David John Williams

Private David John Williams – Royal Army Medical Corps

Early Life and Marriage

South Wales Daily Post

The records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission contain little detail about David John Williams, who served with the Royal Army Medical Corps. In September 1914, only a few months after the outbreak of the First World War, David married Gladys M. Jayne. At the time, their home address was recorded as 51 Danygraig Terrace, Swansea.

Death

David John Williams
death certificate 
credit - National Records of Scotland

On 28^th February 1915, David John Williams died suddenly in Edinburgh, aged 25. His death was reported in the South Wales Daily Post, which highlighted the unexpected circumstances. His death certificate confirmed his home address as 51 Danygraig Terrace, Swansea, and recorded his wife as Gladys Mary Williams.

Burial

David John Williams
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Following his death, David’s body was repatriated to Swansea and laid to rest at Danygraig Cemetery. His grave joined those of other early casualties of the war, marking him among the city’s first military burials of 1915.

Legacy

David’s service record is sparse, but his story reflects the many ways the war claimed lives — not only through combat, but also in service away from the battlefield. His sudden death, just months after his marriage, left behind his widow and an unborn child. In April 1915, a son, David John Williams, was born.

1921 Census

Gladys’s story continued after her husband’s death. At the time of the 1921 Census, she was living at 51 Danygraig Terrace with her widowed mother, Martha Ann Jayne, aged 50, a dressmaker. Although widowed, Gladys recorded her surname as “Jayne.” Also in the household were Lillian White, 27, who assisted with household duties; son-in-law Harry Perrot, 27, a wagon inspector employed by the Midland Railway Company; and three grandchildren — Margaret Jayne, 10; David John Williams, 6; and Harold Perrott, just 1 month old.

1939 Register

The following year, Gladys remarried, becoming the wife of John Howell. By the time of the 1939 Register, they were living at 36 Ysgol Street. Also residing with them was her son David John Williams, then aged 24, whose occupation was recorded as a Drapery Traveller.

Private David John Williams’s life was cut tragically short in 1915, but his story is carried forward through his widow and descendants. His death stands as a reminder of the personal cost of war, felt deeply within Swansea families during the earliest years of the conflict.