this cache is near a grade II listed building it is not in the grounds of either church or graveyard and is placed on the outside bank of a public footpath leading around the out side of the church grounds
the Church is an old, stone built building with a massive, low tower and the dedication is to St Mary the Virgin
The parish dates back to mediaeval times and was first recorded in 1307
it is in one of very few villages called "a doubly thankful villages"
It has long been known locally that Herbrandston was spared fatalities in both the World Wars Herbrandston has no village war memorial, and is classified as a doubly thankful village, as none of the young men of the village who went to either of the world wars were killed. and the present Vicar, the Reverend Sian Wight, has duly confirmed this. It is not recorded how many men and women of the village served during the Great War but we do know that the Squire of the Manor, Major Stokes, went to fight the King’s enemies, as did the two sons of the Rector, Leonard and Cecil Hughes. Squire Stokes and Leonard Hughes both served as Colonels during the Second World War and returned unscathed.
There is no war memorial in Herbrandston and nothing that formally marks the village’s good fortune in being spared wartime fatalities. The beautiful Reredos in St Mary’s Chancel was placed there as a mark of thanksgiving and a local man gave thanks by pointing the whole of the chancel free of charge.
The present day villagers of Herbrandston remain fiercely proud of their forefathers and eternally grateful for their safe return to the green, green grass of west Wales, and to this most idyllic ‘Thankful Village’
however on looking around the grave yard at the church one might spot 2 soldiers that died during service
*Lieutenant Philip Carrol Walker. was based at Fort Hubberston, when he was allegedly murdered by Surgeon Major Sidney Alder on 28 May 1875. Alder was tried and found not guilty of the murder of the 26 year old Walker
* major Alfred Ernest Gordon, He died of heart failure at South Hook Fort on 19 December 1916, aged 45,
there is a more questionable note found whilst doing this research and that is of a locally born man i include his full write up as he was born of this village but moved to another before being enlisted
* private Thomas Kinsey, 2920, Army Cyclist Corps. Thomas was born at Herbrandston in 1892, the son of Jonathan and Emily Kinsey. His father had been stationed nearby with the Royal Marine Light Infantry. The family had moved to 12, Gron Road, Gwaun-cae-Gurwen prior to 1901. Thomas enlisted at Ammanford on 9 September 1914 into the 9th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. On 30 December he was posted to the XVII Corps Cyclist Battalion, and landed in France on 26 September 1915. Thomas was killed in action during the Second Battle of Bapaume on 4 September 1918. He has no known grave, and is commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, France.
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