William James Delve – King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 10th Battalion

Corporal William James Delve – King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 10^th Battalion

William James Delve, born in 1892 in Oystermouth, was the only son of William Matthew Delve and Margaret Michael. Margaret had previously been married to Francis Morris, whom she wed at St Mary’s Church, Swansea, in April 1879. That marriage produced four children. Tragedy struck early: Francis Morris died at sea on 25 February 1888 while serving aboard the Raphall at Muscat, Arabia. Two years later, Margaret married William Matthew Delve, and their son William was born in 1892.

Early Life and Census Records

1901 Census

The 1901 Census is the first in which William appears. The family was living at 4 Albert Place, Oystermouth, where Margaret, aged 49, was head of the household. Present were her Morris children—Anthony (20), a Grocer’s Assistant; Ethel (18), a Housemaid Domestic; Beatrice (16), a Dressmaker; and Ellen (9)—alongside 9-year-old William Delve.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 154 Rhyddings Terrace, Brynmill, Swansea. Margaret, now 60, lived with Anthony (30), a Shop Assistant; Beatrice (26), a Dressmaker; Elizabeth (24); and William James (19), employed as a Shop Assistant. This census shows William on the brink of adulthood, living and working in Swansea before the war.

Military Service

Attestation Papers

William’s Attestation Papers, which have survived, record that he enlisted as a Corporal in the 10^th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps. This battalion formed part of the 20^th (Light) Division, a unit heavily committed to major British offensives on the Western Front.

10^th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps – Operations in April 1917

Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects

In April 1917, the 10th Battalion KRRC took part in the Battle of Arras, a major British assault aimed at breaking through deeply-fortified German trench systems. Operating south of the River Scarpe, the battalion was directly involved in the intense fighting that characterised the opening phase of the battle. During this period, they advanced under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, seized and consolidated captured trenches, endured relentless artillery bombardments, and carried out hazardous night patrols and wiring missions in No Man’s Land. German counter-attacks were frequent and fierce, adding to the heavy toll on the battalion. The first week of the Battle of Arras was marked by severe casualties and relentless pressure as British forces pushed through devastated terrain. It was during this exceptionally dangerous phase of operations that Corporal William James Delve was killed in action on 5^th April 1917 as recorded in the Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects.

Death and Commemoration

Herald of Wales

William Delve
Peronne Road Cemetery,
Maricourt, France
Credit - findagrave

William is buried at Peronne Road Cemetery, Maricourt, France, among many who fell in the same costly offensive. His death was reported in the local press, and The Herald of Wales published an article about his loss, reflecting the impact felt in both his community and family.