Gertrude Mary Davies (née Rees) – Swansea Mother Fatally Injured in the January 1941 Bombing

Early Life and Family Background

Gertrude Mary Davies

1901 Census

Gertrude Mary Rees was born in 1892 in Pontardulais, Glamorgan, the daughter of Benjamin Rees and Hannah Lewis, who had married in 1891. By the 1901 Census, the Rees family were living at 5 Upper Lime Street, Gorseinon. Benjamin, aged 30, was employed as a Shearer at the local steelworks, while Hannah, aged 26, cared for their young family. Their children were Gertrude M., 9; Horace M., 8; Maud, 6; Blodwen, 5; Annie, 4; and David, aged 1.

Marriage and Family Life

1921 Census

Gertrude married John Henry Davies in 1913 at Swansea. By the 1921 Census, the Davies family were living at 72 Symon Street, Swansea. John Henry, then 53, was employed as a Furnaceman at the Richard Thomas & Co. Ltd. tinplate works at Cwmfelin, Swansea. Gertrude, aged 32, was at home caring for their children: William Henry, 8; Marcella May, 4; and Doris Evelyn, aged 1.

The Bombing of 17^th January 1941

Gertrude was injured during the air raid of 17^th January 1941, one of the most destructive attacks on Swansea prior to the infamous Three Nights’ Blitz the following month. This raid formed part of a sustained period of Luftwaffe activity targeting the town’s docks, industrial works, and densely populated residential districts.

On the night of the attack, high‑explosive bombs and incendiaries fell across several areas of Swansea. Streets of terraced housing, small shops, and public buildings were struck, causing widespread destruction. Civil defence reports from this period describe collapsed homes, fires breaking out simultaneously in multiple locations, and rescue teams working through the night to reach those trapped in the rubble. Many civilians were killed outright; others, like Gertrude, suffered severe injuries that would later prove fatal.

The January raids placed enormous strain on Swansea’s emergency services and hospitals, and they contributed to the growing sense of fear and exhaustion among residents. These attacks also foreshadowed the far more devastating bombardment that would follow in February 1941.

Death and Burial

Although Gertrude survived the initial blast, her injuries were serious. She died on 20^th March 1941 at 9 Mount Street, Gowerton, more than two months after the bombing. Her death is one of the many delayed civilian fatalities resulting from the sustained air raids on Swansea during the winter of 1940–41.

Gertrude Mary Davies was buried at St Peter’s Churchyard, Cockett, Swansea, close to the communities where she had lived her entire life