- See James Oliver Morgan’s entry on the Board of Trade’s Ancestry public tree.
- This information updates the group’s previous research published on the former DTI website (now archived by the National Archives).
- Do you have any more information about James Oliver Morgan If so the War Memorial Research Group would love to hear from you
Name recorded on Board of Trade Memorial: J. O. Morgan
Born: 22 September 1896, Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales
Date of Death: 10 September 1916
Age at death: 19
Service, Regiment, Corps, etc: London Regiment
Unit, Ship, etc: 1/14th (County of London) Battalion (London Scottish)
Enlisted: Swansea
Rank: Private (Service No: 6712/512794)
Decorations: WW1 Service Medals (British War Medal and Victory Medal)
War (and theatre): WW1 (France and Flanders)
Manner of Death: Killed in Action (KIA)
Family Details: Son of William and Rachel Morgan of 15 Hawthorne Avenue, Uplands, Swansea
Residence:
Home Department: Board of Trade – Labour Department (Wales Division)
Civilian Rank:
Cemetery or Memorial: Thiepval Memorial (Pier & Face 9C, 13C; Board of Trade War Memorial; Memorial to Staff of the Ministry of Labour, Caxton House, Tothill Street, London SW1; Danygraig Cemetery, Danygraig Road, Port Tennant, Swansea, Wales; Scottish National War Memorial; London Scottish War Memorial, London;
Biography:
James Oliver Morgan was born in Swansea on 22 September 1896 to William Morgan (1864-1915) and Rachel Rees (1865-1949). He was baptised a month later on 28 October 1896 at St Jude’s Church, Swansea.
James had three younger sisters – Hannah Mary Morgan (1887-?), Margaret Ann Morgan (1890-?) and Olga Regina Morgan (1902-1979) and three younger brothers – William Jack Morgan (1889-?), Kevern Ivor Isaac Watkin Morgan (1894-1971) and Gordon Aneurin Morgan (1905-1994)
In the 1901 census, the Morgan family lived at 40 Cromwell Street, Swansea. In the 1911 census the Morgan’s are living at 11 Beachwood Rd Swansea. By the 1911 census, James is aged 14 and already working as a boy clerk for the Board of Trade at the local Labour Exchange.
During WW1, James enlisted to serve as a Private in the 14th (County of London) Battalion (London Scottish). He was killed in action aged 19 on 10 September 1916. This was around the time of the Battle of Ginchy which took place on the 9 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. This battle involved the British’s 16th Division capturing of the German-held village of Ginchy, just to the north-east of Guillemont. The British bombarded the village from early morning on 9 September and repelled German counter-attacks. The capture of the village, which stands on high ground, prevented the Germans from using observation posts over the Somme battlefields.
James has no known grave. His name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial which commemorates more than 72,000 men from the UK and South Africa who died in the Somme region before 20 March 1918 and who have no known grave.
James is also mentioned on the family headstone in Danygraig Cemetery, Danygraig Road, Port Tennant, Swansea, Wales.
Having served for the London Scottish Battalion his name is also remembered on the London Scottish WW1 memorial inside London Scottish House, 95 Horseferry Road, Westminster, London SW1P 2DX and finally by two Civil Service War Memorials – the Board of Trade War Memorial and Memorial to Staff of the Ministry of Labour.
Board of Trade War Memorial 