Benjamin Daniel Rowland Davies – Royal Flying Corps

Second Lieutenant Benjamin Daniel Rowland Davies – Royal Flying Corps

Benjamin Daniel Rowland Davies

Commemorated on the Morriston Cemetery memorial headstone

The second serviceman named on the military memorial headstone at Morriston Cemetery, honouring those war casualties buried at Horeb Congregational Chapelyard, is B. D. R. Davies, whose full name was Benjamin Daniel Rowland Davies.

Early Life

Benjamin was born in 1894, in Swansea, the son of David Morgan Davies and Hannah Catherine Rowlands. He grew up in a small, close‑knit household rooted in the Llangyfelach district.

1901 Census – Rock Terrace, Llangyfelach

1901 Census

In 1901, the Davies family were living at 13 Rock Terrace, Llangyfelach, Swansea. Benjamin’s father, David Morgan, aged 37 and born in Pembrokeshire, worked as a Weights and Steelbroker, while his mother Hannah Catherine, aged 34 and originally from Cardiganshire, kept the home. Their only child at this time was Benjamin, then 7 years old, marking him as the sole focus of the household.

1911 Census – Still at No. 13

1911 Census

A decade later, the family remained at 13 Rock Terrace. David Morgan, now 47, was employed as a Grocer, and Hannah Catherine, aged 44, assisted in the business. Benjamin, aged 17, was recorded as an Astudiwr (student), suggesting he was continuing his education. Also present was Hannah’s father, John Rowlands, aged 71, completing a three‑generation household.

Military Service

Benjamin Daniel Rowland Davies went on to serve as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps, joining the young and rapidly developing world of military aviation during the First World War. Officers of the RFC undertook demanding training and flew in conditions that were often experimental and dangerous.

South Wales Daily Post

Death and Burial

Benjamin Daniel Rowland Davies
Morriston Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Benjamin died on 11 March 1918 following an aero accident at Grantham, Lincolnshire. His body was brought home to Swansea and laid to rest at Horeb Congregational Chapelyard, Morriston. His funeral was reported in the South Wales Daily Post in March 1918, reflecting the community’s respect for a young airman lost during the pioneering years of British military flight.