David John Coslett was born in Swansea in 1876: he joined the South Wales Borderers on 17 September 1896, when his occupation was noted as 'labourer'. According to his service record he served in India for six years in his first stint in the army; he left in 1909 but was recalled in August 1914 at the start of the First World War. He arrived in France on 29 November 1914, and was wounded at the Battle of Loos (September / October 1915), losing both of his legs in machine gun fire. He died of his wounds in St Omer on 3 November 1915.