict, be it from being killed in action of disease

Look carefully at the two photos can you see anything different? The man with the gun was modeled on Dylan's PE teacher, Sgt Bird.

By the time of the outbreak of the First World War, Fuller by this time was 30, had joined up with the Welsh Regiment, 2nd Battalion. The battalion was located at Bordon, Surrey, 4th August 1914, and they landed Havre, France 13th August.

A month later 14th September when was Fuller was advancing under heavy fire and machine gun when his officer, Captain Mark Haggard, the nephew of the author, Rider Haggard was hit. Fuller carried him back to cover a distance of 100 yards, where he dressed his wounds. Haggard asked if his rifle could be fetched back from where he was hit, Fuller and two other men manged to retrieve it.

Haggard died later that evening. 28 other men died during that day from the 2nd Battalion.

During the Second World War, Fuller served with the Swansea Home Guard.

Fuller died 1974, and is buried at Oystermouth Cemetery, it is only recently that his grave has a new headstone