David Emrys Peters
Gunner David Emrys Peters – Royal Garrison Artillery, 185th Siege Battery
Early Life
David Emrys Peters was born in 1888, the son
of Isaac Peters and Elizabeth Peters. He grew up in the Swansea
area, where his family became well known for their community involvement and
professional standing.
Family
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| 1891 Census |
The 1891 Census records the Peters family living in Dunvant, where Isaac, aged 35 and born in Llandilo, worked as a Station Master, and his wife Eliza, aged 30, managed the household. Their children were Annerin J. (9) and Annie (6), both attending school, along with William T. (4), David E. (3), and Jacob S., aged eight months.
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| 1901 Census |
By the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 4 Coedsaeson Crescent, Sketty. Isaac, aged 45, was described as “living on own means,” and Eliza, aged 40, continued to care for their growing family. Their children were Annie (16), William Taliesin (14), David Emrys (12), Jacob Stanley (10), Arthur L. C. (7), Nellie M. (4), and Tudor Dundonald, aged eight months.
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| 1911 Census |
The 1911 Census shows that the Peters family remained at the same address. Isaac, then 56, was employed as a County Court Bailiff, while Eliza, aged 50, managed the home. Their children were Annie (26), a Domestic Servant; William (25), a Commercial Traveller; David (23), a Grocer’s Assistant; Arthur (17), a Clerk; and the younger siblings Nellie (14) and Tudor Dundonald (10), who were still attending school.
Military Service
With the outbreak of the First World War, David
Emrys Peters enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA), a
branch of the British Army responsible for operating heavy and siege artillery.
He served as a Gunner in the 185th Siege Battery, a
unit equipped with large-calibre guns designed to deliver long-range
bombardment against enemy defences, supply lines, and artillery positions.
Siege Batteries such as the 185th were essential to the
British Army’s operations on the Western Front. Their massive guns—ranging from
6-inch to 9.2-inch howitzers—could destroy fortified strongpoints, disrupt
supply routes, and counter enemy artillery. The men of the RGA often worked in
isolated, exposed gun positions close to the front lines, enduring continuous
shellfire, noise, exhaustion, and danger.
During the summer of 1917, the 185th Siege Battery
was engaged near Ypres, Belgium, supporting the preliminary bombardments
for what would become the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele).
Death
Army Register of Soldiers' Effects
Gunner David Emrys Peters was killed in action on
5th July 1917, during the intense artillery preparations
preceding the main Ypres offensive. His death occurred during one of the
heaviest periods of counter-battery fire in the Ypres Salient, where both sides
exchanged sustained bombardments in the build-up to the coming battle. He was 29
years old.
Burial
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| David Emrys Peters Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery credit - findagrave |
Historical Note – The Royal Garrison Artillery and Siege Batteries
The Royal Garrison Artillery formed a vital part of
Britain’s war effort during the First World War. While the Royal Field
Artillery operated lighter, more mobile guns to support infantry advances,
the RGA was tasked with manning the heaviest guns and howitzers of the
British Army.
These siege batteries conducted long-range bombardments,
striking at enemy trenches, fortified positions, supply depots, and railway
junctions far behind the front lines. Their role was both strategic and
punishing—each operation required precise calculations, immense teamwork, and
endurance under relentless enemy shelling.
Artillery duels became a defining feature of the Western
Front, and the work of gunners like David Emrys Peters was instrumental
in shaping every major offensive. The noise, vibration, and physical effort
involved were staggering; crews operated day and night in mud-filled pits,
their positions often identified and targeted by enemy counter-fire.
Through their skill and bravery, the men of the Royal
Garrison Artillery provided the firepower that underpinned the success of the
British Army’s campaigns, often at great personal cost.
Legacy
Gunner David Emrys Peters is remembered on the St.
Paul’s war memorial, Sketty, among those who gave their lives for King and
Country. His service in the 185th Siege Battery reflects the courage,
discipline, and quiet endurance of the artillerymen who fought the war’s great
battles from behind the guns.
His name stands as a lasting tribute to a generation of
ordinary men who performed extraordinary service in the face of unimaginable
hardship and danger.
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