Ronald James – Welsh Guards

Guardsman Ronald James – Welsh Guards

Early Life

Ronald James was born in 1918 at Swansea, the son of Thomas Phillip James and Mary Jane Owens. He grew up in a large Morriston family rooted in skilled industrial work and steady employment.

1921 Census

1921 Census

At the time of the 1921 Census, the James family were residing at 2 Tawe Street, Morriston. Thomas Phillip James, aged 43, was employed as a Mechanic with the Sapper R. Engineer R.D. Corps at the Drill Hall, Swansea. His wife Mary, aged 34 and born in Carmarthenshire, managed the household. Their children present were Thomas Richard (14), a Baker’s Assistant employed by William Richards, Baker; Mary Gwendoline (13); Alice Annie (11); Gwyneth Maud (10); Gladys (7)—all attending school—and Ronald (3), the youngest.

1939 Register 

1939 Register

By 1939, the family were living at 74 Heol Fedw, Morriston. Thomas P. James was recorded as an Engineer Turner, while Mary J. continued to undertake household duties. Their children present were Ronald (18), employed as a Charge Hand Grocery; Mary G., a Café Waitress; Gwyneth M., a Multiple Shop Assistant; and Ronald J., listed as a Student.

Military Service

Ronald served as a Guardsman with the Welsh Guards, one of the most distinguished regiments of the British Army, known for both ceremonial duties and front‑line service during and after the Second World War.

Ronald James
Morriston Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Death and Burial

Ronald died on 29 August 1945, only weeks after the end of the war. He was killed in a car accident in Hampshire, and his body was brought home to Swansea for burial at Morriston Cemetery, where his grave forms part of the earliest post‑war military burials.

Herald of Wales

Newspaper Report – Herald of Wales

Ronald’s death was reported in the Herald of Wales, which covered the subsequent court case at the Old Bailey. The article described how Ronald, marching with two fellow Welsh Guardsmen along the Portsmouth Road, was struck by a car driven by Malcolm Norman Farrow Smith, a company director from Esher, Surrey. Witness Ernest Harrison recounted the sudden approach of the vehicle and the fatal impact that followed.

A bottle of gin found in the car became a central point of contention, with the prosecution suggesting intoxication, while defence witness Miss Alice Witting insisted the driver was not under the influence. After weighing the evidence, Smith pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, was fined £50, and disqualified from driving for five years.