Ivor Jenkins – Welsh Regiment, 15th Battalion

Private Ivor Jenkins – Welsh Regiment, 15^th Battalion

Family Background

Ivor Jenkins was born in 1890 in Oystermouth, the youngest son of David and Ann Jenkins, a long-established family in the Mumbles community. His father, David Jenkins, worked in various manual and maritime-related occupations, while his mother, Ann, oversaw a busy household with several children. The family’s moves between properties in Mumbles reflect changes in employment and domestic circumstances. Growing up as the youngest of five surviving children, Ivor entered adulthood during a period when many young men from coastal communities sought work in local trades or military service, especially as tensions in Europe escalated.

1891 Census

In 1891, the Jenkins family were living at William Street, Mumbles. David (45) was employed as a General Labourer, while Ann (44) managed the home. Their children—Dora (11), Louisa (9), Katie (6), and David (4)—all attended school, while the youngest, Ivor, appears as a 10-month-old infant. This snapshot depicts a typical working-class household, dependent on the father’s labour and the mother’s domestic responsibilities.

1901 Census

By 1901, the family had moved to 6 Lansdowne Place, Mumbles. On census night, David was absent, leaving Ann (45) recorded as head of the household. Their children present were Dora (21), working as a Domestic Housemaid; David (14), employed as a Gardener Boy (Domestic); and Ivor (10), still in school. This period marks the beginning of the older children entering work, a common transition for families in the early twentieth century.

1911 Census

By 1911, the household had moved again, this time to 5 Lansdowne Place. David (64) was once again listed as head of the household, working as an Inspector of Pleasure Boats, a role connected to the maritime life of Mumbles. Ann (57) was recorded as Housewife. Three of their adult children remained at home: Katie (26), a General Domestic Servant; David (23), a Stone Mason; and Ivor (20), employed as a Messenger. The census shows a stable family home, with each member contributing economically.

Military Service and Death

Ivor’s Enrolment Papers confirm that he enlisted in the 3/5^th Welsh Regiment, later serving with the 15^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment. According to the Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects, he was killed in action on 8^th October 1918 during the final phase of the First World War.

Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects

During this period, the 15^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment was taking part in the Allied final advance across northern France, as part of the 38th (Welsh) Division. On 8^th October 1918, the battalion advanced between Serain and Maretz, encountering stiff resistance from German rearguard units defending machine-gun posts, fortified farms, and hastily prepared fallback positions. The terrain—scarred by shellfire and broken by trench systems—made the advance difficult, and the battalion came under heavy machine-gun and artillery fire throughout the day. Several casualties were sustained during these operations, and it was amid this intense and unrelenting fighting that Private Ivor Jenkins lost his life, just 34 days before the Armistice brought the war to an end.

Private Ivor Jenkins is buried at Moulin-de-Pierre British Cemetery, France, where he lies among fellow soldiers who fell in the closing weeks of the war.