The family of Dorothy Miles

Many thanks to Carl Clayton, the nephew of Dorothy Miles, who has sent us this very interesting article about Dorothy’s father James Squire, and the family’s time in Rhyl.

“On the 25 March 2024 there was a post on this site about the unveiling of a Purple Plaque to celebrate the life of my aunt Dorothy Miles. I thought that the Rhyl History Club might like to know more about her family and what brought them to Rhyl.

James William Howard Squire was born in Wrexham on the 27^th February 1884, the eldest of eight children. He worked as a hairdresser. In the 1911 census he is listed as working on his own account so he must have had his own salon.

On the outbreak of war in 1914 he enlisted into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. His battalion was sent to Gallipoli in June 1915 and landed at Anzac Cove to reinforce the troops that had landed in April. From the very beginning James would have faced the horrors of this campaign where the allied forces were pinned down on the beach under constant enemy fire. He sought solace in reading and writing poetry. A favourite poem was the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam and in a poem found among his papers after his death he contrasts the beauty of the poem with the reality of people being killed around him. He concludes that the only way to survive the horror of war is to look forward to the time when it will all be over, and he can go home to his loved ones.

Above: James and Amy
In December 1915 James was seriously wounded and he was sent back to England to recover. In November 1916, while on sick leave, he married Amy Elizabeth Brick, a professional elocutionist who had ambitions of becoming a professional actor until her family forbade it. They met at a charity concert just before James left for war. Amy soon became pregnant, but James received orders to rejoin his Battalion which was now fighting in the Near East. James travelled to Marseilles in France and boarded the troopship Transylvania which was to take him to Egypt. The ship set sail on the 3^rd May 1917 escorted by two Japanese destroyers. (Japan was on the side of the Allies in WWI and had sent some ships to the west to help the war effort.) The next day the Transylvania was hit by two torpedoes from a German U-boat and sank with the loss of 414 officers, men and crew. James survived and was rescued by the destroyer Matsu, He later recounted that when he woke up on the destroyer and saw an oriental face looking down at him, he thought he had died and gone to heaven – and this was what an angel looked like!

News of the sinking and loss of life soon reached home but details of the casualties and survivors took much longer. Amy was at home anxiously awaiting news when she saw the local telegraph boy cycling up the road. Fearing bad news, she ran down the path to meet him but tripped and fell which brought on a premature labour. The child, a boy, was born and christened, but died 24 hours later. The telegram was to say that James had survived.

Despite this tragedy, James had to go back to war and this time he was sent to the Western front. He served at Ypres, the site of several terrible battles and was wounded again, this time in the foot. He was discharged from the army in October 1918, just before the end of the war.

Suffering from a disabling wound and from what we would now call post-traumatic stress disorder, James found it difficult to find employment, so in 1920 James, Amy and their infant son Don, emigrated to Ontario, Canada where they bought a smallholding. They met with many problems; one year the farm was buried in a sandstorm that destroyed the entire crop. James then became a labourer at the local Heinz foods factory. Two more children, Jean and Elizabeth, were born in Canada but the family decided to return home in 1925. A third daughter, Wendy, was born in Wallasey.

In 1928 the family moved to Rhyl. This must have been a low point in James’ life. He was still suffering from his wounds, his Canadian adventure had failed, the Great Depression was about to begin and he had a growing family.  At first James worked as a travelling salesman and they lived in St Margaret’s Drive but in 1934 James got help from the Rhyl branch of Toc H. This charity found a position at the Rhyl Telephone Exchange in Wellington Road for both James and Amy and accommodation for the whole family. James and Amy were both employed as cleaners and Amy was also responsible for answering any phone calls after the day staff had gone home. There is an account of Rhyl Toc H on the Rhyl History Club website which includes images of their booklet from 1936/7. Under the entry for Rhyl South Group is listed Russell Lloyd, the “Pilot” of the group who helped James get this position, and Jim Squire as a member of the group. This act of charity helped the family in their hour of greatest need.

In 1937 they moved from the Telephone Exchange to Westbourne Avenue. It was in this house that their youngest daughter Dorothy contracted meningitis that left her deaf, and which now displays the Purple Plaque.

To supplement their income Amy took in lodgers, especially holiday makers. To make room for up to two families, James and Amy slept in a shed in the garden behind the house. Amy was also interested in theatre and amateur dramatics, often writing and staging shows with members of the family. During WW2 the Manchester Repertory Theatre Company were evacuated to the Pavilion Theatre on Rhyl’s Promenade. Within the Theatre Company, there was a young Actor by the name of Joseph Holroyd who took lodgings in Amy’s boarding house. He set up theatre classes for the children of Rhyl which led to the setting up of the Children’s Theatre, later to become the Rhyl Little Theatre. Amy and other members of the family acted in some of the productions and afterwards the company would go round to Westbourne Avenue for a Rep supper and party games. Also, Amy provided lodgings and an open house for service men from local training camps including French, Dutch, Polish, Czechoslovakian, Canadian and US soldiers. After the war she welcomed German POWs waiting for repatriation and mature students from India and Africa.

Above: James with Dorothy. The reverse of the photo is annotated by Dorothy. “8th June 1939. Taken just before the war when we lived in Rhyl. Don’t my knees look grubby. It was taken for a ‘likenesses’ competition in the Sunday papers. I was 7 (nearly 8).”

After the war the family dispersed to follow their own careers. Dorothy went to study in America, married and changed her name to Miles. James and Amy left Rhyl and moved to London. Amy suffered from a heart condition and died in 1953. James was also unwell and moved around, staying with various relatives. In 1955 he was back in Rhyl and had to go into the Royal Alexandra Hospital for a minor operation. He died there on the 7^th June aged 70.

James and his family had a hard life like many of their generation. For all of them Rhyl was a place of happy memories – a town which had welcomed them with an open heart and generosity. The plaque on the wall of the house in Westbourne Avenue can be seen not only as a memorial to Dorothy but also to the Squire family and to the town of Rhyl which gave them a home when they needed it.”

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Dorothy Miles

What a lovely occasion it was in Westbourne Avenue on Friday afternoon. Crowds were there to watch the unveiling of a Purple Plaque to celebrate the life and work of Dorothy Miles.

People will have noticed “History Points” plaques, with their QR codes, at various locations in Rhyl and the whole of Wales. It was Rhodri Clark, founder of History Points, who first knocked on the door of 27, Westbourne Avenue to ask residents, Duncan and Christine, if he could place a HP plaque on their gatepost.

Rhodri went on the nominate Dorothy Miles for a Purple Plaque. Purple Plaques aims to shine a light on women’s achievements by improving the recognition of remarkable women in Wales. The nomination was successful. Sue Essex, Chair of Purple Plaques Wales, said “Dorothy’s legacy is still celebrated today in the deaf community but she is not well known in the hearing world. By unveiling a Purple Plaque for her we hope to change this”

Dorothy “Dot” Miles was a pioneer of BSL (British Sign Language) poetry and a playwright. To read all about Dorothy’s achievements, see her story on History Points.

Photographs above show Left: Lr-Rt Sue Essex, Christine and Duncan, Right. Lt-Rt Sue Essex, Liz Deverill and Rhodri Clark

We heard inspiring speeches from Lesley Griffiths, MS for Wrexham and Minister for Culture and Social Justice, and from Dorothy’s niece Liz Deverill who told us that Dorothy had written “the stretch of golden sands at the seaside resort of Rhyl, my first remembered home.”

We all then retired to Rhyl Bowling Club (established 1902) for refreshments. Many thanks to them for their warm hospitality.
Thanks also to Rhodri for all the good work he does with History Points.

Sheikh Abdul-Hamid and the Indian Contingent

Rhyl History Club recently received an e-mail from Abdul-Azim Ahmed, the Deputy Director of the Islam-UK research centre based in Cardiff. He is exploring the history of Muslims in Wales, one of whom is the Architect Sheikh Abdul Hamid who was based in Rhyl during World War 2 with the Ministry of Works.
The Ministry of Works was a department of the UK Government formed in 1940 to organise the requisitioning of property for wartime use.

Whilst in Rhyl during the war Sheikh Abdul-Hamid took an active part in our town’s civic life, organising charity events for the Red Cross and St. John’s Prisoner of War Fund. He also organised Eid prayers in Prestatyn in 1941, where the guest of honour was the dethroned Monarch of Persia.
Sheikh Abdul-Hamid was also the Hon. organiser of Indian Festivities in Rhyl in March and October 1942, which included Indian Gala Balls at the Queen’s Hotel.

Whilst we were investigating Sheikh Abdul-Hamid’s time in Rhyl, a bigger story emerged. Who were the Indian visitors that visited Rhyl in 1942? Research revealed that they were part of the “Indian Contingent” – the forgotten Muslim soldiers of Dunkirk. They were three hundred Indian soldiers, part of the British Expeditionary Force, who, in May 1940, embarked for England from Dunkirk in the dead of night and spent the remainder of the war serving in Britain. This is fascinating history, to learn more click here.

During the visit to Rhyl in March the Indian visitors were entertained to tea at Bodrhyddan Hall by Rear Admiral R. Rowley Conwy. This was followed by a Gala Ball in Rhyl in aid of the Indian Troops Comfort Fund.

photograph by kind permission of Lady Langford, Bodrhyddan Hall.

In October they were welcomed at Rhyl Railway Station by Rhyl Town Councillors, Sheikh Abdul-Hamid and other well wishers. They had refreshments at Robins’ Corner Cafe, were conducted to various Rhyl homes which were providing their accommodation, and had lunch at the Sports Cafe on the East Parade. The visitors then attended the first performance at the Queen’s Theatre, followed by a visit to the home of Sheikh Abdul-Hamid at Sandy Cove where they enjoyed an Indian supper of curry, rice and unleavened bread – “a thoughtful and kindly gesture on the part of Sheikh Abdul Hamid” reported the Rhyl Journal. The climax of the visit was the second Indian Gala Ball in the evening, where there was record attendance at the Queen’s Ballroom with about 700 spectators watching from the balcony.

Here is an extract from the book “The Indian Contingent” by Ghee Bowman“:
“On 16th October 1942, a party of twenty Officers and VCOs was invited to the seaside town of Rhyl for a trip that included an overnight stay, all designed as a fundraiser for the ICF. According to Jemadar A.G. Khan, as they arrived ‘the clouds scattered and the sun came up… we were able to see the whole city blooming and glowing” Sunny Rhyl!
It continues ” They were taken for tea at the house of the Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire. Admiral R. G. Rowley-Conwy, where they were, of course, photographed”

photograph by kind permission of Lady Langford, Bodrhyddan Hall.

After their visit to Rhyl Sheikh Abdul-Hamid received a letter from the Contingent Welfare Officer, Captain Dr. Chandra, a portion of which is repeated here:
“I really believe that there has not been one single occasion comparable to this visit to Rhyl. It has not only eclipsed our last visit to Rhyl, but also all other visits we have made to other parts of Britain”.

Tragically, Sheikh Abdul-Hamid was killed by “enemy action” in the South of England during the V1 campaign in June 1944, aged 44. He is buried in Cardiff.

with many thanks to Abdul-Azim Ahmed and the Islam in Wales project https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/explore/find-a-project/view/2618934-islam-in-wales

further reading:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-58466527

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/incredible-snowdonia-summer-1000-indian-18606507

Click to access bbc-north-west-wales-history-ww2-royal-indian-army-visit.pdf

Now and then – The Grosvenor Hotel

The corner of Bodfor Street and Kinmel Street with the Railway Station at the back of the image.

Lifeboat Saturdays

Does anyone know when “Lifeboat Saturdays” came to an end in Rhyl? Perhaps they’re still going? The tradition in Rhyl started in 1896. The Rhyl Journal in August of that year reported that although Lifeboat Saturday had been established for a few years, this was the first year that Rhyl had taken part. The report went on to say that whilst nothing elaborate was attempted, the result was a great success. £36 was raised for the RNLI, the equivalent of approximately £2,800 in today’s money.
The first Lifeboat Saturday was held in Manchester in 1891.

This is from the RNLI website:

“In 1891, a local wealthy industrialist Sir Charles Macara answered the RNLI’s call for help, following a lifeboat disaster. Five years earlier, 27 men from Southport and St Anne’s died while trying to rescue sailors from the stricken vessel Mexico.
The RNLI asked for funds and Sir Charles responded in style.
He was so concerned for the widows and children of the volunteers lost that he decided to organise a collection for them. Instead of asking wealthy philanthropists for money, he appealed to the man on the street.
Charles and his wife Marion got a committee together and organised the first Lifeboat Saturday in aid of the appeal. It was the world’s first charity street collection ever recorded, and the formula proved popular for decades to come.”
Macara made his own donation and also “brought charity to the streets, and the streets to charity” – the world’s first recorded charity street collection.

We know nothing about the above photograph, other than it looks very much like a Lifeboat Saturday in Rhyl, in the 1920’s/30’s perhaps?

The following are extracts from the “Rhyl Journal” of Saturday, August 15th,1896. Whilst the report begins with “nothing of a very elaborate character was attempted” it certainly sounds like a grand affair!

“Saturday was a beautifully fine day, and at about 10 o’clock the self-righting boat, “The Jane Martin,” was launched with some ceremony from the boathouse at the Foryd, and from there taken to the pier head, where the crew gave an exhibition of life saving and swimming. Prof. Frank Sinclair also entertained the large company which had assembled by his high diving performance and trick and ornamental swimming. The Rhyl Yacht Club had also arranged that the races which had been postponed from July 25th, should be sailed that day, and so the spectators who had assembled to witness the lifeboat practice had also the privilege of seeing some capital yacht racing.”

“During the time that the racing had been going on the ladies and the collectors were busily engaged gathering money from the large number of persons who frequented the Pier, Promenade, and streets. One could not turn a corner without being appealed to for help for the lifeboat. Mrs De Kance, assisted by Mrs D J Davies and Mrs Roger Price, had a stall by the entrance to the Pier for the sale of fruit, etc, while Mrs Clark and Miss Wilders presided over a fruit and flower stall by the fountain at the top of High-street, and were assisted by several other young ladies. At 2.30 the lifeboat procession started from the top of High Street, directed by Mr Aidney. It was headed by the Bugle Band of the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers (by kind permission of Capt Keatinge) and the brass band of the 2nd Shropshire Volunteers. The lifeboat followed, and then came a couple of smart boats, lent by Mr Hudson, with crews of ladies, representative of Oxford and Cambridge. The other attraction was the tableaux by the artistes from the Palace Theatre under the personal direction of Mr Edward Neville.”

“The West Parade, River Street, Wellington Road, Water, Queen, Bodfor, Kinmel, and High Streets were all visited in turn, and the spectators were given every opportunity of contributing to the funds. It was not the fault of the collectors if anyone escaped from putting their mite into the boxes or bags.”

Update:
Many thanks to Peter Dean who has been able to tell us when Lifeboat Saturdays in Rhyl came to an end: “There was a discussion in 2008 that ‘Lifeboat Days’ were not being supported as well as in previous years!  We continued with them until 2013 when it was decided to merge these events with Open Days at the Boathouse! RIP ‘Lifeboat Days’!”

This year marks the 200th Anniversary of the RNLI.