Walter Rees Hopkins

Lance Corporal Walter Rees Hopkins

South Wales Borderers, 3^rd Battalion

Walter Rees Hopkins
Bethel Welsh Congregational Chapelyard
credit - findagrave

In November 1919, a year after the Armistice, Lance Corporal Walter Rees Hopkins became the fourth serviceman buried at Bethel Welsh Congregational Chapel after the end of the war. He had served with the South Wales Borderers, 3^rd Battalion, and died on 26^th November 1919, aged just 22.

Family Background

Walter was the son of John Hopkins and Maria (née Rees), who married in 1871.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Hopkins family living at 36 Princess Street, Swansea. John, then 49, worked as a sailmaker, while Maria, also 49, kept house. Their children included Richard (20), a general labourer and rear driver; Thomas (18), a timber yard labourer; Jenney (17), a domestic servant; Charles (14), a grocer’s errand boy; Trevor (9); Henry (6); Walter (4); and Sidney (2).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family was still at 36 Princess Street. John, now 56, was working as an assistant undertaker, and Maria was the same age. Most of the older children had moved away, leaving Trevor (19), a porter; Harry (16), an errand boy; Walter (13), an errand boy while still at school; and Sidney (11), at school. Also living in the household was a lodger, Edward Phillips (51), a widower and insurance agent.

Military Service and Death

Electoral Register
1919

Walter enlisted in the South Wales Borderers, rising to the rank of Lance Corporal. His name appears on the 1919 Electoral Register, evidence of his service and status as a returning soldier.

Bermondsey Military Hospital,
Ladywell Road, Lewisham

Sadly, Walter’s health declined, and he became a patient at Bermondsey Military Hospital, Ladywell Road, Lewisham. The hospital had nearly 800 beds, including a ward for tuberculosis patients, reflecting the heavy toll of wartime service and illness. On 26^th November 1919, Walter died there.

Burial and Legacy

Following his death, his body was brought home to Swansea, where he was laid to rest in the yard of Bethel Welsh Congregational Chapel. His burial marked the continuation of the chapel’s role as a resting place for Sketty’s fallen sons, even after the guns had fallen silent.