Thomas Ottison – The King’s Regiment (Liverpool)

Private Thomas Ottison – The King’s Regiment (Liverpool)

Early Life

Born in 1919 at Swansea, Thomas Ottison was the son of Thomas Ottison and Mary Elizabeth Joseph. His childhood was spent in the close‑knit streets of Jockey Street, a neighbourhood shaped by dock labour and the steady rhythm of working‑class life.

Family Life (1921 Census)

1921 Census

By the 1921 Census, the Ottison family were living at 22 Jockey Street, Swansea. Thomas, aged 41, worked as a Dock Labourer at Swansea Docks, while his wife Mary Elizabeth, aged 34, undertook household duties. Their children present were Maggie M. Joseph (14), Thomas’s stepdaughter; William S. Otterson (11); Minnie (8); Rose (6)—all attending school—and Thomas (1). Also residing in the household were boarders William E. Williams (24), his wife Kate (23), and their infant son Daniel J. (1 month), reflecting the shared‑housing patterns common in dockside communities.

Military Service

Thomas Ottison served as a Private with The King’s Regiment (Liverpool). Before the war, he had been a Territorial with the Swansea 6th Welsh, and at the outbreak of hostilities he was engaged in coastal defence duties, reflecting his early commitment to military service.

Thomas Ottison
Morriston Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Death and Burial

South Wales Daily Post

Thomas died on 30 June 1944, his death reported in the South Wales Daily Post under the headline “Death in Hospital.” The report stated that he had passed away in an English military hospital following an operation necessitated by illness. It described him as a devoted son and loyal soldier, noting his long service since 1927, with duties that took him to the Rhine, India, Egypt, and Cyprus, and that he had been among those who took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk. Before joining the colours, he had been employed at Weaver & Co.’s Flour Mills, where he was held in high esteem by colleagues. His widow was residing with her parents‑in‑law at 31 Jockey Street, where the news was received with deep regret.

Thomas Ottison was laid to rest at Morriston Cemetery, where his grave stands among the wartime burials of the district.