Trevellyn David Rees – Royal Marine Light Infantry, 1st Royal Marines Battalion
Private Trevellyn David Rees – Royal Marine Light Infantry, 1st Royal Marines Battalion
Early Life
Trevellyn David Rees was born in 1898 in Swansea,
the son of Edwin Rees and Sarah Robinson, who had married in 1897.
He grew up in the working‑class community around Fleet Street, an area typical
of Swansea’s industrial landscape in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras.
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| 1901 Census |
The 1901 Census records the Rees family living at 8 Fleet Street, Swansea. Trevellyn’s father, Edwin, aged 39, was employed as a Lamp Lighter for local works, while his mother Sarah, aged 26, cared for their two young children, Trevellyn (3) and Elsie (1). Also living with the family was Daisy H. Henshaw, aged 9, recorded as a niece, reflecting the close‑knit extended family arrangements common at the time.
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| 1911 Census |
By 1911, the Rees family had moved to 110 Fleet Street, Swansea. Edwin, still recorded as 39, was now working as a Labourer for the Corporation, and Sarah, aged 36, was at home with their growing family. Trevellyn, then 13, was attending school along with his siblings Annie Louisa (9) and Edwin Joseph (4). Two younger children, William James (2) and baby Ruby Irene (8 months), were also part of the household. The census offers a picture of a typical large Swansea family working to make a living during a period of rapid industrial and social change.
Military Service
As a young man, Trevellyn enlisted in the Royal Marine
Light Infantry (RMLI) and served as a Private with the 1st
Royal Marines Battalion, part of the Royal Naval Division. This
formation, composed of Royal Navy and Marine personnel not required for sea
service, fought as infantry alongside the Army on the Western Front. The
battalion saw action in some of the most demanding stages of the war,
particularly during the final Allied advance of 1918.
The 1st Royal Marines Battalion on 2nd September 1918
On 2nd September 1918, the 1st Royal
Marines Battalion was deeply involved in the Allied push known as the Hundred
Days Offensive, the series of battles that ultimately brought the war to an
end. As part of the 189th Brigade within the 63rd
(Royal Naval) Division, the battalion was advancing across the battle‑scarred
ground south‑west of Bapaume, an area that had seen repeated fighting
since 1916.
During this stage of the offensive, German forces were
retreating but continued to put up determined rearguard resistance. The
battalion found itself engaged in front‑line assaults, capturing strongpoints
and machine‑gun positions, and consolidating newly won ground in the face
of enemy fire. The terrain around Ligny‑Thilloy, where Trevellyn was
initially buried, was particularly difficult—riddled with shell holes, broken
trenches, and debris from earlier battles. German rearguard units used these
features to slow the British advance with rifle fire, machine‑gun bursts, and
artillery harassment.
Despite the rapid movement of the front, the fighting was
intense, and casualties remained high. Men of the 1st Royal Marines Battalion
were exposed not only to enemy action but also to the dangers inherent in
crossing open ground and navigating shattered landscapes under fire. It was
during this demanding advance on 2nd September 1918 that Private
Trevellyn David Rees lost his life, falling in the midst of the battalion’s
determined efforts to push the German Army back toward the Hindenburg Line.
Death
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| British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records |
The British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records confirm that Private Trevellyn David Rees was killed in action on 2nd September 1918. His original isolated burial at Ligny‑Thilloy, two miles south‑west of Bapaume, indicates that he died close to the forward positions during active operations in the Allied advance.
Burial
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| Trevellyn David Rees Moeuvres Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France credit - findagrave |
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