Arthur Rhys Daniel

Lance Corporal Arthur Rhys Daniel – Welsh Guards

The Welsh Guards were established on 26^th February 1915 by Royal Warrant of King George V, ensuring that Wales was represented among the elite Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Although the Royal Warrant was officially dated late February, the practical order to raise the regiment had already been given by the King to Earl Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War.

The Welsh Guards were the last of the Guards regiments to be created, following the Irish Guards in 1900. Just three days after their formation, on 1^st March 1915 — St David’s Day — the 1^st Battalion Welsh Guards mounted their first King’s Guard at Buckingham Palace, marking their proud introduction to royal service.

Arthur Rhys Daniel

On 17^th August 1915, the battalion sailed for France to join the Guards Division, taking up their place on the Western Front. Their first major action came soon after arrival, during the Battle of Loos, on 27^th September 1915.

One of the first men to enlist with this new regiment was Arthur Rhys Daniel of Mumbles.

Early Life

Arthur Rhys Daniel was born in 1890 in Blaenavon, Monmouthshire, the son of Jabez Daniel and Jane Jackson.

1891 Census

According to the 1891 Census, the Daniel family lived at 42 High Street, Llanover Upper, Blaenavon. Jabez, aged 30, worked as a Grocer on his own account, and Jane was 29. Their only child at that time was Arthur Rees, aged seven months.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 1 Khandalla Terrace, Oystermouth. Jabez, now 39, was listed as a Wine Merchant, and Jane was 38. Their children were Arthur (10), Harold (8), Spencer (6), and Hilda (2).

1911 Census

By 1911, the family were living at Castleton, Mumbles. Jabez (49) was a Grocer, and Jane (49) managed the home. Their children present were Arthur (20) and Spencer (16), both working as Grocers, and Hilda (12), still at school.

In addition to their home life, the Daniel family operated a respected local business: J. Daniel & Co., Central Stores, located at Castleton (Terrace), Newton Road, Mumbles. The shop was described in local advertisements as “Stockists of high-class provisions & general groceries.” Historical records identify the premises as one of Mumbles’ key Edwardian shops, situated at what is now 59 Newton Road (formerly Joules Fashion). The business was well known locally and served the growing community around Castleton Terrace and Chapel Street in the early 1900s.

Military Service

When the First World War broke out in 1914, Arthur, aged 24, enlisted in the Grenadier Guards, one of the oldest regiments of the British Army. Shortly after the creation of the Welsh Guards in early 1915, he transferred to the newly formed regiment, joining the 1st Battalion as a Lance Corporal.

The Welsh Guards were deployed to France in August 1915, where they became part of the Guards Division. Their first major engagement came during the Battle of Loos, which began on 25^th September 1915 — one of the first large-scale British offensives of the war. The fighting was fierce and costly, with the Guards Division sustaining heavy casualties as they advanced under intense artillery and machine-gun fire.

The Welsh Guards in October 1915

By mid-October 1915, the 1^st Battalion Welsh Guards had been on the Western Front for less than two months. Following the Battle of Loos, they remained in the line around Vermelles, Hulluch, and Loos, tasked with holding captured ground and consolidating defences. Conditions were harsh: trenches were waterlogged, sanitation was poor, and constant German artillery and sniper fire made every day hazardous.

On 17^th October 1915, the battalion was manning front-line trenches near Vermelles, in the Pas-de-Calais region. Although there was no major assault that day, they endured persistent shelling and sniper fire, suffering steady casualties. The battalion’s War Diary records frequent losses from random shell bursts and collapsing dugouts as the men worked to strengthen their positions. It was during these conditions — the daily grind of trench warfare in the aftermath of Loos — that Lance Corporal Arthur Rhys Daniel was killed in action.

Death

Army Register of Soldiers' Effects

Lance Corporal Arthur Rhys Daniel was killed in action on 17^th October 1915 while serving near Vermelles. His death came only two months after the Welsh Guards had arrived in France and less than eight months after the regiment’s formation — making him one of the earliest casualties of the Welsh Guards.

Burial

Arthur Rhys Daniel
Vermelles British Cemetery
credit - cwgc

Arthur Rhys Daniel was laid to rest at Vermelles British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France. Established in 1915, this cemetery contains the graves of soldiers who fell in the surrounding sector during and after the Battle of Loos. His resting place marks him among the first Welsh Guards to be buried on the Western Front.

Legacy

Lance Corporal Arthur Rhys Daniel was among the first Welshmen to serve — and to die — with the newly formed Welsh Guards. His service and sacrifice are a poignant reflection of Wales’s contribution to the Great War, and his name endures as part of the regiment’s proud early history.

His family’s connection to Mumbles also lives on through their grocery business, J. Daniel & Co., Central Stores, on Newton Road, a familiar part of village life in the early 20th century. The shop stood as a reminder of the Daniels’ role in the local community — a family who worked hard in peace and gave deeply in war.

Arthur Rhys Daniel’s name is commemorated on the memorial of the former Methodist Church, Mumbles, as well as at Vermelles British Cemetery in France and on local remembrance records.

His story stands as a testament to a young man’s sense of duty, his commitment to his country, and the courage of those who helped forge the identity of the Welsh Guards during their earliest days of battle.