Thomas Henry Dendle – Welch Regiment, attached Royal Army Service Corps

Private Thomas Henry Dendle – Welch Regiment, attached Royal Army Service Corps

A Second World War blackout fatality buried at Morriston Cemetery

Thomas Henry Dendle was born in 1879, in Swansea, the son of William and Annie Dendle.

1881 Census – Convent Street, Swansea

1881 Census

By 1881, the Dendle family were living at 9 Convent Street, Swansea. William, aged 26 and born in Devon, worked as a Waggoner at a warehouse, while his wife Annie, aged 27 and originally from Pembrokeshire, kept the home. Their children were Thomas (5), who attended school, William (3), and baby Helina, just two months old.

1891 Census – Symonds Street, Swansea

1891 Census

A decade later, the family were residing at 6 Symonds Street, Swansea. William, now 36, was employed as a General Labourer, and Annie, aged 38, continued her household duties. Their children were Thomas (15), working as an Errand Boy; William (13); Evelena (10); Edward (6)—all attending school—and Alice (3). The census shows a growing family rooted in Swansea’s working‑class neighbourhoods.

1901 Census – Colburn Terrace, Swansea

1901 Census

By 1901, the Dendles had moved to 47 Colburn Terrace, Swansea. William, aged 46, remained a General Labourer, and Annie, aged 48, kept the home. Their children were Thomas (25), employed as a Shop Assistant for a pawnbroker; William (22), working as a Coal Trimmer; Hellena (20); Edward (16), a Shop Boy; and Alice (13).

Marriage and 1911 Census – Wordsworth Street, Swansea

Thomas Henry Dendle and Emma Lydia Roper
marriage certificate
Holy Trinity Church, Swansea

In 1906, Thomas married Emma Lydia Roper at Holy Trinity Church, Swansea.

1911 Census

By 1911, the couple were living at 3 Wordsworth Street, Swansea. Thomas, aged 32, was working as a Pawnbroker’s Assistant, while Emma, aged 23, managed the home. Their children were Katherine (3) and Valerie (4 months). Also present were Emma’s relatives: George Roper (47) as a boarder, Ernest Roper (14), and Catherine Roper (11), creating a busy extended family household.

1921 Census – Still at Wordsworth Street

1921 Census

A decade later, the family remained at 3 Wordsworth Street. Thomas, aged 43, was employed as a Storeman at Swansea United Breweries, and his wife Lydia (Emma), aged 32, kept the home. Their children were Helena (13), Valentine (10), and Dulcie (8). George Roper, now 58, continued to live with them as a boarder.

Military Service

During the Second World War, Thomas Henry Dendle served as a Private with the Welch Regiment, 17th (Home Defence) Battalion, attached to the Royal Army Service Corps.

Herald of Wales

Accidental Death – September 1940

Thomas’s death on 1 September 1940 was reported in the Herald of Wales following an inquest into a fatal incident that occurred during a wartime blackout. The coroner, Mr David Clarke, recorded a verdict of accidental death, noting that visibility on Carmarthen Road, Fforestfach, had been extremely poor due to blackout conditions. Witnesses—including Private Leslie Howells, Howard Davies, and David Williams—described the road as almost impossible to see. The driver involved, John Thomas of Glasfryn Terrace, stated that he neither saw Dendle nor realised what had happened until he heard a thud and felt a bump beneath the car. Only afterwards was it understood that Dendle had been struck. The coroner accepted that the combination of blackout restrictions and the darkness of the roadway made the accident unavoidable.

Thomas Henry Dendle
Morriston Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Burial

Thomas Henry Dendle was buried at Morriston Cemetery, where his grave forms part of the Second World War burials recorded in the district.