Walter Frederick Morgan
Corporal Walter Frederick Morgan – Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment), 2nd/4th Battalion; Labour Corps
Early Life
Robert Morgan and Jane Lloyd
marriage certificate
St. Mary's Church
Walter Frederick Morgan was born in 1886 at
Blackpill, the son of Robert Morgan and Jane Lloyd, who were
married in 1879 at St. Mary’s Church, Swansea.
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| 1891 Census |
The 1891 Census records the Morgan family living at Mill Lane, Blackpill. Robert (33) was employed as a Gardener, and his wife Jane (35) managed the home. Their children were Elizabeth Ann (11), William Henry (10), Robert John (9), and Walter Frederick (5).
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| 1901 Census |
By the 1901 Census, Walter (15) was working as a servant at Grange Farm, Clyne, Oystermouth, the home of Lewis John, Farm Bailiff.
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| 1911 Census |
The 1911 Census shows Walter back at the family home, 3 Spring Gardens, West Cross. Robert (52) was employed as a Domestic Gardener, and Jane (55) was at home. Their sons Robert (28), a House Painter, and Walter (26), a Domestic Gardener, were also recorded.
Later in 1911, Walter married Georgina J. Thomas,
and the couple settled in Mumbles.
Military Service
Walter Frederick Morgan’s Attestation Papers have
survived, offering valuable insight into his wartime record. At the time of
his enlistment, he was living at Alma House, Mumbles, and his occupation
was listed as Gardener.Attestation Papers
He enlisted in 1915 with the Green Howards
(Yorkshire Regiment), 2nd/4th Battalion, a
Territorial unit composed largely of men from Yorkshire and the North of
England.
The Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment)
The Green Howards, officially known during the First
World War as The Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment),
was one of Britain’s oldest infantry regiments, dating back to 1688. The
regiment gained its nickname from the distinctive green facings on its uniforms
and from its long tradition of distinguished service.
The 2nd/4th Battalion, formed in Scarborough in
1914, was part of the Territorial Force. Initially trained for home
defence, it was later deployed overseas as part of the Northern Division,
seeing active service in France and Flanders. The battalion undertook
arduous duties including trench holding, supply work, and support operations
for front-line divisions — often under shellfire and harsh environmental
conditions.
The Green Howards fought in some of the most intense and
costly battles of the war, including the Somme (1916), Arras (1917),
and Passchendaele (1917). Their courage and endurance earned them an
enduring reputation for steadfastness under fire.
Service and Transfer
Walter Morgan served in France for two years,
where he would have been exposed to the brutal realities of trench life — cold,
fatigue, and constant danger. Later in the war, he transferred to the Labour
Corps, a newly formed unit that carried out the vital logistical,
engineering, and transport work behind the lines.
The Labour Corps, established in 1917, was
made up of men who had already served at the front and were redeployed to
essential non-combat duties due to age, wounds, or health. These men built and
repaired roads, railways, and trenches, moved supplies, and cared for the
wounded — indispensable tasks that kept the army functioning.
Walter rose to the rank of Corporal and was discharged
on demobilisation on 10th April 1920, after nearly five years of
service. His home address at the time was 3 Castle Street, Mumbles.
Death
Corporal Walter Frederick Morgan died only six days
after his discharge, on 16th April 1921, aged 35, from
valvular disease of the heart. His death so soon after leaving the army
suggests that the strain of years of physical labour, poor conditions, and
wartime stress had severely weakened his health — a tragic but not uncommon
fate among veterans of the Great War.Walter Frederick Morgan
Oystermouth Cemetery
credit - findagrave
Burial
Following his death, Walter was buried at Oystermouth
Cemetery, close to his family home and community.
Legacy
Walter Frederick Morgan’s life reflects the quiet
strength and resilience of the working men of Mumbles and Blackpill. His skills
as a gardener were transformed into the discipline and endurance needed
for military service.
His surviving attestation and service papers provide
a rare record of his journey from civilian to soldier, through front-line
service and hard labour in France. His grave at Oystermouth Cemetery
stands as a lasting tribute to a man who served with dedication and dignity,
both in peace and in war, and to all those whose sacrifices continued long
after the fighting had ceased.
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