David James Mitchell

Gunner David James Mitchell – Royal Marine Artillery

Early Life and Naval Service

David James Mitchell was born in 1883 in Swansea. At the age of just 17, in 1902, he enlisted in the Royal Navy, beginning what would become a long career at sea.

1911 Census

The only census record in which David appears is the 1911 Census, by which time he was already serving with the Royal Navy, reflecting his early and continuous commitment to naval service.

Service in the First World War

During the First World War, David served with distinction and saw action at the Battle of Jutland, fought from 31^st May–1^st June 1916.

The battle was the largest naval engagement of the war, involving over 250 ships and 100,000 men from the Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet. The clash off the coast of Denmark was fierce, with heavy losses on both sides: the Royal Navy lost 14 ships and over 6,000 men, while the Germans lost 11 ships and more than 2,500 men.

Though tactically inconclusive, Jutland ensured that the German fleet never again sought a large-scale confrontation with the Royal Navy, leaving Britain’s control of the seas unchallenged. For sailors like David, it was a moment of immense danger, endurance, and historical significance.

David’s service at Jutland links his story with that of Stoker Richard Williams, another Swansea man buried at Danygraig Cemetery. Richard also fought at Jutland aboard HMS Warrior, which was heavily damaged during the battle and later sank on 1^st June 1916. Richard survived the battle itself but later succumbed to his wounds on 5^th June 1916. Both men’s graves at Danygraig stand as a reminder of Swansea’s connection to the greatest naval clash of the First World War.

Death

Herald of Wales

According to the Herald of Wales, published on 24^th March 1917, David died following a long illness contracted during his service. His passing marked the end of fifteen years’ continuous duty in the Royal Navy, from peacetime enlistment through to the great struggles of the First World War.

Burial

David James Mitchell
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

David was laid to rest at Danygraig Cemetery, Swansea, with full military honours. His coffin, draped with the Union Jack, was carried in solemn procession, accompanied by naval comrades and mourners from the Swansea community.

The military rites, including prayers at the graveside and the sounding of the “Last Post”, gave a fitting tribute to a man who had devoted his life to the sea and to the service of his country. His grave, among others at Danygraig, stands as part of Swansea’s collective memory of those lost in the Great War.

Legacy

David James Mitchell’s life illustrates the career of a sailor who entered the Navy as a teenager and served faithfully through peacetime and war. His presence at the Battle of Jutland ties Swansea directly to one of the most significant naval engagements of the conflict.

His story, when read alongside that of Richard Williams, shows how the impact of Jutland reached deep into Swansea’s community, bringing home the reality of Britain’s naval war. Both men rest at Danygraig Cemetery, their graves linking local sacrifice to the global history of the First World War at sea.