David Jeffreys Meecham - Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 11th (Service) Battalion

Second Lieutenant David Jeffreys Meecham - Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 11^th (Service) Battalion

Early Life and Family Background

David Jeffreys Meecham

David Jeffreys Meecham was born in 1891 in Morriston, Swansea, the son of Daniel Meecham and Margaret Jeffreys, who were married in 1885 at Pontardawe.

1891 Census

The 1891 Census records the family residing at Oed Bridge, Llangeafelach, Swansea. Daniel, aged 27 and born in Neath, was employed as a fitter, while Margaret, aged 28 and born in Ystalyfera, cared for their young family. Their children at that time were Margaret (4), Thomas (2), and David J., aged 2 months.

1901 Census

By the time of the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 118 Clydach Road, Llangeafelach. Daniel, 35, remained employed as a fitter, and Margaret, 38, managed the household. Their children recorded were Margaret (14), Thomas J. (12), David J. (10), Jeffrey D. (5), Sarah L. (3), and William E. (2).

1911 Census

In 1911, the family were residing at 64 Clydach Road, Morriston. Daniel, now 45, was a Foreman Fitter, and Margaret, 47, remained at home. David, aged 20, was employed as a School Teacher, suggesting a promising civilian career before the war intervened.

Military Service – Salonika

Commission and Deployment

David was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 11^th (Service) Battalion, and served in the Salonika (Macedonian) Theatre. His commission placed him among the junior officers responsible for leading men under active service conditions, carrying both tactical responsibility and the burden of maintaining morale in a difficult and demanding campaign.

Conditions on the Macedonian Front

By early 1917, the battalion was positioned in the mountainous and inhospitable terrain of northern Greece, holding defensive lines against Bulgarian forces. The campaign was marked by rugged high ground and exposed trench systems, severe winter weather followed by muddy spring conditions, constant artillery exchanges and sniper fire, and the ever-present threat of malaria and disease.

Service on the Salonika Front demanded exceptional endurance. The combination of extreme climate, sickness, and enemy action made it one of the most physically and mentally demanding theatres of the war.

Operations – 28^th March 1917

On 28^th March 1917, the battalion was engaged in front-line defensive and patrol operations. Bulgarian artillery frequently shelled British positions, while machine-gun fire from commanding enemy heights made movement extremely dangerous. Even limited engagements could produce significant casualties due to the exposed and rocky landscape, where cover was scarce and evacuation of the wounded was slow and hazardous.

Leadership and Sacrifice

As a junior officer, David would have been responsible for leading patrols and forward reconnaissance missions, duties that placed him in positions of particular danger. The Salonika campaign was characterised by steady, attritional fighting rather than dramatic offensives, yet casualties were frequent and often sudden.

David Jeffreys Meecham 
 Karasouli Military Cemetery, Greece
credit - findagrave

Second Lieutenant David Jeffreys Meecham was killed in action on 28^th March 1917. He is buried at Karasouli Military Cemetery, Greece, where many who fell in the Macedonian campaign are laid to rest. His service reflects the sacrifice of Welsh officers who served far from the Western Front in one of the war’s most challenging theatres