Owen Dover Wade

Gunner Owen Dover Wade – The Sole Military Burial of 1920

The only military burial at Danygraig Cemetery in 1920 was that of Owen Dover Wade, who had served with the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 6th Reserve Battalion. He was 35 years old when he died on 31^st August 1920.

Early Life and Family

Owen was born in 1885, the son of John Richard Wade and Elizabeth Ann Davies, who had married at St. James’ Church, Swansea, in 1867.

1891 Census

At the time of the 1891 Census, the Wade family were living at 4 Paxton Terrace. John, aged 44, worked as a marine, while Elizabeth, aged 46, was employed as a dressmaker. Their children included Richard, 23, a machinist; William, 21, a butcher; John, 18, a general labourer; Minnie, 14, assisting her mother; Edward, 10; and Owen, 6, both still at school.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, John was absent, away at sea, leaving Elizabeth to manage the household at 15 Paxton Place. She was then aged 55, with her sons Edward, 20, an engineer’s fitter, and Owen, 16, still at home.

1911 Census

The 1911 Census shows Owen living with his elder brother Frederick at 1 Paxton Terrace. Frederick, aged 37, worked as a coal tipper, and lived with his wife, Eliza, and their four children: John Frederick, 11; William Dover, 9; Leonard George, 7; and Edwin James, 4. At this time, Owen, aged 26, was employed as a horse driver. Also in the household were Percy John Davies, 21, a fireman, and William Llewellyn Mitchell, 19, a fireworker, who were listed as a boarder and visitor respectively.

Military Service

During the First World War, Owen initially served with the South Wales Borderers before transferring to the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), where he was attached to the 6^th Reserve Battalion. His service placed him within one of the most dangerous branches of the British Army, as the Machine Gun Corps was often exposed to the heaviest fighting on the Western Front.

Death and Burial

Owen Dover Wade
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Owen died on 31^st August 1920, aged just 35. Although the war had ended nearly two years earlier, he was buried with the recognition due to a soldier. His funeral at Danygraig Cemetery reflected the continued duty to honour those whose health and lives had been broken by war, even in the years that followed the Armistice.

As the only military burial at Danygraig in 1920, Owen’s grave stands as a solitary marker for that year, a reminder that the human toll of the First World War extended far beyond November 1918. His resting place also links him with the nearly one hundred others buried at Danygraig whose stories together trace the long shadow of war over Swansea.

Legacy

The story of Owen Dover Wade captures an often-overlooked reality: that the suffering and sacrifice of servicemen did not end with peace. Like many veterans, Owen returned from war carrying physical and perhaps unseen burdens, and his early death reflects the long reach of the conflict.

His grave at Danygraig Cemetery represents more than just his own life; it symbolises the post-war losses of a community that had already endured years of grief. The fact that he was the sole military burial of 1920 gives his memorial a poignant prominence, reminding visitors that the war’s impact lingered long after the battlefield fell silent.