Risca Branch, the Royal British Legion mourns over death of Ira John Ivin

UK: The Nonprofit Organisation Risca Branch, The Royal British Legion, mourned the death of Ira John Ivin, who died on October 20, 1917. He was born in Pontymister in 1887 to Richard and Elizabeth Ivin. The Organisation recalled his life and shared specific facts.

Reportedly, the Risca Branch of the Royal British Legion is a UK-based charity and non-profit Organisation supporting the Risca Armed Forces community.

The Army records and censuses record him as both Ira and Ivor.

As per the information obtained through Royal British Legion, Ira’s father, Richard, died in 1892 and was buried on March 31. Elizabeth and her family of four sons and a daughter lived at Shaftsbury Terrace in 1901; Ira is employed as a labourer in the Steel Works.

On February 4 1904, Ira attested to the South Wales Borderers, stating he was already a member of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, South Wales Borderers.

He was described as 5ft 7ins tall, weighing nine stone with a 32ins chest. He had a sallow complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair and several distinctive marks, including a scar on the back of his head and tattoos.

Ira only stayed with the SWB for six days of drill and bought himself out on February 9 1904.

A member of Risca RFC, he played with the team in 1910. Ira is working as a blacksmith’s striker with his family at 37 Trafalgar Street in 1911. His mother, Elizabeth, died in 1912, aged 68, being buried on March 11.

Ira later moved to Hawarden, North Wales and married Catherine Elizabeth Tilley on September 12 1916, at St. Francis’s Church, Sandycroft.

His marriage certificate showed he was a Bachelor and a Soldier, aged 31. It also shows his father, Richard, was a provision dealer, although it does not show him as deceased.

As per Royal British Legion, He enlisted at Flint and was in the Royal Army Service Corps, serving with the 594th MT Company, attached to X Corps.

X Corps was formed in France in July 1915 under Thomas Morland. In the autumn of 1916, the Corps took part in the Battle of the Somme, where its 36th (Ulster) Division attacked Thiepval.

In 1917, X Corps formed a part of the Second Army and included the 29th and 30th Divisions, followed by others as the Second Army was reinforced for the Flanders operations after the Battle of Arras.

In June 1917, it participated in the Battle of Messines and participated in the Battles of Ypres from July 31 to November 10. Some records show that he died in France on September 27 1916, just 15 days after his marriage.
The majority of military records, though, show him as having died on October 20 the following year, 1917.

Ira is remembered at the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium, the Sandycroft War Memorial in St. Francis’s Church and the Hawarden War Memorial.