Henry Charles Tylor

Formation of the 14^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment

When war broke out in August 1914, Lord Kitchener issued his famous call to arms for volunteers to join what became known as Kitchener’s New Army. Across Britain, whole communities responded, and new battalions were raised at a remarkable pace. Many of these were nicknamed “Pals Battalions”, as men from the same towns, workplaces, and social clubs enlisted together, bound by friendship, kinship, and a shared sense of duty.

In Swansea, this spirit of local loyalty gave rise to the 14^th (Service) Battalion, Welsh Regiment, soon known as one of the “Swansea Pals”. The battalion attracted volunteers from every corner of the town and surrounding valleys. Steelworkers, dockers, clerks, shop assistants, and tradesmen joined side by side, often encouraged by their employers, trade unions, and civic leaders. Newspapers published stirring appeals to patriotism, while local parades and rallies celebrated those who enlisted. For many young men, the opportunity to serve with friends and neighbours decided to volunteer irresistible.

Training began in Swansea, with the new recruits first gathering on familiar ground before being moved to larger army camps elsewhere in Britain. Here, they learned drill, discipline, and the essentials of soldiering. For these men, the experience of living and training together only deepened their identity as the “Swansea Pals.” This strong comradeship would later prove a source of pride but also of profound tragedy, for when the battalion eventually saw action on the Western Front, losses often struck the same streets, workplaces, and families all at once.

The Battalion’s First Loss: Colour Serjeant Henry Charles Tylor

The first man of the 14th Welsh to lose his life was Colour Serjeant Henry Charles Tylor, who died on 24 November 1914. His death occurred not in battle but from tuberculosis, a reminder of how illness could claim lives even before a battalion reached the front.

Henry was born in Rotherhithe, Surrey, in 1864, the son of Mary Tylor. His father’s identity is not recorded in the surviving census returns.

 

1881 Census

In the 1881 Census, Henry appears as a 17-year-old jeweller’s clerk, living at 10 Layard Road, Bermondsey with his widowed mother and siblings. Mary, then 53, supported the family while William (27) worked as a book collector, though unemployed at the time; Kate (24) and Elizabeth (19) were tie makers in the local clothing trade.

Arbour Hill Military and Prison

By the 1901 Census, Henry had embarked on a military career and was stationed at Arbour Hill Military and Prison, Arran Quay, Dublin. He was then 37, living with his wife Grace (32) and their young children: Henry (6), Sidney (4), and baby Colenbo (1).

1911 Census

Ten years later, the 1911 Census shows the family back in England, settled at Armoury Hall, West End, Esher, Surrey. Henry, aged 47, had risen to the role of Colour Sergeant Inspector with the 6th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (Territorial Forces). He and Grace had been married for 18 years and now had a household of five children: Grace Lilian (22), Lilian Colenso (11), Mary Esther (8), George Patrick (5), and Ellen Mary (3). His steady advancement reflects not only his long service but also his reliability as a career soldier trusted with the training of others.

Although his personal service papers have not survived, Henry later transferred to the newly formed 14^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment. His appointment as a senior non-commissioned officer meant he played an important role in shaping the discipline, organisation, and morale of the Swansea Pals at their inception. Sadly, his leadership was cut short. On 24^th November 1914, Henry died of tuberculosis, only months after the battalion was raised, depriving it of one of its earliest and most experienced soldiers.

Henry Charles Tylor
Kingston-upon-Thames Cemetery, Surrey
credit - findagrave

Today, Colour Serjeant Henry Charles Tylor lies buried in Kingston-upon-Thames Cemetery, Surrey. Though he never saw action with his battalion overseas, he is remembered as the first casualty of the Swansea Pals. His story symbolises both the dedication of career soldiers who helped mould volunteer battalions and the fragility of life in a time of war, when disease could be as deadly as the battlefield.

Legacy

The story of Colour Serjeant Tylor reminds us that the cost of war was not borne only on the front lines. His loss in 1914 came before the “Swansea Pals” even set foot in France, yet it left a mark on the battalion and his family. For Swansea, his death was the first of many sacrifices that would, in the years ahead, shape the memory of the 14th Welsh and the community that had raised it.