THE heroic self-sacrifice of a First World War Aberporth sailor who drowned saving his ship’s flag will be remembered in his home village on the 100th anniversary of his death on Monday.

Selwyn James was an 18-year-old quartermaster aboard the hospital ship HMHS Salta when it struck a mine and sank with the loss of 52 lives off Le Havre, on 10 April, 1917.

The teenager is said to have scrambled aboard a lifeboat when he spotted that the ship’s flag – a Civil Jack - was still fluttering from the mast of the stricken vessel.

Ignoring the pleas of his shipmates, Quartermaster James - a strong swimmer – dived overboard in a bid to try and retrieve the flag before the Salta went down and was never seen alive again.

When the youngster’s body was finally recovered from the water the flag was found tightly-bound to his wrist.

The Merchant Navy are understood to have later donated it to the James family in honour of his bravery.

Another Aberporth sailor, 19-year-old Quartermaster John Rees, also went down with the ship and news of the tragedy plunged the village into mourning.

Virtually the entire community are said to have subsequently attended a memorial service for the two teenagers a few weeks following the sinking.

And on Monday, the loss of the village’s two young sons will again be marked by the Aberporth World War One committee, exactly one century on.

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