William Ernest Bartlett

Driver William Ernest Bartlett – Royal Field Artillery

Early Life

William Ernest Bartlett

On the 5^th of April 1918, Driver William Ernest Bartlett tragically drowned, and his body was later discovered at Langland Bay.

William was born in 1896, the youngest son of William Henry Bartlett and Annie Ridge. His father died in 1901, just before the census was taken, leaving Annie a widow with several children to support.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, Annie, aged 46, was living at 144 Rhyddings Park Road, running her own laundress business. Her children at home were Ada, 15; Barte, 12; Robert, 9; John, 6; and William, aged 5.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, Annie, then aged 56, was still working as a laundress from the family home. Present with her were her three sons: Robert Henry, 19, and John Herbert, 16, both employed as drivers, and William Ernest, 15, who assisted his mother in the business.

Military Service

At the outbreak of the First World War, William enlisted in September 1914 and joined the Royal Field Artillery, serving with the 15th Reserve Battery.

Army Register of Soldiers' Effects

He was later deployed to Salonika, where he endured harsh conditions and contracted a fever. After receiving treatment in Malta, William was eventually discharged from the army in September 1915 due to ill health.

South Wales Daily Post 

The South Wales Daily Post reported that at the time of his death, William had been planning to marry his fiancée, Elsie Smith — a future cruelly denied by his sudden passing.

Death and Burial

William died at the age of 22 when he drowned at Langland Bay.

William Ernest Bartlett
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Following his death, his body was brought home to Swansea for burial. His funeral took place at Danygraig Cemetery, attended by both family and comrades. The South Wales Daily Post described the service as impressive and deeply moving, with the loss of such a young life felt across his community.

The cortege set out from his mother’s home at 144 Rhyddings Park Road, the same household where William had grown up and worked. Floral tributes were laid in abundance, reflecting the affection in which he was held by his family, fiancée, and neighbours.

His grave at Danygraig Cemetery stands as a poignant reminder that the toll of the war was not confined to the battlefield.

Legacy

Driver William Ernest Bartlett’s story reflects the hidden sacrifices of the war — young men who enlisted, served, and endured illness or injury, only to lose their lives back home.

Though his death was not in combat, his service with the Royal Field Artillery and his premature passing at just 22 years old places him firmly among Swansea’s war dead. His grave at Danygraig connects his name to the city’s collective memory of loss, alongside those who fell overseas.

For his widowed mother, Annie, and his fiancée, Elsie Smith, William’s death brought personal grief that echoed the broader tragedy of the war years. His life, like so many others, was one of promise cut short, and his story continues to remind us that the impact of the war reached far beyond the front lines.