William Alfred Mallam – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Hood Battalion

Leading Seaman William Alfred Mallam – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Hood Battalion

Early Life

William Alfred Mallam was born in 1896 in Swansea, the son of Percy Bogan Mallam and Martha Ann Kingdon, who married in 1890 in Swansea. He grew up in a working‑class household in the city’s northern districts.

1901 Census

By 1901, the Mallam family were living in Clase, Swansea. William’s father, Percy, aged 32, was employed as a General Labourer on a farm, while his wife Martha, aged 33 and born in Cardiff, kept the home. Their children at this time were Lauh M., aged 9; Sarah A., aged 6; William, recorded under his middle names as Alfred W., aged 4; and Luther G., aged 2.

1911 Census

A decade later, the family had moved to 18 Evans Terrace, Landore, Swansea. Percy, now 42, was working for Swansea Council as a Night Man, and Martha, aged 44, continued to manage the household. Their children were William A., aged 15, employed as a Cold Rolls Worker; Arthur G., aged 12; and Martha A., aged 10, with the younger two still attending school.

Naval Service

William enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and served with the Hood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division, rising to the rank of Leading Seaman. The Hood Battalion was one of the most distinguished units of the RND, composed of naval personnel who fought as infantry in some of the most demanding campaigns of the First World War.

Death and Burial

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

According to the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, Leading Seaman William Alfred Mallam died of wounds on 8^th April 1917 at Queen Mary’s Military Hospital. This hospital, one of the largest military medical centres established during the First World War, was created to treat the vast numbers of wounded servicemen returning from the front. It provided surgical care, long‑term convalescence, and specialist treatment for severe battlefield injuries. Many men who passed through its wards had been evacuated from major operations on the Western Front, and the hospital became known for its capacity to handle complex and life‑threatening cases.

William Alfred Mallam
Cwmgelly Cemetery, Swansea
credit - findagrave

William’s body was brought home to Swansea, where he was laid to rest at Cwmgelly Cemetery, allowing his family to bury him locally