Thomas Ellis Parry – Lancashire Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion and James Hywel Parry – Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 10th Battalion

Lieutenants Thomas Ellis Parry – Lancashire Fusiliers, 2^nd Battalion and James Hywel Parry – Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 10^th Battalion

Family Background

Thomas Ellis Parry (born 1887, Swansea) and his younger brother James Hywel Parry (born 1890, Swansea) were the sons of John Hywel Parry, a Congregational Minister, and Elizabeth Watkins.

1891 Census

At the time of the 1891 Census, the family were residing at 1 Peniel Green, Llansamlet, Swansea. John Hywel Parry (40), born in Caernarfon, served as a Congregational Minister, and his wife Elizabeth (30) managed the household. Their children were Margaret (17); Thomas Ellis (4); William Emrys (3); John Baldwyn (1); and James Hywel, aged one month.

1901 Census

1911 Census

Following the death of Elizabeth Parry in 1893, John Hywel Parry raised his family as a widower. By the 1901 and 1911 Censuses, they were residing at Crumlin Villas, Llansamlet, Swansea, where the sons were recorded as students, teachers, and theological trainees, reflecting a strong emphasis on education and public service.

Lieutenant Thomas Ellis Parry – Lancashire Fusiliers, 2^nd Battalion

Military Service

Thomas Ellis Parry

Thomas Ellis Parry, the elder brother, initially served with the London Regiment, 1/5^th (City of London) Battalion (London Rifle Brigade), before transferring to the Lancashire Fusiliers, 2^nd Battalion. He was wounded in 1915, but later returned to front-line service.

Lancashire Fusiliers, 2^nd Battalion — 23^rd October 1916

On 23^rd October 1916, the 2^nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, was engaged in heavy fighting during the later stages of the Battle of the Somme, operating in the Thiepval–Ancre sector. By this point, the campaign had become one of relentless attrition, with repeated local attacks, consolidation of hard-won ground, and aggressive patrolling carried out under constant enemy fire.

Conditions were exceptionally harsh. Autumn rain, deep mud, and shattered ground made movement slow and dangerous, while German artillery, trench mortars, and snipers inflicted steady casualties. Junior officers such as Lieutenant Parry were required to lead platoons, organise working parties, and supervise consolidation, often in exposed positions.

It was during this period of continuous fighting on 23^rd October 1916 that Lieutenant Thomas Ellis Parry was killed in action. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, which records those who died on the Somme with no known place of burial.

Lieutenant James Hywel Parry – Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 10^th Battalion

Military Service

James Hywel Parry

The younger brother, James Hywel Parry, served as a Lieutenant with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 10^th Battalion, one of the Welsh service battalions raised during the early years of the war.

Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 10^th Battalion — 5^th September 1917

On 5^th September 1917, the 10^th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, was engaged in operations connected with the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). By early September, British forces were attempting to push forward against stubborn German resistance in the Ypres Salient, one of the most difficult and dangerous sectors of the Western Front.

The battalion was involved in front-line trench holding, reliefs, and local attacks, conducted in appalling conditions. Heavy shelling had destroyed drainage systems, leaving the battlefield waterlogged and knee-deep in mud. Trenches frequently collapsed, forcing troops to occupy shell holes and improvised positions.

German defences relied heavily on machine-gun fire, concrete pillboxes, and artillery, inflicting severe casualties even during limited advances. Junior officers such as Lieutenant Parry were tasked with leading platoons forward, maintaining direction amid confusion, and organising consolidation under fire, roles that placed them at exceptional risk.

James Hywel Parry was mortally wounded during this phase of the fighting and died of his wounds on 5^th September 1917. He is buried at Grevillers British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France.

Legacy

Herald of Wales

South Wales Daily Post

The deaths of both brothers were reported in the Herald of Wales and the South Wales Daily Post, highlighting the profound loss suffered by one Swansea family. The sacrifice of Lieutenants Thomas Ellis and James Hywel Parry, who died within a year of each other while serving as officers on the Western Front, stands as a powerful reminder of the human cost of the First World War