Ernest Woollard – Civilian War Dead

Birth and Family Background

Ernest Woollard was born in 1891 in Swansea, the son of Frederick Smith Woollard and Ann Kidwell, who were married in 1876 in Swansea.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the Woollard family were living at 12 Watkin Street, Swansea. Frederick Woollard (43) was employed as a butcher’s labourer, and his wife Ann (42) managed the household. Their children were Frederick John (24), an Able Seaman; Catherine (22); Maria (20), a domestic servant; Emma (18), a wool spinner in a factory; Hugh (17), a general labourer; Sarah (15), also a wool spinner in a factory; Ernest (10); Grace (7); Minnie (5); and Samuel (2).

Military Service

Ernest enlisted in December 1907, serving with the 41st Foot (Welch Regiment).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family were still residing at 12 Watkin Street, Swansea. Frederick S. Woollard (54) was recorded as a butcher, with Ann (51). Their children still at home were Ernest (19), working as a dock labourer; Grace (16), employed in charring; Minnie (14); Samuel (12); and Richard (8), the younger children attending school.

Marriage

Ernest Woollard and Emily Ethel Williams 
marriage certificate
Holy Trinity, Swansea

In May 1913, Ernest married Emily Ethel Williams at Holy Trinity Church, Swansea.

1921 Census

At the time of the 1921 Census, Ernest and Emily were living at 10 Watkin Street, Swansea. Ernest (29) was a fuel worker, employed by the Sun Fuel Company, although he was recorded as out of work. Emily Ethel (29) was his wife, and their only child was Ernest Clyde (7).

1939 Register

1939 Register

Ernest and Emily are recorded in the 1939 Register, still residing at 10 Watkin Street, Swansea. Ernest was employed as a refuse domestic fireman (heavy work), while Emily E. undertook unpaid domestic duties.

Death, the Swansea Three Nights’ Blitz, and Burial

Register of Civilian Deaths due to War Operations

The Register of Civilian Deaths due to War Operations records that Ernest Woollard (with the surname recorded as Woolard) died at Swansea General Hospital on the 22^nd, from wounds received during the final night of the Swansea Three Nights’ Blitz, on 21^st–22^nd February 1941.

The final night of the blitz was the most destructive air raid experienced by Swansea during the Second World War. After two preceding nights of bombing, German aircraft returned in force, directing sustained attacks against residential districts, dockland areas, and key infrastructure. Large numbers of incendiary bombs were dropped, rapidly starting fires that spread unchecked through densely built streets. High-explosive bombs shattered water mains, severely hampering firefighting efforts, while damage to communications and transport networks complicated rescue operations.

Entire streets were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, and many civilians were trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Rescue and recovery work continued throughout the night and into the following days, undertaken by air raid wardens, fire crews, and volunteers, often working in hazardous conditions amid unstable ruins and unexploded ordnance. It was during this intense and chaotic period that Ernest sustained the injuries from which he later died, his death forming part of the heavy civilian toll of the raid, which left hundreds dead, thousands injured, and a substantial proportion of the town’s housing damaged or destroyed.

Following his death, Ernest’s body was taken to Wycliffe Hall, Clarence Street. He was buried at St Peter’s Churchyard on 3^rd March 1941.

Commemoration

Ernest Woollard is remembered as one of the many ordinary civilians whose lives were irrevocably changed and ultimately lost during the air raids on Swansea. Living and working in the town he had known since childhood, his death reflects the shared sacrifice of the home front, where danger was ever present and endurance was demanded daily. He stands as a representative of the civilian men, women, and children who suffered and died during the Swansea Blitz, and his name endures as part of the town’s wartime history and collective memory