Owen Owen

Private Owen Owen – The First Military Burial at Danygraig Cemetery, Swansea

Cambrian Daily Leader

On 18^th August 1914, just two weeks after Britain entered the First World War, Swansea suffered its first military loss. Owen Owen, a seventeen-year-old serving with the Welsh Regiment, 6^th Battalion, drowned after falling into the South Docks, weighed down by the heavy uniform he was wearing.

He was laid to rest with full military honours on 24^th August 1914 at Danygraig Cemetery, making him the first soldier to be buried there during the Great War. The Cambrian Daily Leader recorded that the funeral arrangements were overseen by the Swansea Christadelphians, the religious community to which Owen and his family were connected.

Early Life

1911 Census

By the time of the 1911 British Census, Owen was living with his family at 3 Oystermouth Road, Swansea. He was only seventeen at the outbreak of war, just beginning his adult life.

Military Service

Owen enlisted with the Welsh Regiment, 6^th Battalion. His service, however, was tragically brief, cut short before he had the chance to see active combat.

Death and Burial

Owen Owen
Danygraig Cemetery, Swaansea
credit - findagrave

On the morning of 18^th August 1914, Owen was stationed at Swansea’s South Docks when tragedy struck. He slipped and fell into the water. The weight of his full military uniform dragged him beneath the surface, and despite efforts to save him, he drowned.

His death, though not on the battlefield, was deeply felt in Swansea, marking the town’s first military casualty of the war. His body was recovered, and a full military funeral was held on 24^th August 1914 at Danygraig Cemetery. The cortege was attended by fellow soldiers, family, and members of the public, a solemn reminder of the dangers faced by servicemen even away from the front lines.

Legacy

Cambrian Daily Leader 

Cambrian Daily Leader 

The Cambrian Daily Leader of 18^th August 1914 also mentioned Owen’s brother, George “Dodger” Owens, who would later become a renowned Welsh rugby union player. George played for Swansea RFC, signed for Wigan Rugby Club on 28^th September 1913 at the Bush Hotel, High Street, and went on to represent Wales in 1923.

The Christadelphians’ role in Owen’s funeral is notable too. Founded by John Thomas, who emigrated from England to America in 1832, the Christadelphians took a stance of conscientious objection during the war. Their involvement in Swansea’s first military funeral of the conflict underscores their quiet but significant presence in the city’s wartime history.