Officers silver identity bracelet. Rees. Skewen, Swansea. Royal Engineers. Mining surveyor. Welsh interest.
£65.00
Availability: 1 in stock
An exceptional, deeply personal piece of British military and Welsh industrial history. This beautifully engraved personal identity bracelet belonged to William David Grey Rees, a Welsh coal mine surveyor who rose through the ranks to become a Major in the Royal Engineers and later served with the REME during the height of the Second World War.
The item:
Obverse engraving: WD Grey Rees C of E Royal Engineers (Beautifully crisp, stylized engraving)
Reverse engraving: XJTC 314 3
Condition: Excellent vintage condition with a wonderful patina, retaining clear, sharp lettering.
The man behind the artifact: A fascinating provenance
Born in February 1897, William David Grey Rees was a lifelong resident of Skewen, Swansea. His life story bridges the grit of the South Wales valleys with the elite technical branches of the British Army.
The industrial roots:
Following his marriage to Mabel Evans in 1920, the 1921 Census finds William working as a Mine Surveyor for the famous Graig Merthyr Colliery, a vital cog in the powerhouse Welsh coal industry.
Graig Merthyr colliery, at the head of the narrow Dulais valley three miles north-east of Pontarddulais, was sunk probably in the 1870s by Philip Richard and John Glasbrook, two prominent Swansea mine owners, and later worked by the Graigola Merthyr Co. Ltd. It was connected to the LNWR Central Wales line and (from 1914) to the GWR Swansea District line (at the appropriately named Graig Merthyr Colliery Sidings signal box) by a standard gauge branch line which was worked by the colliery’s own engines.
His brilliant technical mind led him to register with the prestigious Institute of Civil Engineers in 1922.
The call to arms: When WWII broke out, Rees’s engineering expertise was desperately needed. Having previously served with the Welsh Regiment (Service No. 106758), he was awarded a War Substantive Emergency Commission in November 1939, entering the Royal Engineers as a 2nd Lieutenant.
Rapid wartime promotion: His leadership and technical prowess saw him rapidly promoted, attaining the rank of Temporary Major by 1942.
Late-war service: By 1944, records indicate he transitioned to the Territorial Army, serving as a Temporary Captain with the newly formed Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME).
After surviving the war, Major Rees returned to his beloved home village of Skewen, where he lived until his passing in 1977. He rests today in Coedffranc Cemetery.
Unlike anonymous military surplus, this bracelet comes with a rich, fully traceable backstory. It is a perfect centerpiece for a display on the Royal Engineers, REME, or WWII officer group.
The Welsh connection: Highly desirable for collectors specializing in Welsh military history, Swansea/Skewen local heritage, or the social history of Welsh mining professionals answering the call of duty.
