Gwynfor Davies – Royal Army Ordnance Corps

Corporal Gwynfor Davies – Royal Army Ordnance Corps

Gwynfor Davies was born in 1906, at Gorseinon, Glamorgan, the son of Thomas Davies and Sarah Parry, who had married in 1888 at Pontardawe.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the Davies family were living at Curwen House, Upper Lime Street, Gorseinon. Thomas, aged 44, worked as a Rollturner, while Sarah, aged 43, managed the home. Their children present were Mary Annie (21), a Dressmaker; John Trevor (20), a Furnaceman; Maggie Jane (18); Amelia (15), an Apprentice Dressmaker; Vyron Parry (7); and Gwynfor (5).

1921 Census

By the 1921 Census, the family had moved to 29 Upper Lime Street, Gorseinon. Thomas, now 54, was employed as a Tinplate Roller by the Grovesend Steel and Tinplate Co. Ltd, while Sarah, aged 53, continued her household duties. Three children remained at home: Amelia (25), working as a Grocer’s Assistant for David Jones; Vyron Parry (17), employed as a Blacksmith’s Striker; and Gwynfor (15), working as a Pull‑Over Driver at the Grovesend Steel and Tinplate Co. Ltd.

In 1931, Gwynfor married Elvira Thomas in Swansea, establishing his own household while continuing his working life in the local industrial community.

Gwynfor Davies
Kingsbridge Cemetery credit - findagrave

During the Second World War, Gwynfor Davies served as a Corporal with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, a branch responsible for the supply, maintenance, and repair of weapons, ammunition, and essential military equipment—work that demanded precision, discipline, and technical skill.

Gwynfor died on 23 August 1946, in the immediate post‑war period. He was laid to rest at Kingsbridge Cemetery, joining the long roll of Gorseinon men whose service spanned both wartime and its difficult aftermath.