Lemuel Philip Ace – King’s (Liverpool Regiment), 19th Labour Company / Labour Corps
Private Lemuel Philip Ace – King’s (Liverpool Regiment), 19th Labour Company / Labour Corps
Parentage and Early Life
John Ace and Mary Davies
marriage certificate
St. Cattwg’s Church, Port Eynon
Lemuel Philip Ace was born in 1885 in Oystermouth,
the son of John Ace and Mary Davies. His parents were married in
July 1869 at St. Cattwg’s Church, Port Eynon, Gower, where John’s
occupation was recorded as Fisherman.Lemuel Philip Ace
Census Records and Family Life
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| 1891 Census |
By the 1891 Census, the Ace family was living at Gower Place, Oystermouth. John, aged 43 and born in Port Eynon, was working as a General Labourer, while his wife Mary, also 43, was recorded as being born in Port Eynon. Living with them were their children, all born in Oystermouth: Mary Jane (20); William John (17), who was also employed as a General Labourer; Samuel D. (15), an Apprentice Mason; Janet E. (9); Lemuel P. (6); George R. (4); and Morgan J. (2).
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| 1901 Census |
At the time of the 1901 Census, the family was still living at Gower Place. John, now 50, continued to work as a General Labourer, while Mary was 53. Several of their older children had already moved from home. Those still living in the household were Janet (19); Lemuel (16), who was working as a Domestic Gardener; George (14); Morgan (12); and Annie (9).
Marriage and Home Life
In 1908, Lemuel married Kate Jones.
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| 1911 Census |
By the 1911 Census, Lemuel and Catherine (Kate) were living at Chapel Street, Oystermouth. Lemuel, aged 26, was employed as a Groundsman on the Golf Links, while Catherine, aged 28, was recorded as being born in Cwmavon, Glamorgan. Their daughter, Gladys, aged six months, was living with them.
Military Service
Enlistment
Lemuel enlisted during the First World War and served as a Private
in The King’s (Liverpool Regiment), 19th Labour Company,
before later being transferred to the Labour Corps, 84th Company.
Why Lemuel Was Transferred to the Labour Corps
The transfer of soldiers from infantry regiments to the
Labour Corps was extremely common during the war. The Labour Corps, formed in
1917, was designed for men who were not fully fit for front-line combat but
were still capable of performing essential work close to the battlefields.
There were several reasons why men like Lemuel were transferred. Many soldiers
had suffered illness, injury, or physical strain that made them unsuitable for
infantry service, yet still able to contribute in other vital roles. The Army
actively reassigned such men to the Labour Corps.
Lemuel’s civilian experience as a groundsman and gardener
also provided practical outdoor skills that were highly valuable for the Labour
Corps, whose duties included building and repairing roads and trenches,
carrying supplies, preparing battlefield positions, and working in areas often
under shellfire. His age—32 at the time of his service—also made him older than
many new infantry recruits, placing him among the typical group transferred to
Labour Corps units. In 1917, when the Labour Corps urgently needed thousands of
men, soldiers with manual labour backgrounds or reduced medical fitness were
moved into these companies as a matter of routine.
Death in the First World War
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| Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects |
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| Lemuel Philip Ace Solerino Farm Cemetery, Belgium credit - findagrave |
Legacy and Commemoration
Memorial at Langland Golf Course
Langland Golf Course, which first opened in 1904,
erected a memorial plaque in Lemuel’s honour a century after his death,
acknowledging his connection to the course where he had worked before the war.
Local Newspaper Tributes
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| South Wales Daily Post |
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| Herald of Wales |
The Herald of Wales published his photograph along with an article describing a memorial service held at the Gospel Hall, Mumbles, which noted that Lemuel was the congregation’s first member to be killed in the war. A later article in the South Wales Daily Post reported on the wedding of his daughter, Gladys Ace, who married Ronald W. Thomas at St. Paul’s Church, Sketty.
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