Danygraig Cemetery: First World War Roll of Honour
Danygraig Cemetery: First World War Roll of Honour
This blog is the first in a series to highlight those who
lie in Danygraig, beginning with the First World War. Each name tells a story —
of sacrifice, of service, and of families in Swansea who bore the cost of
global conflict.
1914
Private Owen Owen
Welsh Regiment – 6th Battalion
18th August 1914
Owen Owen, aged 21, was one of the earliest casualties connected with Swansea.
He had enlisted with the 6th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, at the
outbreak of the war. He died only weeks after Britain declared war, before he
could be deployed overseas. His grave at Danygraig marks one of the very first
burials of the conflict, a sombre reminder of how quickly loss reached local
families.
Private William Bromfield
Welsh Regiment – 6th Battalion
14th October 1914
William Bromfield, aged 28, was another early loss from the 6th Battalion,
Welsh Regiment. Disease struck many of the reservists, who were encamped in
poor conditions as the battalion was mobilised for service. Bromfield’s burial
at Danygraig is among the first in what would become a long row of Welsh
Regiment graves.
Private Thomas Lewis
Welsh Regiment - 3rd Battalion
27th October 1914
Thomas Lewis, aged 26, was a local man who answered the call to arms at the
war’s outbreak. Like many others in the 3rd Battalion, he never saw
active duty abroad, succumbing instead to illness during training. His grave at
Danygraig is a poignant reminder that service itself, even without the
battlefield, carried risks.
Private William Samuel Connor
Royal Garrison Artillery
17th November 1914
William Samuel Connor, aged 29, was among the Swansea reservists who died before deployment.
His death followed weeks of ill health, and his burial at Danygraig was
attended by his grieving family. His name is preserved among the earliest of
Danygraig’s First World War dead.
Private Thomas Henry Compton
Royal Garrison Artillery
17th November 1914
On the same day as William Connor, Thomas Henry Compton also passed away. He was 23
years old and had been training with the Royal Garrison Artillery. His grave,
alongside others from those first months, testifies to the deadly toll of
disease and poor conditions in Britain’s hastily expanded wartime army.
Sergeant Henry Cox
Royal Garrison Artillery
4th December 1914
Henry Cox, aged 25, was the last of the 1914 burials at Danygraig. A member of
the Royal Garrison Artillery, he too fell victim to sickness rather than
battle. His resting place joined those of Owen, Bromfield, Lewis, Connor, and
Compton, together forming the first line of war graves at Danygraig.
1915
Private Cyril John Hopkins
Welsh Regiment - 14th Battalion
21st February 1915
Cecil John Hopkins, aged just 19, was the first Danygraig burial of 1915. He had
enlisted with the newly raised 14th (Swansea) Battalion of the Welsh Regiment –
known locally as the “Swansea Pals.” Sadly, before his unit could even
deploy overseas, Cyril fell ill and died. His funeral was among the earliest
military services conducted at the cemetery that year, and his grave remains
one of the most visited by those tracing the story of Swansea’s Pals Battalion.
Private David John Williams
Royal Army Medical Corps
28th February 1915
A week after Cyril Hopkins died David John Williams died who served with the Royal Army Medical Corps. His grave
at Danygraig lies near that of Hopkins, the two friends-in-arms buried side by
side, both casualties of sickness rather than battle.
Skipper Henry Hills
Royal Naval Reserve H.M.T. “Roche Castle”
8th May 1915
Henry Hills, aged 46. His funeral at Danygraig, with military honours,
reflected the growing awareness that the war’s dangers were not confined to
foreign fields.
Private Frederick Hughes
Royal Munster Fusiliers – 7th Battalion
8th May 1915
On the same day as Hills, Frederick Hughes, aged 25, also died. His passing
doubled the sorrow for Swansea that weekend, and both funerals were attended by
grieving comrades from the local battalion. Their burials emphasised the
fragility of young men pressed quickly into military life.
Private John Armstrong Courtie
The King’s (Liverpool Regiment)
2nd October 1915
John Armstrong Courtie, was among the later recruits to die in 1915. His surname marks him out
as one of Swansea’s Scottish families, and his service in the Liverpool
Regiment. His death and burial at Danygraig once again highlighted the heavy
toll of disease and poor conditions during training.
Private John William Kneath
East Lancashire Regiment – 10th Battalion
19th October 1915
John William Kneath, followed only weeks later. The Kneath family was well-known in Swansea,
and his funeral drew a large local crowd. His grave at Danygraig is one of the
more prominent of the 1915 casualties.
Private Christopher Sheehan
Welsh Regiment – 51st Battalion
27th December 1915
The final Danygraig burial of 1915 was Christopher Sheehan, aged 23. His
death came at Christmas, casting grief over what should have been a season of
hope. His grave closes the tragic chapter of Danygraig’s first full year of
wartime losses.
1916
Lance Corporal Gordon Ranklin Inglis
Australian Infantry – 5th Battalion24th January 1916
Gordon Rankin Inglis served with the Australian Imperial Force. Far from his native land, he found his final resting place in Swansea after falling ill while stationed in Britain. His burial at Danygraig reflects the truly global nature of the First World War, where soldiers from across the Empire served side by side.
Lieutenant Reginald Herbert Wilberforce-Bell
Canadian Infantry – 28th Battalion26th January 1916
Reginald Herbert Wilberforce-Bell of the Canadian Infantry was another overseas serviceman who died in Swansea. His presence at Danygraig highlights the city’s role as a medical and logistical hub during the war, where men of many nations came for treatment and convalescence.
Driver Thomas Clifford Fox
Royal Field Artillery29th February 1916
Thomas Clifford Fox served in the Royal Field Artillery, providing essential support to the guns that dominated the Western Front. His death in Swansea reflects how artillery units were spread across Britain for training and recovery.
Gunner Charles Henry Lobb
Royal Field Artillery2nd March 1916
Charles Henry Lobb also belonged to the Royal Field Artillery. Like Fox, his service was in one of the most dangerous branches of the Army, constantly under threat from enemy bombardment. His grave at Danygraig marks the sacrifice of those in the vital artillery arm.
Private Benjamin Smitham
Welsh Regiment – 22nd Battalion25th March 1916
Benjamin Smitham served with the 22nd Battalion of the Welsh Regiment. Raised locally, this battalion embodied Swansea’s commitment to the war effort. Smitham’s resting place at Danygraig stands among many comrades from the same regiment.
Private Ivor Morgan
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)3rd April 1916
Ivor Morgan joined the newly formed Machine Gun Corps, a unit often described as “the suicide club” due to its perilous work manning weapons that drew intense enemy fire. His service and sacrifice are remembered at Danygraig.
Major Ernest Brice
Royal Army Medical Corps5th April 1916
Ernest Brice was an officer of the Royal Army Medical Corps, responsible for saving lives on the battlefield. His burial at Danygraig is a reminder that doctors and medics, though non-combatants, shared the same dangers and hardships as the men they cared for.
Private Percy James Wilks
Welsh Regiment – 6th Battalion26th April 1916
Percy James Wilks of the 6th Welsh Regiment died in 1916 and was laid to rest at Danygraig. His service links him to one of Wales’s proudest battalions, whose men fought with distinction on the Western Front.
Private Charles James Sander
Somerset Light Infantry – 3rd Battalion12th May 1916
Charles James Sander came from the Somerset Light Infantry, one of the English regiments whose soldiers also came to Swansea. His burial reflects the bonds between regions, counties, and communities in Britain’s war effort.
Stoker Richard Williams
Royal Naval Reserve – H.M.S. Warrior5th June 1916
Richard Williams served with the Royal Naval Reserve aboard H.M.S. Warrior, a ship badly damaged at the Battle of Jutland in June 1916. His burial at Danygraig connects Swansea directly to the largest naval battle of the First World War.
Lance Corporal William James Adams
Devonshire Regiment – 9th Battalion16th July 1916
William James Adams fought with the Devonshire Regiment, a unit that saw fierce action on the Somme in 1916. His death that summer placed him among the thousands who perished during Britain’s bloodiest year of the war.
Private Thomas Arthur Pillifant
Welsh Regiment – Depot4th August 1916
Thomas Arthur Pillifant belonged to the Welsh Regiment Depot, where recruits were trained before being sent to the front. His early death reminds us that not all casualties occurred on the battlefield—training and illness claimed many lives.
Corporal Edward James Lumsdaine
Royal Garrison Artillery28th August 1916
Edward James Lumsdaine served with the Royal Garrison Artillery, specialists in heavy guns that pounded enemy positions from afar. His presence at Danygraig underlines the contribution of artillerymen to the war’s relentless battles.
Able Seaman William Bowling
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve – H.M.S. Victory26th December 1916
William Bowling served with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and was stationed at H.M.S. Victory, a shore establishment at Portsmouth.
1917
Private Frank Foster
Welsh Regiment - 3rd Battalion
17th January 1917
Frank Foster, aged 19, was among the younger recruits to the Welsh Regiment. He
died after a period of illness while still in training. His family arranged for
him to be buried at Danygraig, where his grave joined the growing number of
Swansea servicemen lost before seeing active service overseas.
Private George Bowden
Welsh Regiment (Depot)
6th February 1917
George Bowden, 23, served with the Depot Battalion of the Welsh Regiment. He
died following a short illness and was laid to rest at Danygraig. His funeral
was modest but marked by the attendance of his fellow soldiers, a reflection of
the support networks within Swansea’s military community.
Private David George Thomas
Welsh Regiment - 14th Battalion
19th February 1917
David George Thomas, aged 20, was one of the Swansea Battalion recruits who
never made it to France. Illness claimed his life in camp. The South Wales
Daily Post reported his death, noting his family’s grief at losing a son
who had been so eager to serve.
Private David James Mitchell
Welsh Regiment (Depot)
19th March 1917
David James Mitchell, 21, died the following month, again from disease — a recurring fate
among the Swansea Battalion and Depot men. His burial at Danygraig added to the
growing line of Welsh Regiment graves that symbolised the hidden cost of war at
home.
Private George Beed
Royal Army Service Corps
23rd March 1917
George Beed, aged 27, was attached to the Army Service Corps. He died in
Swansea after contracting pneumonia. As a supply worker, his role was critical
to the war effort, even if it kept him from the front lines. His grave reflects
the breadth of service remembered at Danygraig.
Private Henry Harris
Welsh Regiment - 14th Battalion
10th April 1917
Henry Harris, 19, was a Swansea Battalion recruit. He died from meningitis
after only a short time in camp. His funeral at Danygraig was reported locally,
where neighbours and family joined in mourning the loss of another young life
cut short.
Private Frederick Roach
Welsh Regiment - 14th Battalion
30th May 1917
Frederick Roach, 22, died after suffering complications from influenza. He had
been training with the Swansea Battalion and was buried with military honours
at Danygraig. His family’s grief was heightened by the knowledge that he had
never even reached the front.
Private Stanley Griffiths
Welsh Regiment - Depot
4th June 1917
Stanley Griffiths, aged 20, was buried at Danygraig after he died in training. The South
Wales Daily Post recorded his passing, emphasising the heavy toll disease
was exacting on Swansea recruits at the time.
Private Daniel Donovan
Welsh Regiment - 14th Battalion
10th June 1917
Daniel Donovan, 24, died of meningitis while in training. His death added to the line
of Swansea Battalion graves at Danygraig, which by this point had become a
visible reminder of the hidden cost of forming a local “Pals” unit.
Private Arthur George Davies
Welsh Regiment - 14th Battalion
19th June 1917
Arthur George Davies, aged 19, was one of the youngest Swansea Battalion recruits to
be buried at Danygraig. His funeral was attended by family and comrades alike,
another poignant service in a cemetery that was now accustomed to such
processions.
Stoker John Sheehan
Royal Navy - HMS Vivid
12th August 1917
John Sheehan, aged 25, served with the Royal Navy at HMS Vivid, the Devonport
shore base. He died of illness and was brought back to Swansea for burial at
Danygraig. His grave is one of the few naval burials of 1917.
Private Arthur Dean
Welsh Regiment - Depot
15th August 1917
Arthur Dean, 23, was another Swansea recruit struck down by disease before
deployment. His burial at Danygraig added to the steady roll of Welsh Regiment
graves that year.
1918
Private Matthew Ernest Hare
Army Service Corps22nd January 1918
Matthew Ernest Hare served with the Army Service Corps, the backbone of the British Army’s transport and supply network. His death early in 1918 reminds us of the constant demands of keeping men and material moving to the front.
Private Richard Easterway Berry
Welsh Regiment28th January 1918
Richard Easterway Berry served with the Welsh Regiment. He was among the many local men who fought under the banner of Wales’s own regiment. His burial at Danygraig ensured his memory remained rooted in his community.
Engineer John Dermody
Mercantile Marine Reserve – H.M. Trawler “Peggy Nutten”30th January 1918
John Dermody of the Mercantile Marine Reserve served aboard the trawler Peggy Nutten. Merchant and naval reservists played an essential role in keeping Britain supplied and defended at sea. He was buried at Danygraig after he died in service.
Private Frederick Jenkins
Royal Welsh Fusiliers30th January 1918
Frederick Watkin Jenkins of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers was laid to rest at Danygraig. The regiment fought with distinction throughout the war, and Jenkins’s grave is a reminder of the heavy toll borne by Welsh infantrymen.
Private Jeremiah Driscoll
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry11th March 1918
Jeremiah Driscoll served with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. His burial in Swansea is a testament to the many men from across Britain whose war ended far from the battlefield.
Driver William Ernest Bartlett
Royal Field Artillery5th April 1918
William Ernest Bartlett served with the Royal Field Artillery, working with the horses that hauled the guns and limbers. He drowned in 1918, and his body was later recovered at Langland Bay before burial at Danygraig.
Private Reginald Brice
East Yorkshire Regiment11th April 1918
Reginald Brice, born in Swansea to a family with Australian roots, served with the East Yorkshire Regiment. He died of pneumonia in Newcastle and was brought home to Swansea for burial at Danygraig.
Private Thomas Shea
Cheshire Regiment – 9th Battalion13th April 1918
Thomas Shea, who had previously served with the Munster Regiment, fell ill while serving in France with the Cheshire Regiment. He died at Prees Heath Military Hospital, Shropshire, and was returned to Swansea for burial.
Stoker 1st Class Thomas Sheehan
Royal Navy – H.M.S. Vivid25th April 1918
Thomas Sheehan served with the Royal Navy and was attached to H.M.S. Vivid, a training base at Devonport. Though his headstone records service with H.M.S. Carnarvon, official records list Vivid at the time of his death. He was buried with naval honours at Danygraig.
Private Sidney Albert Smith
South Wales Borderers – 11th Battalion1st May 1918
Sidney Albert Smith of the South Wales Borderers was only 19 when he died. A native of Windsor, Berkshire, his burial in Swansea reflects his family’s move to the town before the war.
Sapper Patrick Dumphy
Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers21st May 1918
Patrick Dumphy served with the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers. Gassed in France, he later died at Netley Hospital in Hampshire, a major military hospital, before being brought home to Swansea for burial.
Corporal Charles Urban Mantle
Royal Defence Corps25th June 1918
Charles Urban Mantle, who served in the Royal Defence Corps, died at the 7th Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge. He was laid to rest at Danygraig beside his father, who had passed away just a month earlier.
Private Archibald Casswell
Worcestershire Regiment – 1st Battalion7th July 1918
Archibald Casswell a Swansea-born railway clerk and footballer, served with the Worcestershire Regiment. Wounded in France, he was invalided home and died in Leicester before burial at Danygraig.
Boy 1st Class William James Slater
Royal Navy – H.M.S. Canada19th May 1918
William James Slater served aboard H.M.S. Canada. Only 18 years old, he died of a disease while in service. His burial at Danygraig stands as a reminder of the many teenage boys who served at sea during the war.
Private Edward Ernest Bateman
Welsh Regiment26th August 1918
Edward Ernest Bateman had served with the 6th Welsh Regiment. Though his headstone inscription is now weathered, contemporary reports noted he was one of Swansea’s “Old Contemptibles,” among the first soldiers to serve in 1914. He died aged 40.
Deck Hand Daniel Ridgway
Royal Naval Reserve – H.M.S. Victory13th September 1918
Daniel Ridgway, a young Swansea sailor, served with H.M.S. Victory. He died at Haslar Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, before being brought back to Swansea for burial.
Stoker 2nd Class Evan Jones
Royal Navy – H.M.S. Vivid17th September 1918
Evan Jones, originally from Aberystwyth, served with the Royal Navy at H.M.S. Vivid. He died of disease in 1918 and was buried at Danygraig.
Stoker Michael Casey
Royal Naval Reserve – H.M.S. Tiger28th September 1918
Michael Casey served aboard H.M.S. Tiger, one of Britain’s most powerful battlecruisers. He died late in 1918, and his naval funeral at Danygraig was the last naval burial of the war.
Driver Theodore James Nehemiah
Army Service Corps29th September 1918
Theodore James Nehemiah, of Swansea, served with the Army Service Corps and saw action in France, Egypt, and Palestine. Illness forced his discharge, and he died aged just 23.
Private Samuel Brooks
Devonshire Regiment – 2nd Battalion24th October 1918
Samuel Brooks served with the Devonshire Regiment. He was the last First World War military burial at Danygraig in 1918, closing a year of heavy losses.
Leading Seaman Edgar Henry Smith
Royal Naval Reserve – S.V. Trebiskin12th November 1918
Edgar Henry Smith, a Newfoundlander, sailed aboard the coal ketch Trebiskin. The vessel was lost with all hands off the Welsh coast. Edgar’s body was later washed ashore and buried at Danygraig, far from home.
Serjeant Hugh Jones
Military Police Corps13th November 1918
Hugh Jones of the Military Police Corps died just two days after the Armistice. His grave reflects the many men who perished from wounds and illness even after the fighting had ended.
Trimmer Thomas Cundy
Royal Naval Reserve – H.M.S. Perkin24th November 1918
Thomas Cundy served with the Royal Naval Reserve aboard H.M.S. Perkin. He died of pneumonia at a hospital in Grimsby and was later buried in Swansea.
Worker Ada Lesser
Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps4th December 1918
Ada Lesser served with Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps. She died of influenza at Cholderton, Wiltshire, in December 1918. She is the only woman of the First World War to be buried at Danygraig.
1919
Private Richard Llewellyn Bailey
Royal Army Service Corps
7th January 1919
Richard Llewellyn Bailey, aged 31, returned from leave to his regiment at Redcar while suffering
from tuberculosis. He was found dead in his bed only days later. His funeral at
Danygraig was conducted with full military honours and reported in the Herald
of Wales. His death was the first of 24 military burials at Danygraig in
1919, showing how the toll of war continued long after the Armistice.
Deck Hand John Frederick Beckett
Royal Naval Reserve H.M. Trawler Soar
7th February 1919
John Frederick Beckett, aged 37, was born in Lowestoft but had settled in Swansea. He served
on auxiliary trawlers during the war. His funeral at Danygraig was marked by
sorrow, and the South Wales Daily Post recorded the tragedy.
Gunner William Henry Hayward
Royal Garrison Artillery - 11th Fife
Command
16th February 1919
William Henry Hayward, aged 35, had served almost four years in France. He returned home only
to die from nephritis and uraemia. His burial at Danygraig was not accompanied
by military honours, something his widow publicly complained about in the South
Wales Daily Post, highlighting the uneven treatment of bereaved families.
Private William Henry Gowland
Royal Welsh Fusiliers
17th February 1919
William Henry Gowland, aged 18, enlisted in July 1918 and died in Ipswich Military Hospital
early the following year. His funeral at Danygraig followed local customs, with
neighbours and fellow parishioners joining his grieving family.
Petty Officer William Irwin Gear
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Drake Battalion
18th February 1919
William Irwin Gear, aged 37, had enlisted in 1915, serving with the RNVR’s Drake Battalion
before being invalided home. His death from illness in February was noted in
the South Wales Daily Post, which also described his funeral at
Danygraig, where naval honours were rendered.
Captain Fawcett Thomas Williams
Welsh Regiment
23rd February 1919
Fawcett Thomas Williams, aged 27, died at Lowestoft while serving with the Welsh Regiment. His
burial at Danygraig was quiet but poignant, a reminder of how officers as well
as privates fell victim to the lingering effects of war.
Company Serjeant Major George Henry Downer
Royal Garrison Artillery
24th February 1919
George Henry Downer, aged 59, was a veteran of the Third Burmese War in the 1880s and had
re-enlisted during the Great War. He died in February 1919 and was given a full
military funeral at Danygraig.
Second Lieutenant Clifford Beaumont Harris
Welsh Regiment / Machine Gun Corps
3rd March 1919
Clifford Beaumont Harris, aged 29, came from a well-known family in Swansea. In 1917, he served
as a machine gun officer. He died of pneumonia in March 1919. The Herald of
Wales reported his death, and he was buried at Danygraig.
Private Timothy Lynch
Welsh Regiment
5th March 1919
Timothy Lynch, aged 28, enlisted in 1914 but was discharged two years later due to ill
health. He died in March 1919.
Private Stanley Williams
Royal Fusiliers - 43rd Battalion
11th March 1919
Stanley Williams, aged 22. His funeral notice in the South Wales Daily Post
announced that only gentlemen were to attend. His burial at Danygraig was
dignified but sombre, reflecting his family’s grief.
Driver Richard Arthur Jones
Royal Field Artillery - 265th Brigade
12th March 1919
Richard Arthur Jones, aged 21, had served in France, Egypt, and Palestine between 1915 and
1918. Returning home, he succumbed to illness in March 1919.
Private Samuel Hancock
Welsh Regiment - Depot Battalion
17th March 1919
Samuel Hancock, aged 30, had enlisted in 1914 with the Swansea Battalion of the Welsh
Regiment. He died of pneumonia in North Wales.
Gunner William Lloyd
Royal Field Artillery
17th March 1919
On the same day as Samuel Hancock, William Lloyd, aged 25, died. His only
official record is his marriage certificate from March 1919, just days before
his death.
Corporal Henry Charles Dawson
Royal Army Service Corps
24th March 1919
Henry Charles Dawson, aged 37, died while serving with the Royal Army Service Corps. His
burial at Danygraig was conducted with military honours.
Officer’s Cook David John Davies
Royal Navy - H.M.S. Vivid
26th March 1919
David John Davies, aged 28, served at the shore establishment H.M.S. Vivid. Born in
Rhymney, he later settled in Swansea. He died of disease in March 1919. His
funeral at Danygraig was a naval ceremony, honouring his service.
Able Seaman Charles James Godfrey
Royal Naval Division
5th April 1919
Charles James Godfrey, aged 21, had enlisted in 1914 and served until 1918, when he was
invalided out with a head wound. He died in Swansea of meningitis caused by
that wound. Though originally commemorated on the Brookwood Memorial in Surrey,
his grave at Danygraig was later recognised with a CWGC headstone in the 2010s.
Sapper David John Taylor
Royal Engineers - Welsh Division
13th April 1919
David John Taylor, aged 26, died at Fovant Military Hospital in Wiltshire while on
demobilisation leave. He had served with the Royal Engineers in a unit
responsible for signalling and logistics. His funeral at Danygraig.
Private Sidney George Phillips
Loyal North Lancashire Regiment - 15th Battalion
17th April 1919
Sidney George Phillips, aged 30, had first enlisted in the Welsh Regiment in 1914 before
transferring to the Loyal North Lancashires in 1918. He was discharged later
that year but died the following April. His burial at Danygraig remains
somewhat mysterious, with his early life records difficult to trace.
Guardsman Patrick Shea
Irish Guards
10th May 1919
Patrick Shea, aged 38, had served with the Irish Guards before returning to Swansea. He
died in May 1919. His funeral at Danygraig was reported in the Herald of
Wales.
Sapper Thomas Michael Baker
Royal Engineers - Welsh Division
31st August 1919
Thomas Michael Baker, aged 49, was born in Waterford, Ireland. He served with the Royal
Engineers and died in August 1919. His burial at Danygraig reflected his Irish
roots as well as his Welsh service.
Private William Cronin
Welsh Regiment
16th September 1919
William Cronin, aged 39, died in Ferndale, Glamorgan, and was buried at Danygraig. The
reason for his Swansea burial remains unclear, as his widow lived in
Blaenllechau. He remains one of the cemetery’s “mystery burials.”
Able Seaman Edgar Prothero
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve H.M.S. Pembroke I
16th October 1919
Edgar Prothero, aged 28, enlisted in the RNVR and served as an Able Seaman. At the
time of his death, he was attached to the naval base H.M.S. Pembroke I.
He died in October 1919 and was buried at Danygraig.
Lieutenant Malcolm Neil McIndeor
London Regiment (London Scottish), attached Cameron
Highlanders
26th October 1919
Malcolm Neil McIndeor, aged 21, was injured at Arras in March 1918 and later treated at Parc
Wern Red Cross Hospital in Swansea. He died at Cardiff in October 1919 and was
buried at Danygraig.
Private Michael Merrigan
Royal Army Medical Corps
22nd November 1919
Michael Merrigan, aged 40, was of Irish descent, his parents having come to Swansea
from Ireland. He served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and died in November
1919. He was buried at Danygraig.
Able Seaman Sidney Joseph Murphy
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve - Hood Battalion
30th November 1919
Sidney Joseph Murphy, aged 27, was the last First World War serviceman buried at Danygraig in
1919. His funeral was reported in the South Wales Daily Post. His burial
as the last of 1919’s 24 servicemen reminds us that Swansea’s war dead did not
cease with the Armistice but continued into the years of demobilisation and
disease.
1920
Private Owen Dover Wade
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) - 6th Reserve
Battalion
31st August 1920
Owen Dover Wade, aged 35, was the only serviceman buried at Danygraig in 1920. He had
previously served with the South Wales Borderers before transferring to the
Machine Gun Corps, one of the most dangerous postings in the British Army. His
funeral at Danygraig. The service reminded mourners that the war’s toll did not
end with the signing of peace.
Owen’s grave stands as a solitary marker for the year 1920,
a poignant reminder that even as the world moved on, Swansea’s families were
still feeling the cost of the Great War.
1921
Company Sergeant Major John Boland
Welsh Regiment – 14th Battalion
28th July 1921
John Boland was a well-known figure in his community and a decorated veteran of
the First World War. At the outbreak of the conflict, he enlisted with the
Swansea Battalion. After the war, John returned home, but he suffered from
recurring bouts of malaria. These health struggles eventually overwhelmed him,
and he died. His funeral at Danygraig Cemetery was attended by family, comrades.
Private John Walters
Welsh Regiment
24th August 1921
John Walters served with the Welsh Regiment during the war. Returning home, his
health deteriorated, and he died. Walters’ burial at Danygraig was of
particular significance: his grave represents the last official First World War
burial at the cemetery recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
(CWGC), though it was not to be the final one.
Guardsman John Short Erskine
Welsh Guards
31st October 1921
John Short Erskine served with the Welsh Guards. He died just two months after
Walters. However, by this point, the First World War had been officially
declared over under the Termination of the Present War (Definition) Act 1918,
which fixed 31st August 1921 as the legal end of the conflict.
Because of this ruling, Erskine’s death fell outside the
remit of the CWGC, and he was not formally commemorated as a war casualty.
His grave at Danygraig, lying beside Walters, serves as a symbol of those
servicemen who were effectively “forgotten” by official definitions of
the war but whose service and sacrifice were no less real.
Legacy
This Roll of Honour has traced the stories of those laid to
rest at Danygraig Cemetery who died because of the First World War.
From the earliest casualty in 1914 through to the final burials in 1921,
these servicemen – and the single woman, Ada Lesser – represent a
cross-section of Swansea families touched by loss, as well as men from further
afield, including Newfoundland, Scotland, and Ireland, whose journeys
ended in this city.
Yet this is only part of the cemetery’s military story. In
the years that followed, the grounds of Danygraig would also receive the dead
of the Second World War, as global conflict once again reached into
local lives.
The next blog will continue this work, exploring the Danygraig Cemetery: Second World War Roll of Honour, ensuring that their sacrifices too are
remembered.
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