David Morgan Grey - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Nelson Battalion, Royal Navy Division

Able Seaman David Morgan Grey - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Nelson Battalion, Royal Navy Division

Family Background and Early Life

David Morgan Grey was born in 1897 in Swansea, the son of David Grey and Catherine Daley.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the family surname was recorded as Gray, and they were residing at 37 Dyfatty Street, Swansea. David senior (28) was employed as a Ship’s Stoker, and his wife Catherine (25) managed the household. Their children were William (5), Morgan (4), Evelyn (3), and Elizabeth (8 months). Also present was Catherine’s brother, Rees Daley (22).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 1 Neptune Court, Swansea. David (37) was then employed as a Dock Labourer, and Catherine (35) remained at home. Their children were William (15) and Morgan (14), both working as Paper Messengers, together with Eva (10), David (10), Rees (9), and Albert (4), who were attending school.

Military Service

David enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and served as an Able Seaman with the Nelson Battalion, Royal Navy Division. Although members of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve were naval personnel by enlistment, many served as infantry on the Western Front as part of the Royal Navy Division.

The Battle of Arras – April 1917

On 23^rd April 1917, the Nelson Battalion was engaged in heavy fighting during the Battle of Arras, part of a major British offensive aimed at breaking through German lines in northern France. By this stage of the campaign, operations east of Arras, particularly around Gavrelle and the Scarpe Valley, had become intensely contested.

The battalion was involved in repeated assaults and the consolidation of newly captured positions under sustained German artillery and machine-gun fire. Casualties were heavy, both during advances across exposed ground and while defending hard-won positions against counter-attacks. Conditions were extremely dangerous, with shellfire, sniping, and the disruption of communication lines contributing to mounting losses. 

David Morgan Grey was wounded in action on 23^rd April 1917 during these operations.

Death and Burial

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

The British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records confirm that David died on 26^th April 1917 at the 19^th Casualty Clearing Station, where he had been taken following his wounds.

He was buried at Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, Pas de Calais, France, one of the cemeteries established to serve the casualty clearing stations during the Arras offensive.

His death reflects the heavy cost borne by the Royal Navy Division during the fighting of April 1917, when naval reservists served as front-line infantry in some of the most intense battles of the war.