Albert James – Army Ordnance Corps

Corporal Albert James – Army Ordnance Corps

David James and Mary Brazell marriage certificate Parish Church of Llangynwyd

Albert James was born in 1886 in Maesteg, Glamorgan, the son of David James and Mary Brazell, who married in 1874 at the Parish Church of Llangynwyd. His childhood unfolded within a busy commercial household as the family moved into the Swansea district, where grocery, baking, and postal work formed the backbone of their livelihood.

Family Life

1891 Census

The 1891 Census records the James family at 139 Pentre, Swansea, where David, aged 39, worked as a Baker and Grocer, and Mary, also 39, managed the home. Their children — Josiah, William D., Katie, John J., Gertrude, Albert, and Henry — were all present, along with a young servant, Margaret Watkins.

1901 Census

By 1901, the family were living at 30 Pentre Estyll Shop and Sub‑Post Office, with David, 50, serving as Sub‑Postmaster and Grocer. Their children included Katie, a Telegraphist, and Albert, then aged 15.

1911 Census

A decade later, the 1911 Census shows the family at 30 Llangyfelach Road, Post Office, Pentre Estyll, where Albert, now 25, worked as a Clerk alongside several siblings employed in clerical and technical roles.

In 1912, Albert married Annie Rees.

Military Service – Army Ordnance Corps

Albert served as a Corporal in the Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), the branch responsible for supplying, maintaining, and managing military equipment, ammunition, and stores. His clerical background made him well suited to the administrative and logistical demands of ordnance work.

Avonmouth in 1916 – A Major Ordnance Hub

By 1916, Avonmouth had become one of Britain’s most important wartime ports. It functioned as a key embarkation point for troops and equipment, a major supply depot for ammunition and engineering stores, and a logistical centre feeding the Western Front. The port expanded rapidly during the war, and the Army Ordnance Corps operated extensive storage facilities, wharves, and transit sheds there.

Avonmouth handled vast quantities of ordnance stores arriving from factories across Britain, along with ammunition, engineering equipment, and supplies destined for France. It also supported siege batteries, heavy artillery units, and engineering companies. The presence of formations such as the 93rd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, which completed its final training at Avonmouth in April 1916, illustrates the port’s importance as a staging ground for heavy ordnance and artillery operations.

Conditions and Risks at Avonmouth

The ordnance depots at Avonmouth were demanding and hazardous workplaces. Heavy machinery, loading equipment, and deep‑water wharves created constant risks. Workers handled dangerous cargoes — explosives, shells, and engineering stores — often in poor weather and under intense pressure. Ships, barges, and rail wagons moved continuously through the port, creating an environment where accidents were tragically common. Falls, crushing injuries, and drownings occurred with regularity in these high‑pressure wartime conditions.

Albert James
Cwmgelli Cemetery, Swansea
credit - findagrave

It was within this context of intense logistical activity that Albert James lost his life, drowning at Avonmouth on 20 November 1916 while serving with the Army Ordnance Corps.

Death and Burial

Albert’s body was brought home to Swansea and laid to rest at Cwmgelli Cemetery, where he is commemorated among the wartime burials of the First World War.