Cyril Donald Thomas Jenkins

Lieutenant Cyril Donald Thomas Jenkins – Royal Welsh Fusiliers & Royal Flying Corps

Cyril Donald Thomas Jenkins
Oystermouth Cemetery

At the foot of the steps at Oystermouth Cemetery lies the grave of Lieutenant Cyril Donald Thomas Jenkins. The stone cross that once stood proudly atop his grave now rests at its base, its weathered form a quiet reminder of a young officer’s brief but remarkable life.

The inscription records that Cyril was the son of Charles and Kate Jenkins and a Lieutenant in the 3^rd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He had served in the Gallipoli Campaign, where he was wounded, before joining the Royal Flying Corps. He died on 2 October 1916, aged just 20. His death certificate records a single, devastating word under “Cause of Death”: Shock.

Early Life and Family Background

Cyril Donald Thomas Jenkins was born in Llangyfelach, Swansea, in 1896, the son of Charles Bevan Jenkins, a solicitor, and Kate Edith Jenkins.

1901 Census

According to the 1901 Census, the Jenkins family was living at Trebanos House, Pontardawe. Charles, aged 40, was recorded as a Solicitor, and Kate, aged 30, managed the household. Their children were Marjorie Doris (8), Hilda Beryl (6), Cyril Donald Thomas (5), Mabel Evelyn (3), and Kate Stuart (1) — all born in Llangyfelach.

Two governesses were employed at the house: Margaret Bowville Morgan (20) of Herefordshire and Ethel Mary Adis (19) of Briton Ferry, along with a servant, Elizabeth Jane Jones (21), from Morriston.

By the 1911 Census, Cyril does not appear at home, though his family was then living at Uplands House, Uplands, Swansea.

Law Examination Records

Records from the Law Examination Board show that in 1914, at just 18 years old, Cyril had successfully passed his Law Examinations, suggesting that he intended to follow in his father’s footsteps as a solicitor.

Military Service – Royal Welsh Fusiliers

 Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Cyril later joined the 3^rd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Unfortunately, his enlistment papers have not survived, but the 3^rd Battalion was a training and reserve unit, based in the United Kingdom throughout the war, supplying officers and men to front-line battalions.

Lieutenant-General
Sir Frederick Stopford

The Royal Welsh Fusiliers played a key role in the Gallipoli Campaign. Between 6 and 15 August 1915, the regiment took part in the landing at Suvla Bay, one of the British Army’s final attempts to break the stalemate on the peninsula. Though the initial landing faced little resistance, poor coordination, extreme heat, and lack of water soon led to heavy casualties. Commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Stopford, the operation stalled within days, and by 15 August Stopford had been relieved of command.

The landing at Sulva Bay, Gallipoli, 7th August 1915; Sulva Bay attached 21st August 1915 - 
1915 Watercolour

It is believed that Lieutenant Jenkins was wounded at Suvla Bay before returning to Britain. The Gallipoli Campaign, which had begun in February 1915, ultimately ended in evacuation and failure in January 1916, at the cost of over 250,000 Allied casualties.

Royal Flying Corps

Royal Flying Corps

Following his recovery, Cyril transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) — the aerial branch of the British Army and the forerunner of the Royal Air Force. He was posted to No. 58 Squadron, which had been formed on 8^th June 1916 at Cramlington, Northumberland, from a nucleus of No. 36 Squadron (Home Defence).

Avro 504A biplane 

Equipped initially with B.E.2c and B.E.2e biplanes, the squadron trained new pilots for reconnaissance and home defence operations. Training at that time was dangerous and rudimentary. Pilots learned to fly in open-cockpit aircraft without parachutes, altimeters, or reliable instruments, often relying solely on visual judgement. Engine failures and structural weaknesses were common, and training accidents claimed hundreds of lives each year.

By 1916, the Royal Flying Corps was expanding rapidly, with new squadrons forming across Britain to meet the demands of the Western Front. However, the pace of training often outstripped the availability of experienced instructors and reliable aircraft. In some months, more airmen died in training accidents in Britain than were lost in combat over France.

On 2^nd October 1916, Lieutenant Cyril Jenkins, serving as a pupil pilot with No. 58 Squadron, was flying an Avro 504A biplane near Cramlington. During a training flight, his aircraft reportedly lost speed, stalled, and nose-dived, crashing fatally. He was 20 years old.

Death and Burial

Cyril Donald Thomas Jenkins 
Death Certificate 

Llais Llafur

Cyril’s death certificate lists his cause of death simply as “Shock.” His body was returned to Swansea and laid to rest at Oystermouth Cemetery, where his grave remains near the base of the main steps. His funeral was reported in Llais Llafur, which paid tribute to the young officer who had already served in two of the most dangerous branches of the wartime forces.

1921 Census

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) records note that his parents, Charles and Kate Jenkins, later resided at Beryl House, Wells, Somerset — confirmed by the 1921 Census, which lists the family at that address.

Legacy

Cyril Donald Thomas Jenkins
Oystermouth Cemetery

Lieutenant Cyril Donald Thomas Jenkins embodied the courage and ambition of a generation who came of age during the First World War. Having served in Gallipoli and later as a Royal Flying Corps trainee pilot, he represented the evolution of modern warfare — from the mud of the trenches to the skies above Britain.

His grave at Oystermouth Cemetery, marked by its fallen cross, stands as a poignant symbol of youth and sacrifice. The single word on his death certificate — “Shock” — captures not only the physical trauma of his crash but also the emotional toll borne by his family and community.

Cyril’s story joins those of Privates John Malcolm James, Arthur Michael, Captain Edward Talfourd Strick, and Major Llewellyn Thomas, forming part of Oystermouth Cemetery’s earliest military burials — a collective record of Swansea’s service, loss, and remembrance in the Great War.