Thomas Shea

Private Thomas Shea – Cheshire Regiment, 9^th Battalion

Early Life

Thomas Shea 

Thomas Shea was born in 1886, the eldest son of Jeremiah Shea and Ellen Walsh. The Shea family lived in Swansea’s Brynmelyn area, close to the docks.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, they were residing at 46 Brynmelyn Street. Jeremiah, aged 46, was employed as a dock labourer, while Ellen, aged 41, managed the household. Their children included 15-year-old Thomas, already working, along with Winifred, 7, and Jeremiah, 4, both of whom were at school.

1911 Census

A decade later, the 1911 Census still records the family at 46 Brynmelyn Street. Jeremiah, then 56, remained employed as a dock labourer. Ellen was 51. Thomas, now 25, was also working as a dock labourer. Winifred, aged 17, had become a dressmaker; Jeremiah John, 14, was employed as an errand boy; and Daniel, the youngest, was 9 years old and still at school.

Military Service

At the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Thomas enlisted and joined the Munster Regiment. His initial service was cut short, and he was discharged, but showing determination, he reenlisted in 1916.

This time he joined the Cheshire Regiment, 9^th Battalion and was posted to France. For ten months he endured front-line service on the Western Front. However, his health broke down under the harsh conditions, and he was invalided back to Britain.

Death and Burial

While in France, Thomas became gravely ill. He was transferred to Prees Heath Military Hospital in Shropshire, one of the major wartime hospitals for treating soldiers returning from the front. Originally established as a training camp and later adapted to receive casualties, Prees Heath was known for handling cases of serious illness as well as battle injuries.

It was there, on the 13^th of April 1918, that Thomas died. He was 32 years old.

South Wales Daily Post 

The South Wales Daily Post reported his death and funeral. His body was returned to Swansea, where he was laid to rest at Danygraig Cemetery. The funeral was marked with military respect, reflecting both his service overseas and his strong commitment to enlist twice in the face of adversity.

Legacy

Thomas Shea
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Thomas Shea’s story reflects the determination of many men who, despite hardship and ill health, felt compelled to serve their country more than once. His decision to reenlist in 1916, even after being discharged, shows a strong sense of duty and resilience. His burial at Danygraig Cemetery connects him to Swansea’s wider story of wartime sacrifice in 1918, a year that saw heavy losses for the town both overseas and at home.

Thomas’s younger brother, Jeremiah John Shea, born in 1897, also answered the call to serve. By the time of the war he was still a teenager, working as an errand boy before enlisting. He served with the Welsh Regiment, joining the ranks of Swansea’s many young men who fought on the Western Front. Surviving where so many others did not, Jeremiah returned home after the war, carrying with him the physical strain and psychological weight that marked the generation who had endured the trenches.

The service of both brothers highlights the shared ordeal of Swansea families during the First World War. For the Sheas, one son never returned, and another came back profoundly shaped by his time at war. Their experiences mirror the double shadow cast by the conflict: immediate loss, and the longer legacy borne by survivors and their loved ones.

Thomas’s grave at Danygraig, together with the memory of Jeremiah’s service, stands as a family testament to duty, sacrifice, and survival amid the upheaval of war.