John Walters and John Short Erskine

Privates John Walters and John Short Erskine – The Final Burials of the First World War at Danygraig

John Walters

John Walters and John Short Erskine
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

John Walters, who served with the Welch Regiment, died on 24^th August 1921 at the age of 41. He was born in 1880 at Aberdare, the son of James Watts. His service during the First World War placed him among Swansea’s fallen, and his burial at Danygraig Cemetery was formally commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).

John’s interment carries historical significance, for he was the last First World War burial at Danygraig Cemetery to be recognised within the official remit of the CWGC.

The Official End of the First World War

While the Armistice of 11^th November 1918 brought the fighting to a halt, the First World War did not officially end until 31^st August 1921. This date was defined by the Termination of the Present War (Definition) Act 1918, which gave His Majesty in Council the authority to declare the formal conclusion of hostilities.

By then, peace treaties had been ratified with most of the Central Powers, although the treaty with Turkey was still pending. It was nevertheless decided that the 31^st of August 1921 would be treated as the legal termination of the war. The Imperial War Graves Commission (IWGC), predecessor to today’s CWGC, was therefore tasked with honouring all those who died between the outbreak of war in 1914 and this official end date.

John Short Erskine – A Soldier Beyond the Cut-Off

This distinction became especially important in the case of John Short Erskine, who lies buried alongside John Walters at Danygraig. Born in Dunfermline, Scotland, John served with the Welsh Guards and was only 35 years old when he died on 31^st October 1921.

Because his death occurred after the official termination date of the war, John Short Erskine’s grave did not fall under the remit of the CWGC. In official records, his sacrifice was left outside the scope of commemoration. Yet in truth, Erskine represents those “forgotten” by official definitions—men whose service was the same, whose suffering was the same, but whose recognition was determined by the timing of their final breath.

Legacy

Together, the graves of John Walters and John Short Erskine form a poignant bookend to Danygraig Cemetery’s First World War burials. Walters, recognised by the CWGC as the last official war burial, and Erskine, whose death fell just outside the official scope, remind us of the arbitrary lines drawn by legislation. For their families and communities, both men were part of Swansea’s war dead—lives cut short by the impact of global conflict, one commemorated, the other quietly overlooked.