Edward Ernest Bateman
Private Edward Ernest Bateman – One of Swansea’s “Old Contemptibles”
The Headstone at Danygraig Cemetery
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| Edward Ernest Bateman |
*“Beloved Husband of
MABEL BATEMAN
Who served through the Great
European War 1914 – 1919 with the
6th Welsh Regt. And came
home to died August 26th 1918.
Aged 40 years.
Greater Love Hath No Man Than This
That He Lay Down His Life For His Friends.”*
News of His Death
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| Cambria Daily Leader |
On 28th August 1918, the Cambria Daily
Leader reported from Sketty on the death of Ernest Bateman, noting that he
had been discharged from the Army only a week earlier.
He was remembered as one of Swansea’s “Old Contemptibles”
— men of the original British Expeditionary Force who faced the German Army in
the opening months of the war.
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| South Wales Weekly Post |
The South Wales Weekly Post of 7th September 1918 added more detail, covering both the circumstances of his passing and his funeral, ensuring his story was marked in the local memory.
Army Records
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| Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects |
The Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects show that Ernest’s personal effects at the time of his death amounted to £14 8s 4d, left to his widow, Mabel Bateman.
Early Life and Family
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| 1911 Census |
The 1911 Census records Ernest, then 34 years old, living at 35 Trafalgar Place, Brynmill, Swansea, with his wife Mabel (whom he had married in 1904) and their two children: Gwendoline, aged 4, and Edward, aged 2. At this time, Ernest was employed as a Tailor Traveller.
Burial at Danygraig Cemetery
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| Edward Ernest Bateman Danygraig Cemetery |
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| South Wales Weekly Post |
The funeral of Edward Ernest Bateman was reported in
the South Wales Weekly Post and was conducted with solemn dignity at Danygraig
Cemetery.
The procession began from his home in Sketty, where
family, neighbours, and fellow servicemen gathered. A detachment of soldiers
acted as bearers and firing party, reflecting his long service with the 6th
Welsh Regiment. The coffin, draped with the Union Jack, was borne through
the cemetery gates, followed by his widow Mabel, close relatives, and
comrades who had served alongside him.
The service itself was conducted with military honours. Buglers
sounded the Last Post as the firing party discharged three volleys over the
grave. Floral tributes were numerous, including wreaths from his regiment, his
family, and local organisations with which he had been associated.
The Weekly Post emphasised the respect felt across
Swansea for Bateman, describing him as a man who had “given his full strength
to King and Country,” only to be taken by illness within days of his discharge.
Legacy
Even though his name has eroded from the headstone,
the words of his epitaph and the contemporary reports in the Swansea press
ensure his sacrifice has not been forgotten. His grave, and the memory of his
service with the 6th Welsh Regiment, remain as a reminder of
the enduring toll of war—one of the many who survived the trenches but did not
live to see peace.
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