The First Veteran to Return Home — Q.M.S. John W. Cole

South Wales Evening Post

The first of the veterans to return home from the Second World War was named in the South Wales Evening Post, which reported the homecoming of Quartermaster‑Sergeant John W. Cole, R.E., the earliest Mumbles man to arrive back under the new demobilisation scheme and the first Swansea serviceman of the war to receive a military decoration. Although born on Tyneside, Cole had long been part of Swansea’s military and civic life, having settled in the town in 1927 as a Regular Company Sergeant‑Major and later serving at the Drill Hall as P.S.I. His wife, the daughter of Daniel Claypitt, one of the lifeboatmen lost in the Mumbles disaster of 1903, belonged to one of Southend’s oldest and most respected families, and news of Cole’s return brought a deep sense of pride to the community.

A seasoned soldier with years of experience, Cole volunteered again in May 1937, joining the Royal Engineers. He served in France, where he was awarded the Military Medal for his conduct during the retreat to Dunkirk, before continuing his service in the North African campaign and later taking part in the Salerno landing, adding further distinction to an already notable record. After passing through the Hereford dispersal camp, he finally made his way home—the first to go, and the first to return—bringing with him both honour and the quiet relief of survival.