Rodge | Melville Donald
Biography
Melville Donald Rodge (Service No.14676639) died of wounds on 1 November, 1944. He was aged 19 and a Private in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was initially buried at the Maria Regina Nunnery at Stevensbeek and subsequently re-interred on 22 May 1947 in grave III. D. 6 at the Overloon Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery. The inscription on his grave reads in Welsh “Bu Farw Fel Bu Byw”
which translates to “He died as he lived”.
Family Background
Melville Donald Rodge was the son of Luther and Margaret Rodge.
Luther Rodge was the son of John and Ann Rodge (though shown in early records as Roach). John was born around 1845 and Ann around 1847, both in Llanelly, Carmarthenshire in Wales. Llanelly is on the coast just west of Swansea in southwest Wales. They seem to have had nine children, all born in Llanelly, as follows: Thomas 1868, Sarah Ann 1971, David 1876, Gwilym 1878, Ruth 1883, Edwin 1885, Mary Ann 1888, Luther 27 January 1890 and Glyndwr 1893.
In 1881 John and Ann were living at Parketto in Llanelly. John was working as a coal miner. With them were their first four children.
By 1891, John and Ann were living at Tip Cottages, 1, Incline Row, Llanelly. John was shown as in employment as a colliery proprietor. With them were their six youngest children, of whom Luther was the youngest. David was working as a Tin Worker – Cold Roller – an industry for which Llanelly was well known.
In 1901 they were living at Berwick, Llanelly. John was now shown again as a coal miner. All but their eldest two children were present. David and Gwilyn were working as coal miner / hewers while Edwin was a railway porter. Two granddaughters were also present: Mary Annie Roach and Sarah Jane Roach, aged 2 and 0.
By 1911 John and Ann (now shown as Rodge) were living at Lasswade, Llwynhendy, Llanelly. John was now shown as a driver of a road engine for the County Council. Their five youngest children were still at home, including Luther. Ruth was helping her mother at home, but Edwin and Luther were both coal miner / hewers. Mary Ann was a dressmaker, and Glyndwr was a house carpenter/ joiner. Mary Annie and Sarah Jane Rodge were still living with them but were now described as John’s nieces rather than granddaughters.
John and Ann were at the same address in June 1921. They were both now shown as old age pensioners. Of their children, only Ruth, Luther and Glyndwr were still with them. Luther was now a steel worker at the Bynea Steel Works while Glyndwr was still a carpenter. The same two nieces were still living with them. Mary Annie was working as a Clerk Assistant at the Park Estate Office Llangennech while Sarah Jane was helping in the house.
John Rodge died in 1924 and Ann in 1931, both in Llanelly.
Melville’s mother, Margaret Jones, was the daughter of Thomas and Mary Jones. She was born in 1889 in Cellan, Cardiganshire. Cellan is just northeast of Lampeter towards the west of Wales. Thomas was born around 1857 while Mary was born around 1864, both in Llanybyther near Lampeter. They seem to have had 5 children as follows: David 1885, Margaret 23 August 1888, John 1892, Mary Anne 1895 and Trevor 1906. David was born in Carmarthenshire, while the rest were born in Cellan.
In 1891, Thomas and Mary Jones were living at Gwarffrwd, Cellan. Thomas was working as a woollen manufacturer. With them were David and Margaret. Also present was a female domestic servant, two young men aged 18 and 19 described as servants to a woollen weaver and a 14-year-old apprentice to a woollen weaver. In 1884, Thomas and Mary had rebuilt the old fulling mill as a woollen mill to which local farmers brought their fleeces to be spun into yarn or cloth, taking a percentage for themselves to process into products for sale at local markets.
They remained at the Gwarffyd Factory in Cellan. In 1901 their first four children, including Margaret, were all at home. By 1911 it was only David, Mary and Trevor who were at home. David was working as a woollen worker and his mother was also helping with the business. By June 1921, again, David, Mary and Trevor were still at home, with David assisting his father in the business as a skinner/weaver and Trevor also assisting, as was their mother. Their daughter Margaret was visiting. She was working as a General Domestic Servant for Percy Rees of Llwyneithin, Llanelly.
Margaret Jones married Luther Rodge in 1922 in the Lampeter District. Melville Donald Rodge was born in late 1925 in Llanelly. Twins Mair and Megan were born in Llanelly in 1927 but tragically died the same year.
It is understood that Melville’s first language was Welsh. He attended the Tabernacle Welsh Baptist Chapel in Llwynhendy, Llanelly and a photo of him from 1937 when he would have been 12 shows him in the Tabernacle Chapel Choir.
In September 1939, Luther and Margaret were living at Glan-y-nant, Parc-y-phil, Llwynhendy, Llanelly. An undisclosed child was present, presumably Melville. Luther was working as a Steel Works Labourer.
Luther Rodge died on 1 November 1941 in Llanelly, so did not live to hear of his only remaining child’s fate.
The Llanelli Star of 17 January 1942 showed Melville Donald Rodge being awarded a certificate in book-keeping.
Information published after his death suggests that prior to enlisting, he had been on the staff of the Cardiganshire War Agricultural Committee in Lampeter tasked with maximizing food production during the war. It seems that he may have been staying at the Gwarffrwd Woollen Factory in Cellan which his maternal grandfather owned.
Military Career
Melville initially joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers on 29 December 1943. He was transferred to the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry on 18 July 1944. At the time of his death, he was in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
It isn’t known which battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers he was in, but the 4th, 6th and 7th Battalions served in the 158th (Royal Welch) Brigade assigned to the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division. They took part in the Battle of Normandy at Hill 112 on 10 to 11 July, where the 53rd Division suffered heavy casualties. Due to heavy fighting and casualties in Normandy, some of the battalions were posted to different brigades within the division. Although it wasn’t in the same division, this may have been the cause of him being transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the KSLI. By April 1943, the 2 KSLI were part of the 185th Brigade which included the 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment and the 1st Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment. They were part of the 3rd British Infantry Division. The 2 KSLIs, along with the 2ndBattalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, had also taken part in the D-Day landings and fought in the Normandy Campaign. The 2nd Battalion of the Warwickshires had suffered losses as a result and it was only on 25 August that they had a significant number of reinforcements to bring them back up to full strength. It is possible it was at his point that Melville was transferred to the 2nd Warwickshires.
Following the failure to take the bridge at Arnhem in Operation Market Garden in late September 1944, the Allied Forces were left in a very precarious narrow salient through the Netherlands.
The Battalion passed into Belgium on 19 September, then the Netherlands at Asten on 22 September. This is to the east of Eindhoven. On 1 October, in drenching rain, they moved northeast from there to Malden which is between Nijmegen and the River Meuse. It was the aim of Operation Aintree to widen the salient by heading south from Nijmegen to take Overloon and then Venray before finally eliminating a German bridgehead on the River Meuse near Venlo. Initially, the US 7th Armoured Division was to undertake this task while British forces, including the 3rd Division, would move eastward, across the German frontier, and capture the forest area known as the Reichswald, from which the Germans had been launching counter attacks.
However, by 9 October, the plan changed. An attempt by the US 7th Armoured Division to take Overloon and Venray had lost many men and tanks without making much headway. Field Marshal Montgomery decided that he must postpone the Reichswald attack. He needed to clear the Scheldt estuary to open the badly needed port facilities of Antwerp and the lesser, but also essential, task of eliminating the German forces west of the Meuse. The latter objective was entrusted to 8 Corps, including the 3rd Division. The 3rd Division was to attack southeast to Venray, in the hope of drawing off enemy forces while three other divisions prepared to advance eastward to Venlo.
Sgt. George W A Davis later gave a vivid description of the conditions which were to come: “The last good, long, sleep we had was about the 10th or 11th of October. Our clothes were filthy, we were near exhaustion, due to lack of food and sleep. It was very cold and rain and sleet all the time, so we were all wet. There were shells, mortar bombs, machine gunning, Moaning Minnies, rockets and German snipers all over the place.”
Overloon was taken by other Battalions on 12 October. Then from 13 to 18 October the Battalion was engaged along with other Regiments in first clearing woodlands around Overloon of enemy and then proceeding to capture Venray. This involved crossing the Molenbeek which presented a major obstacle to both tanks and infantry. The Battalion successfully achieved its objectives but suffered heavy casualties with 14 killed, 90 wounded and 3 missing.
On 19 October, the Battalion was relieved and returned to Overloon where they remained for a rest period until 25 October. Life there was not very comfortable as the village had been badly damaged by the battle to liberate it. One author described it as “pitifully battered…tiles were spilled from the cottage roofs; ragged shell-holes in the walls of homes exposed a view of a crucifix, a plush armchair, or perhaps a portrait of Wilhelmina.”
A special order of the day was issued on 21 October by 8 Corps Command as follows: “I would like to congratulate you all on the very fine performance you have put up during the recent operations against Venray. All of you have taken your share in this success, but I must particularly congratulate 185 Inf BDE on the magnificent performance of bridging the beek north of Venray with all the elements against them. In this fighting you have shown grit and determination, and you have gained the knowledge that you are a better man than the enemy. It is probably the first action of a good many of you, and I feel that you have made a great start and have thereby gained my full confidence.”
On 26 October the Battalion took over from the South Lancashires in Venray. A major task over the next few days was to evacuate the very large number of civilians who were still present in the town. The Germans still held the road east of Venray towards Oostrum so there continued to be some shelling. The Battalion remained at Venray for the first half of November, holding this line. Practically no contact was made with the enemy on the Battalion’s front at this time so a certain amount of relaxation was possible. Nevertheless, some mortar and shell fire continued and 2 men were still killed and 10 wounded. It is likely that Melville was one of these men. He is buried alongside fellow Welshmen, Emyr Wyn Griffith and Willian Henry Jones who were in the same Battalion and died the same day.
Aftermath
Melville is commemorated on the Cellan War Memorial as “Melville Rodge, Gwarffrwd Factory”.
Notice of his death appeared in the Western Mail of 16 November 1944 as follows:
“Pte Melville D Rodge, only son of Mrs and the late Mr Luther Rodge, Glan-y-nant, Parcyphil, Llwynhendy, Llanelly, has died of wounds. He was 19 and before joining the forces was on the staff of the Cardiganshire War Agricultural Committee, Lampeter.”
His aunt and uncle later paid tribute to him in the Carmarthen Journal of 2 November 1951 as follows:
“Rodge: In Loving Memory of our dear Nephew, Melville D Rodge, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, who was killed in Holland November 1st 1944, Aged 19 years – Auntie and Uncle Tom, Lampeter.
Happy and smiling, always content,
Loved and respected wherever he went;
To a beautiful life came a sudden end,
He died as he lived – everyone’s friend.”
It is thought that the aunt who paid this tribute to him was Mary Anne Jones who had married Thomas Williams in 1927. She died in 1952.
Melville’s mother, Margaret Rodge, died in 1977 in the Carmarthen district
