David James Sparks

 Private David James Sparks – Welsh Regiment, 4^th Battalion

David James Sparks
Harponville Communal Cemetery Extension
credit - findagrave

Private David James Sparks served with the Welsh Regiment, 4^th Battalion during the First World War.

He was killed in action on 8 August 1918, aged 24, and is buried at Harponville Communal Cemetery Extension, in France.

He was the son of Albert and Ann Sparks, of Kittle, in the parish of Pennard.

Family Background

Albert Sparks and Ann Jones
Marriage Certificate
St. Marys church, Pennard

Albert Sparks and Ann Jones were married at St Mary’s Church, Pennard, on 26 January 1893.
At the time of their marriage, Albert was 20 years old, Ann was 22, and both were residing at Pwll Du. Albert’s occupation was recorded as Labourer.

1901 Census

By the time of the 1901 Census, Albert, aged 28, was working as a Quarryman, and Ann, aged 30, was recorded as having been born in Neath. They were living at Kittle, in the parish of Pennard.
Living with them were their children: David (7), Walter (7), William (2), and Frances (1).

1911 Census

A decade later, the 1911 Census shows that the family were still living at Kittle.
Albert, now 39, was employed as a Road Labourer, and Ann, aged 40, continued to manage the household.
Their children at home were William (12), Frances (11), Lily (8), and Edith (5).

1911 Census

At this time, their eldest son, David Sparks, aged 17, was employed as a servant to W. J. Parry, a Market Gardener, at Fairfield, Bishopston.

Military Service and Sacrifice

Although the exact details of David Sparks’s enlistment are not known, he served with the 4th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, a unit that formed part of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the British Expeditionary Force.

Private Sparks was killed in action on 8^th August 1918, during the opening day of the Battle of Amiens — a large-scale Allied offensive that marked the beginning of the Hundred Days campaign, which would ultimately lead to the end of the war.

He was laid to rest at Harponville Communal Cemetery Extension, France — a burial ground established by front-line medical units during the summer of 1918 for those who fell in the fighting nearby.

The 4^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment – August 1918

In early August 1918, the 4^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment was positioned near Harponville and Albert, north-east of Amiens. On 8^th August 1918, the battalion took part in the Allied advance against German positions along the Somme front, supporting the push led by the Australian Corps further south.

This attack — later described by General Haig as “the greatest British victory of the war” — achieved complete surprise over the enemy, breaking through several defensive lines. However, the 4th Welsh faced heavy artillery fire and machine-gun resistance as they advanced through open country, suffering significant casualties during the day’s fierce fighting.

Among those who lost their lives was Private David James Sparks, one of many young men from South Wales who took part in that decisive final campaign.

Legacy

Sparks family headstone
St. Mary's church, Pennard
credit - findagrave

Although he has no known descendants, Private Sparks’s name endures — inscribed on his parents’ headstone at St Mary’s Church, Pennard, and recorded in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Roll of Honour. His sacrifice is shared among the thousands who fell during the final months of the war and who now lie in the quiet cemeteries of northern France.

Through his story, we are reminded of the many men from small Gower communities such as Kittle and Pennard who left home to serve in distant fields, and whose courage and loss shaped the peace that followed.