William Lloyd

 Gunner William Lloyd – Royal Field Artillery

The second Swansea serviceman to die on 17^th March 1919 was William Lloyd, who had served with the Royal Field Artillery. Like Private Samuel Hancock, he was laid to rest at Danygraig Cemetery, marking the day as one of deep loss for the city.

Early Life

Very little is known about William’s early years, as no census or birth records have yet been firmly identified. What we do know comes primarily from his surviving military and civil records.

Marriage

William Lloyd and Margaret Jane Perry
marriage certificate
Holy Trinity church

The only official civil record directly linked to William is his marriage certificate. On 12^th March 1917, at Holy Trinity Church, Swansea, William married Margaret Jane Perry. This union was tragically short-lived, as within two years Margaret was widowed. The certificate records William’s service with the Royal Field Artillery, confirming his wartime role in one of the army’s most crucial and dangerous branches.

Military Service

Although few details survive, William’s service with the Royal Field Artillery would have placed him among the men responsible for manning the heavy guns that provided critical firepower on the Western Front. The work was physically exhausting and exposed artillerymen to both enemy fire and the long-term effects of gas and strain.

Death and Burial

William Lloyd
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

On 17^th March 1919, William Lloyd died, just four months after the Armistice. The cause of death remains unclear, though like many returning servicemen, it may have been connected to the lingering effects of war service. He was buried at Danygraig Cemetery, his funeral attended by family and comrades who mourned not just the loss of a husband and son, but also the toll the war continued to exact long after the guns had fallen silent.

Legacy

William Lloyd’s story is one of the many quieter tragedies of the First World War. With few records, his life risks fading from view, remembered only through his grave and marriage certificate. Yet his service with the Royal Field Artillery, and his death on the same day as fellow Swansea man Samuel Hancock, ensures that he is part of the collective memory preserved at Danygraig Cemetery.