David William Attwell – Welsh Regiment, 53rd Battalion

Private David William Attwell – Welsh Regiment, 53rd Battalion

David William Attwell was born in 1900 in Swansea, the son of William James Attwell and Martha James, who had married in the town in 1889. His early childhood unfolded in the industrial communities of Llansamlet, where families lived by the rhythms of chapel, furnaces, and steady labour.

Family Life

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Attwell family living at Western Terrace, Llansamlet, where William J. Attwell, aged 30, worked as a Spelter Furnaceman, and his wife Martha, also aged 30, managed the home. Their children — Sarah J., 8; James, 4; and David W., just four months old — formed a young family rooted in the working‑class life of the district.

1911 Census

A decade later, the 1911 Census shows the family still residing at Western Terrace. William James, now 40, continued his work as a Furnaceman, while Martha, also 40, oversaw the household. Their children were Sarah Jane, 18; James, 14; David William, 10; and Christopher, 4. The three younger children were recorded as attending school, reflecting a stable family life shaped by industry and chapel tradition.

Service Papers

Military Service

In September 1918, at just eighteen years of age, David William Attwell enlisted to serve as a Private with the Welsh Regiment, joining the 53rd Battalion. This battalion was primarily a training and reserve formation, supplying drafts to frontline units and preparing young recruits for service during the final months of the war.

David William Attwell
Carmel Methodist Chapel, Llansamlet credit - findagrave

Illness and Death

Only a month after enlisting, in October 1918, David died from pneumonia at the Military Hospital, Kinmel Park. Kinmel Park Camp, near Rhyl, was one of the largest military centres in Wales, and during the closing months of the war it saw a surge of illness among new recruits and returning soldiers, particularly during the influenza and pneumonia outbreaks of 1918.

Burial

David’s body was brought home to Llansamlet, where he was laid to rest at Carmel Methodist Chapel, returning him to the chapel community in which he had been raised. His death, coming so soon after enlistment, stands as one of the many quiet tragedies of the war’s final months.