b. ? 1884 Rugeley, Staffordshire. d. ? 1949 Walsall, Staffordshire.
DATE OF EM ACTION: 24/07/1912 Darlaston Green Furnaces, Walsall, Staffordshire.
Llewellyn was the fifth born of seven children born to Sidney and Lois Ince (nee Ingram), born in 1884 in Rugeley, Staffordshire. Following a basic schooling, Llewellyn became apprenticed to a local wheelwright and the family moved to Walsall, where they lived in Green Lane. His father who originally came from Worcestershire was a journeyman by profession. In 1906, Llewellyn married Florence Price in West Bromwich, and they went on to have two sons. Llewellyn then became a smelter in an iron foundry, and began work at the Darlaston Green Furnaces near Walsall. During the Great War, Llewellyn served with the 3rd Staffordshire Regiment and then the Royal Engineers. Little is known about his life following his war service and he died in Walsall in 1949, aged 65.
EM CITATION:
On the 24th of July, 1912, a man named Heald descended into a melting furnace thirty feet high at the Darlaston Green Furnaces in order to adjust a piece of scrap iron under which some coke had to be placed. Heald descended into the furnace by a chain, and was almost immediately overcome by noxious gas which had collected there owing to damp. A man standing at the top at once gave the alarm, and Shadrach Jackson and Ince came to his assistance. Jackson without hesitation slid down the chain, and a rope was thrown to him, which he tied round Heald, who was then pulled up, Jackson climbing up the chain after him. As Jackson, however, reached the door through which Heald was being pulled, he too was overcome by the gas and fell back to the bottom of the furnace. Ince then descended and placed a rope round Jackson’s body, but unfortunately it slipped off before the man could be pulled out, though Ince, feeling that he was being overcome by the gas, climbed up the chain and escaped. On recovering Ince went down a second iame, once more tied the rope round Jackson, but again failed to bring him to the surface, though he himself escaped by a ladder which had been brought. Arthur Darby then went down the ladder with a rope, which was attached to Jackson’s belt, but unfortunately the belt gave way. On Darby coming out Speke went down, and, the rope having been more securely tied round Jackson’s body, he was extricated, though unhappily it was found on reaching the surface that he was dead. All the men were fully aware of the great risk to which they repeatedly exposed themselves.
BURIAL LOCATION: UNKNOWN.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
