Decorated war hero from Laugharne to be honoured

A CEREMONY is taking place on Sunday to honour a war hero from Laugharne.

William Charles Fuller is the first Welsh man, and the only one this year, to have a paving stone laid in his honour as part of this year’s WW1 commemorations.

Mr Fuller was awarded the Victoria Cross in September 1914, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be given.

Now, as part of the WW1 100th anniversary commemorations, all VC recipients will receive a paving stone in their honour to be laid in their home county.

As the stones are being laid 100 years to the date that the VC was awarded and the ceremony is taking place in his birth town of Laugharne, on September 14.

Dozens of members of Mr Fuller’s family are coming from across the UK to be at the event being organised by Carmarthenshire County Council and Laugharne Town Council.

Armed Forces Champion Cllr Kevin Madge will be in attendance. He said: “This is a very prestigious honour to have a stone laid in Mr Fuller’s name, and we are glad to see so many of his relatives coming to share this moment with us.

“Mr Fuller was a true war hero, there is no greater honour than the Victorian Cross and it is very fitting that a century later he is remembered for his bravery on that day.”

William Fuller’s heroic deeds

ON September 14, 1914, Lance Corporal Fuller of the 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment, was near Chivy-sur-Aisne in France.

Despite heavy enemy rifle and machine gun fire he advanced to extract a wounded officer and carried him back to cover.

Fuller won his VC for saving Captain Mark Haggard, nephew of famous author Rider Haggard, who had fallen wounded.

He carried him a distance of around 100 yards to a ridge where he managed to dress the officer’s wounds.

Capt Haggard asked Fuller to fetch his rifle from where he’d fallen as he did not want the enemy to get it. Fuller managed to do this.

With the help of two others, Fuller managed to get Haggard to the safety of a barn that was being used as a First-Aid dressing station.

He remained with Captain Haggard trying to help him until the officer died later on that evening.

His last words to Fuller were “Stick it, Welsh.” After the officer died Fuller attended to two other officers who had also been brought to the barn wounded.

The barn came under heavy fire and the wounded men and officers were evacuated. Later it was razed to the ground with German shell-fire.

On October 29, Fuller was wounded while dressing the wounds of Private Tagge a fellow soldier.

Shrapnel entered his right side, 12 inches in up to his shoulder blade and came to rest on his right lung.

He was sent to Swansea Hospital where they operated, removing the shrapnell and was given a home posting after his recovery as a successful recruiting sergeant in his native Wales.

Fuller also served in the Swansea Home Guard in World War II and was awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal for Life Saving.

He died at the age of 90 in December 1974 and is buried in Oystermouth Ceremony.

Family history

WILLIAM Fuller was born on March 13, 1884, at Newbridge Road, Laugharne, the son of William and Mary Fuller of Laugharne.

He was educated in Swansea, and joined the Army in 1902 during the Second Boer War.

Fuller was recalled as a reservist in 1914 where he joined the 2nd Battalion Welsh Regiment.

Fuller was buried with his wife, son and daughter, all of whom died before him.