David Joseph Pelzer – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Victory

 Trimmer David Joseph Pelzer – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Victory

David Joseph Pelzer was born in 1893 in Swansea, the son of John Hubert Pelzer and Elizabeth Ann Lloyd, who married in 1890 in Swansea. His childhood unfolded in the industrial districts of Thomas Terrace and later Wychtree Street, where the Pelzer family lived among watchmen, furnacemen, and school‑age children typical of early‑20th‑century Swansea.

Family Life

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Pelzer household at 3 Thomas Terrace, Swansea, where John H. Pelzer, aged 33, worked as a Watchman at the Spelter Works, and his wife Elizabeth A., aged 34, managed the home. Their children present were Philomeane, 11; Leonard, 10; David J., 8; Alexander, 6; Mary M., 5; and John H., 2. The census depicts a busy household with several young children and a father employed in one of Swansea’s major metal industries.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 80 Wychtree Street, Morriston. John Hubert, now 44, was employed as a Spelter Furnaceman, and Elizabeth Ann, also 44, continued to oversee the home. Their children present were Leonard, 19, a Newsagent Messenger; David Joseph, 18, working as a Cold Roller; Alexander, 17, a Greaser; Mary Margaret, 15, a Circles Worker; John Hubert, 12; Elizabeth Ann, 10; Francis, 8; Augustina, 6; and Olwen Nesta, 3. The younger children were all attending school. The census reflects a large, industrious household deeply tied to Swansea’s metalworking trades.

Naval Service

David Joseph Pelzer enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve, serving as a Trimmer aboard H.M.S. Victory. Trimmers worked in the stokehold, managing the coal that fed the ship’s boilers — a physically demanding and essential role within the engine room. Men in this position ensured the steady steam supply required for propulsion, signalling, and shipboard operations.

David Joseph Pelzer
Cwmgelli Cemetery, Swansea
credit - findagrave

Death and Burial

The Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll records that David Joseph Pelzer died from disease on 15 October 1918. His body was brought home to Swansea and laid to rest at Cwmgelli Cemetery, where he is commemorated among the city’s wartime burials.