Arthur Rosser

Second Lieutenant Arthur Rosser – Welsh Regiment, 14^th Battalion

Early Life

Arthur Rosser 

Arthur Rosser was born in 1898 in Swansea, the eldest son of William Rosser and Esther Davies, who were married in 1892.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Rosser family living at 2 Ffynone Villas, Swansea. William (34) was employed as an Upholsterer, and Esther (33) managed the household. Their children at that time were Arthur (3) and Enid (1). Also residing with them was Esther’s sister, Rachel Davies (33), who worked as a Clerk, along with a domestic servant, Mary Beynon (23).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 19 Brynymor Crescent, Swansea. William (41) was listed as a Bedding Manufacturer, and Esther (44) kept the home. Their children — Arthur (13), Enid (11), and Hester (7) — were all attending school.

Military Service

Arthur later joined the Welsh Regiment, 14^th (Swansea Pals) Battalion, rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant. The 14th Battalion was part of the 38^th (Welsh) Division, composed largely of volunteers from South Wales. After serving in the trenches of France during early 1916, the Division was moved south in preparation for the Battle of the Somme — one of the largest and most devastating offensives of the war.

Death

The 14^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment went into action on the 10^th of July 1916, their first day at the Battle of the Somme. The attack took place near Mametz Wood, a heavily fortified section of the German line. Amid fierce resistance, the battalion suffered heavy casualties as they advanced through machine-gun and artillery fire. During this assault, Second Lieutenant Arthur Rosser was killed in action, aged just 19.

His death came on a day of immense loss for the Welsh Division, as hundreds of men from the Swansea area fell during the attempt to capture Mametz Wood — an operation that became one of the defining moments of Welsh sacrifice in the Great War.

Commemoration

Arthur Rosser
Thiepval Memorial
credit - findagrave

As Arthur Rosser has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France — the great monument that bears the names of over 72,000 soldiers who died in the Somme battles and have no known resting place.

His name also appears on the St. Paul’s Church War Memorial, Swansea, where he is honoured among his fellow parishioners who gave their lives in the First World War. His story remains a lasting reminder of the courage and devotion of a generation that never returned home.