Richard John Draper
Driver Richard John Draper – Royal Army Service Corps, 3 Divisional Ammunition Company
Early Life
Richard John Draper was born in 1905 in St.
Thomas, Swansea, the son of John Draper and Beatrice Alice
Griffiths.Richard John Draper
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| 1911 Census |
According to the 1911 Census, the Draper family lived at 22 Banbury Terrace, Swansea. John, aged 35, was employed as a Haulier, while Beatrice, aged 33, was occupied with home duties. Their children were William B. (13), Beatrice A. (11), Henrietta (9), Richard J. (6), Queenie (3), and Otto C. (1).
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| 1921 Census |
By the 1921 Census, the family was still residing at 22 Banbury Terrace. John Draper, aged 45, continued working as a Haulier, and Beatrice, aged 43, was listed at home. Their children were Richard John (16), employed as a Haulier; Otto (11) and Edward (9), both attending school; Edith (4); and Ronald (2).
Their eldest son, William Benjamin Draper (23), was
recorded separately in 1921. He was working as a Super-Heater Tube Tester
at Mills English Superheater Units Works, although unemployed at the
time. William had married Gladys Emily Hill, and the couple were living
with Gladys’s parents at 1 Mons Terrace, Norton. They had a son, William
George Draper, born that same year.
No census records have been located for Beatrice A.
or Henrietta Draper in 1921.
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| Richard John Draper and Bessie Irene Jones marriage certificate St. John-juxta-Swansea |
In February 1928, Richard John Draper married Bessie Irene Jones at St. John-juxta-Swansea Church.
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| 1939 Register |
According to the 1939 Register, Richard had enlisted in the military, while Bessie was living at 176 Gwynedd Terrace with their children.
Military Service
During the Second World War, Driver Richard John
Draper served with the Royal Army Service Corps, attached to the 3
Divisional Ammunition Company. His role involved the essential and often
dangerous work of transporting ammunition and supplies to frontline units
during the early campaigns in France and Belgium.
Death
Driver Draper survived the Dunkirk Evacuation
and returned safely to Britain. He was later stationed at Usk, Monmouthshire,
where he was temporarily billeted. On 1st June 1940, while
taking a walk near his quarters in a local beauty spot, he was struck by a motorcycle
and sustained fatal injuries. He was 35 years old.
Burial
Richard John Draper was laid to rest at St.
Peter’s Church, Cockett, Swansea. His funeral was conducted with military
honours.
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| Birmingham Daily Gazette |
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| Bradford Observer |
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| Western Daily Post |
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| Evening Post |
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| Evening Post |
Legacy
Driver Richard John Draper left behind his wife, Bessie
Irene Draper (née Jones), and their children in Swansea. His death, coming
so soon after his safe return from Dunkirk, was widely noted in both local and
national newspapers. His grave at St. Peter’s, Cockett, stands as a
quiet testament to one of Swansea’s soldiers whose service and life were cut
short not on the battlefield, but in the line of duty.
At present, there is no military headstone marking his
grave at St. Peter’s.
It is worth noting that not all early-war servicemen who
died in the United Kingdom were automatically commemorated by the Commonwealth
War Graves Commission (CWGC). In some cases, particularly when deaths
occurred away from active operations or were initially classed as accidental,
their details were not formally submitted to the CWGC at the time. Families or
researchers can, however, apply for posthumous recognition and a CWGC
headstone through the Commission’s Commemorations Team, who review
evidence of wartime service and cause of death.
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