John Peter Menkavitch

Private John Peter Menkavitch – Welch Regiment, 30^th Battalion

Early Life

1939 Register 

John Peter Menkavitch was born in 1905, the son of Henri and Cassie Menkavitch. Records of the family in Swansea are scarce. They do not appear in census returns, and the only surviving documentation comes from the 1939 Register, which lists John living with his widowed mother, Cassie, and younger brother, Joseph, at 32 Pentretreharne Road. At that time, John was working as a tailor.

Military Service

During the Second World War, John enlisted in the Welch Regiment, serving with the 30^th Battalion.

Death

South Wales Daily Post

On 22^nd March 1942, while on army manoeuvres in Cardiff, John and two fellow soldiers suffered a fatal accident. The men slipped and fell twenty feet into a whirlpool, and all three drowned.

The incident was widely reported in the press. The South Wales Daily Post described it as the “River Death.” At the inquest, the jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.

Burial

John Peter Menkavitch
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Private John Peter Menkavitch was laid to rest at Danygraig Cemetery in Swansea.

Legacy

Though records of his life are limited, Menkavitch’s story highlights both the everyday backgrounds of wartime servicemen and the risks they faced even outside of combat. His grave at Danygraig Cemetery remains a reminder of those whose service ended in tragedy at home rather than on the battlefield.