Theodore James Nehemiah

Driver Theodore James Nehemiah – Army Service Corps

Early Life

Theodore James Nehemiah

Theodore James Nehemiah, born in 1895, was the eldest son of George Nehemiah and Eleanor Ann (Annie) Bevan, who married in 1894.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the family was living at 56 Baptist Well Street, Swansea. George, aged 24, was a General Labourer, while Annie was 28. Their children were: Theodore J., 6; William G., 4; Arthur J., 2; and Brynley R., aged 1.

Passengers Lists
White Star Line ship Southwark

Canada
Incoming Passengers Lists

In 1911, George had departed for Canada, embarking from Liverpool on 23rd March 1911 aboard the White Star Line ship Southwark, arriving at Halifax on 3rd April.

1911 Census

Back in Swansea, Annie was recorded in the 1911 Census still at 56 Baptist Well Street with her children. Theodore, 16, and William, 15, were working at the Copper Works as labourers. Brynley, 11, remained at school, while Arthur John, 5, and Frederick Charles, 2, were the youngest of the household.

Military Service

Attestation Papers

In 1915, Theodore enlisted with the Army Service Corps, where he served as a Driver. His duties included handling horse-drawn wagons that supplied the front lines with ammunition, food, and medical equipment.

He was deployed to France, where he contracted a disease that steadily weakened him. In 1918, he was invalided back to Britain.

Death

South Wales Daily Post

On the 29^th of September 1918, Theodore died at the Y.M.C.A. Hospital, Swansea, aged just 23. His passing was reported in the South Wales Daily Post on 1^st October 1918, which noted his service and the grief of his family.

Burial

South Wales Daily Post

The funeral of Driver Theodore James Nehemiah took place at Danygraig Cemetery and was described in the South Wales Daily Post on 5th October 1918.

The cortege left his mother’s home at Baptist Well Street, followed by many mourners. Fellow servicemen, neighbours, and members of the local community joined the procession, a mark of the family’s standing and Theodore’s sacrifice. A Union Jack draped his coffin, symbolising his service to his country.

At the graveside, the officiating minister spoke of Theodore’s short life, his devotion to duty, and the heavy cost borne by families across Swansea during the war. Wreaths and floral tributes surrounded the grave, including those from his mother, brothers, and sisters, and one inscribed “from his comrades in the Army Service Corps.”

Theodore James Nehemiah
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Though only 23, Theodore’s service and suffering were acknowledged with a burial that carried both military dignity and the warmth of community support.

Legacy

Theodore James Nehemiah’s story reflects the hidden casualties of war—the men who survived the front lines only to die from disease or lingering wounds. His grave at Danygraig Cemetery stands as a reminder of these sacrifices, made not only in battle but in the long shadow of war that followed soldiers’ home.