Herbert John Rogers

Private Herbert John Rogers – Devonshire Regiment, 1^st Battalion

Family Tragedy: The 1903 Mumbles Lifeboat Disaster

Herbert John Rogers

Thomas Arthur Rogers and Alice Edwards
marriage certificate
St. Mary's church

Herbert John Rogers was born in 1896 in Mumbles, the eldest son of Thomas Arthur Rogers and Alice Edwards, who were married in 1886 at St Mary’s Church, Oystermouth. Thomas signed the marriage register with an “X,” indicating he could not write.

Mumbles Lifeboat James Stevens
credit - storyofmumbles

Herbert’s father, Thomas Rogers, was among the six brave crewmen who lost their lives in the Mumbles Lifeboat Disaster of 1903 — the second of three major lifeboat tragedies in Mumbles’ history (the first in 1883 and the third in 1947). Although less well-known than the others, the 1903 disaster remains one of the most poignant events in the history of the Mumbles Lifeboat Service.

On 31^st January 1903, the SS Christina of Waterford ran aground while attempting to enter Port Talbot Harbour. With her crew still on board, the Mumbles Lifeboat James Stevens was launched the following afternoon to stand by as efforts were made to refloat the vessel at high tide. The James Stevens was a 35-foot self-righting lifeboat, delivered to Mumbles in February 1900, and named after Mr James Stevens of Birmingham, whose legacy to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) funded several new lifeboats — the Mumbles vessel being No. 12.

SS Christina of Waterford
credit - storyofmumbles

As the James Stevens reached Aberavon before high tide around 8 p.m., the weather turned violent, with strong squalls and heavy seas. The crew deployed a drogue; a sea anchor used to stabilise the boat and keep her bow to the waves. Despite their efforts, a massive wave carried the lifeboat forward uncontrollably, and another struck her on the starboard quarter, capsizing her about 100 yards from the breakwater.

The lifeboat righted herself, but only four crewmen managed to cling on, while ten others were cast into the freezing water. Samuel Gammon, one of the survivors, heroically dived back into the sea to rescue his comrades. Six men lost their lives that night: Coxswain Thomas Rogers, Second Coxswain Dan Claypitt, George Michael, James Gammon, Robert Smith, and David John Morgan — the latter a survivor of the 1883 “Wolverhampton” lifeboat tragedy. The SS Christina was later refloated, with all her crew saved.

Early Life

1901 Census

According to the 1901 Census, before the disaster, the family had lived at 2 Hill Street, Oystermouth. Thomas (38) worked as a Fisherman, and Alice (35) cared for their children — Mabel K. (13), Elizabeth S. (9), Keturah F. (7), Herbert J. (5), Eliah M. (2), and Lily E. (7 months).

1911 Census

Following the 1903 tragedy, Alice Rogers was left to raise their children alone. By the 1911 Census, Alice, now a widow aged 45, was living at 8 Stanley Terrace, Oystermouth, with her children Mabel (23), Lina (19), and Kitty (17) — all employed as domestic servants. Herbert (15) worked as an Errand Boy, while the younger children — Mary (12), Lily (10), and Thomas (8) — were still in school.

Military Service

When the First World War broke out in 1914, Herbert John Rogers enlisted in the British Army, joining the 1^st Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. The battalion, part of the 5th Division, landed in France in August 1914 and fought throughout the early campaigns of the war.

By 1915, the 1^st Devons had seen heavy action at Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Ridge, and Loos, facing gruelling conditions and high casualties in trench warfare.

Death

Private Herbert John Rogers was killed in action on 18^th November 1915, while serving on the Western Front with the 1^st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment.

At that time, the battalion was stationed near Merville, in the Armentières sector of northern France — a relatively quiet area used for rest, rebuilding, and reinforcement after the losses at Loos. Despite this, the men faced constant danger from artillery fire, snipers, and disease. War diary records from mid-November 1915 note several casualties from intermittent shelling and rifle fire, conditions under which Private Rogers lost his life.

Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects

The Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects confirm his death, and he was just 19 years old.

Burial

Herbert John Rogers
Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Private Herbert John Rogers was laid to rest at Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery, Somme, France. The cemetery contains the graves of soldiers who fell in the surrounding sector during 1915–1916 and later became a central burial ground for those who died in nearby field hospitals.

Legacy

Private Herbert John Rogers is remembered not only for his military service but also as the son of Coxswain Thomas Rogers, who gave his life in another act of bravery — saving others at sea. The Rogers family, therefore, occupies a unique place in Mumbles’ history, their story reflecting courage, duty, and sacrifice across two generations.

Their names are linked in local memory — one lost to the sea, the other to war — each serving in their own way.

Private Herbert John Rogers’ name is commemorated on the memorial of the former Methodist Church, Mumbles, alongside other local men who gave their lives in the First World War. This shared memorial ensures that both his life and his family’s enduring service to their community are remembered with honour.

The Rogers family’s story stands as a powerful reminder that the spirit of service — whether on the lifeboat or the battlefield — runs deep in the heritage of Mumbles.