James Williams

Driver James Williams – Royal Garrison Artillery

Early Life

1901 Census

James Williams was born in Swansea and appears on the 1901 Census, which lists the Williams family living at 54 Vincent Street, Swansea. The head of the household, William Williams, aged 54 and widowed, worked as a jobbing mason on his own account. His children were George (26), a dock labourer; Florence (24), a general domestic servant; Thomas (20), a general labourer; James (17), employed as a carter for builders; and Amelia (12).

Swansea Prison Records

In 1902, local court records show that James was charged with “unlawfully and furiously riding a horse.” He was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment or fined 14 shillings, part of which was paid. Despite this youthful indiscretion, James went on to serve his country with distinction during the First World War.

Military Service

Attestation Papers

James’s Attestation Papers have survived and reveal that he enlisted in 1915, joining the Royal Artillery. The following year, he transferred to the Royal Garrison Artillery, a branch responsible for operating heavy guns and coastal defences. At the time of his enlistment, James was living at 60 Vincent Street, Swansea. His service reflected the widespread contribution of working-class men from Swansea who volunteered to support Britain’s war effort.

Death

Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects

James died on 27^th November 1918, just over two weeks after the signing of the Armistice that ended the First World War. His death came shortly after that of Private William Alexander Johnson and marked the final military death of 1918 in Swansea. According to the Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects, he died at his home, 60 Vincent Street, possibly from illness or the lingering effects of wartime service.

Burial

James Williams
St. Peters church
credit - findagrave

The last military burial of 1918 at St. Peter’s Church, Cockett, took place on 3^rd December 1918, when Driver James Williams was laid to rest. His burial closed a year of immense loss for Swansea and its families, as the city mourned both those who had fallen abroad and those who returned home only to succumb soon after.

Legacy

Driver James Williams’s story reflects the experience of many soldiers who survived the fighting but whose health and strength had been eroded by years of service. As the final military burial of 1918 at St. Peter’s Church, his resting place stands as a poignant reminder of how the shadow of the Great War extended beyond the Armistice. His name remains part of Swansea’s collective memory of courage, endurance, and sacrifice.