Edgar Morgan – Welsh Regiment, 9th Battalion

Private Edgar Morgan – Welsh Regiment, 9^th Battalion

 Family Background

David John Morgan and Elizabeth Emily Morris
marriage certificate
All Saints’ Church, Oystermouth

Edgar Morgan was born in 1896 at Oystermouth, the son of David John Morgan and Elizabeth Emily Morris, who were married at All Saints’ Church, Oystermouth, in April 1892.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the Morgan family were living at The Parade, Oystermouth. David, aged 38, was a coal merchant working on his own account, while his wife Elizabeth, aged 31, managed the household. Their children were Fred (8), Lillie (6), Edgar (5), and Harold (1).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 1 Rose Hill Terrace, Mumbles. David, now 48, continued his work as a coal merchant, while Elizabeth was 41. Their children included Fred (18), working in the family business; Lily (16); Edgar (15), employed as a farm labourer working on a farm; Harold (11); and Hilda (7), both of whom were attending school.

Military Service

At the outbreak of the First World War, Edgar enlisted with the Welsh Regiment and later served with the 9th Battalion. By late 1917, he had spent more than twelve months at the Front.

South Wales Daily Post

In December 1917, the South Wales Daily Post reported that Edgar had been wounded in the left hand, and noted that his parents were then living at Cornwall Place, Mumbles.

The 9^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment – September 1918

In September 1918, the 9th Battalion, Welsh Regiment was engaged in the closing phase of the war on the Western Front, during the Allied advance known as the Hundred Days Offensive. British forces were pressing forward against retreating German positions through ground devastated by years of fighting. Although German resistance was weakening, the fighting remained fierce, with constant artillery bombardments, machine-gun fire, and local counter-attacks.

Battalions such as the 9^th Welsh, which had already endured prolonged service earlier in the war, continued to suffer significant casualties. Many men were wounded during these advances, and despite improved medical evacuation, some later succumbed to their injuries in casualty clearing stations or hospitals behind the lines.

It was during this period of intense fighting that Private Edgar Morgan sustained the wounds from which he later died.

Death and Commemoration

Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects

Edgar Morgan
Loos Memorial, France
credit - findagrave

According to the Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, Private Edgar Morgan died of wounds on 3^rd September 1918. He is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France, which honours officers and men who have no known grave.

South Wales Daily Post 

His death was reported in the South Wales Daily Post later that month