Additions will be checked before being published on the website and where possible will be forwarded to the person who submitted the original entries. Your contact details will not be forwarded, but they can send a reply via this messaging system.
please scroll down to send a message
2nd Lt. Trevor Edgar Ellis MID
British Army 40th Btn. Machine Gun Corps
from:Trefriw, Caernarfonshire
(d.10th Apr 1918)
Trevor Ellis was born in Bethesda, Caernarfonshire on 19th November 1897, the third son of solicitor William Twigge and Jane Ellis (née Evans) of 15 Ogwen Terrace, Bethesda, Caernarfonshire. His mother came from Talysarn, Caernarfonshire. In 1896, his father dissolved his partnership in Bethesda and later opened a new practice in Trefriw in the Conwy valley and the family had moved to live at Mill Bank, Trefriw by 1911. Trevor’s siblings were: David Ithel (b. Bethesda, 1894), William Tudor (b. Bethesda, 1896), Harri Glyn (b. Bethesda, 1903), Keith Vaughan (b. Bethesda, 1904), Ilid Mary (b. Bethesda, 1907) and Arthur Cecil (b. Bethesda, 1909).
Educated at the County School, Llanrwst, Trevor was employed by the London City & Midland Bank Ltd in High Street, Wrexham and lodged at Heath House, 77 Ruabon Road.
Aged 18 years and 1 month, he registered for military service under the Derby Scheme on 7th of December 1915 and transferred to the Reserve before being mobilised on 12 May 1916 and posted the 21st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers (No. 43596) at Kinmel Bay two days later. In his December medical he was assessed as being only 5 feet 1 1/2 inches tall, but by May he was 5 feet 3 inches, weighing 105 lbs, he only qualified for military service under the revised regulations which accepted men who were under 5 feet 3 inches in height. Despite this his physical development was described as ‘Good’. On 1st September he transferred to B Company, 64th Training Reserve Battalion (No. 28531) at Kinmel Camp and was deemed suitable for a commission. On his application for a commission, he expressed a preference for the Machine Gun Corps, stating that he was able to ride both a horse and a motorcycle. He was sent to the MGC Officers’ Cadet Battalion at Bisley on 26th September (interestingly, his medical form at this time shows him as being 5 feet 41/2 inches tall and weighing 120 lbs) from where he was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant and posted to the MGC Infantry Training Group at Clipstone Camp, Mansfield on 26 January 1917 (London Gazette, 10 February 1917, p1440).
He embarked at Folkestone on 31st of March 1917 and joined 121st Company MGC (serving in the 121st Brigade, 40th Division) in France two weeks later. He was admitted to hospital three days later and remained there until the end of the month when he returned to duty. His service papers show that he was sent home on a 14-day leave in September. He appears to have taken part in all the actions of his unit during the summer of 1917 including the advance after the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. On 24th of November he was wounded in the fierce fighting at Bourlon Wood but was able to remain on duty.
In January 1918 he attended a one week course with the Royal Flying Corps somewhere in France and had a three-week home leave in February/March, rejoining his company which had been renamed C Company and merged with the 119th, 120th and 244th Companies to form the 40th Battalion, MGC at Enniskillen Camp, Ervillers. In early March the battalion was undergoing training and a rest period at Blaireville (including a rugby match against the 13th E Surreys, which they won 32–0, and 18th Welsh which they drew 3–3).
On 21st of March, the Germans opened a heavy bombardment on the whole of the front, the opening round of the ‘Kaiser’s Battle’ and 40MGC were heavily involved in the action from the start and sustained heavy casualties – four guns holding the sunken road west of Croiselles ‘fought to the last man and the last round but were finally destroyed’.
By 1st of April the battalion had been relieved and was in reserve at Sailly-sur-Lys and the following day moved to Croix du Bac where they were placed under orders to be ready to move at 30 minutes' notice. On 9th April 40MGC was located in the area east of the River Lys when, at 0415 hours, the Germans opened with a short but heavy bombardment and attacked a Portuguese division and a British brigade. The Portuguese gave way, but the British units held their forward positions until 0730 hours when they began to withdraw from the right flank. Two hours later, the Germans broke through the front line. Three machine gun posts on the right flank of the forward British position were surrounded and only one was able to withdraw, rescued by Corporal Wallace of the 40MGC. Fighting continued throughout the morning and by noon the Germans had penetrated as far as just south of Croix Blanche and were advancing in strength towards Barlette Farm. Lieutenant Bain and 2nd Lieutenant Trevor Ellis, with the Vickers gun rescued by Corporal Wallace and fifty infantry, ‘put up a most determined stand but finally fresh parties of the enemy came into action against them with Light Machine Guns from the rear’ and orders were received from brigade for them to fall back to York Post.
That evening, the Germans managed to cross the River Lys near Bac St Maur (G18) and pushed the British back beyond Croix du Bac (G6) and the troops concentrated at Le Petit Mortier (G4). Early the following morning the Germans bombarded the Vickers and Lewis gun positions that were guarding the Sailly Bridge (G16) and, under heavy supporting machine-gun fire, managed to get across the bridge at 1000 hours. The battalion war diary records that the gun crews holding this position were destroyed in this attack. Among those who died at the river crossing was Trevor Ellis. As the Germans advanced and drove back the defending British forces is body was not recovered. The CO of 40MGC noted in his report of this action:
`All ranks displayed great courage and endurance under particularly difficuly conditions. The losses of men and guns are heavy. Heavy casualties were however inflicted on the enemy. … I desire to bring to notice the names of … 2nd Lieut. T.E. Ellis whose gallantry and leadership were beyond all praise.'
As Trevor Ellis had been killed in the action, no gallantry award could be awarded to him (other than the Victoria Cross) and consequently he was given a posthumous Mention in Dispatches.
The telegram informing his family of Trevor’s death was sent to his father. It would have come immediately after his receipt of another informing him that his eldest son, Major David Ithel Ellis, MC, 285th Brigade, RFA, had been killed on 9th April in the same battle. Trevor Ellis is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial to the missing in Belgium (his brother’s name is on the same memorial). He is also remembered on the Trefriw War Memorial and the North Wales Heroes Memorial. He was awarded the British War Medal, the Allied Victory Medal and a Mentioned in Dispatches oak leaf cluster.
The citation for his brother’s Military Cross reads: `For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when under an intense and accurate hostile bombardment of his battery. He worked incessantly throughout the night in order to keep his guns in action, by his splendid personal example and devotion keeping up the spirits of his men under circumstances of an exceptionally trying nature. On several occasions he has been the life and soul of his battery under the heaviest shell fire, restoring confidence and cheerfulness at a time when they were most difficult to maintain.
Their younger brother, 2nd Lt William Tudor Ellis, 17th (Service) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers (2nd North Wales Pals), lost an arm during the war. Their father was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 5th (Flintshire) Battalion, RWF in 1915 and ended the war as a captain in the 324th Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps at Dyffryn Aled, Llansannan.
