Dav - Dea

167769 Sapper Arthur Henry DAVIES

Unit/Regiment	87th Field Coy, Corps of Royal Engineers
Date of Death	08/05/1917		Age at Death		26
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery IV G 29
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Husband of Hilda Davies, of 1, Portico Buildings, St. Helens, Lancs
Census Details	1901 Census – Living at, North Terrace, Hawarden, Flintshire, are Arthur Davies (41, a Builder and Joiner) his wife Elizabeth (35) and children Reese (11), Arthur (9), Dorothy (8), Garth (6), Erica (5) and 1 year old Henry.
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth registered Q2/1891, Chester. Volume 8a, Page 448 Marriage to Hilda Simm registered Prescot, Q3/1916, 8b, 1261
SDGW – Where Born	Chester	Enlisted		Prescot	Resided
How Died	Died of Wounds			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P074

Service Details

Arthur Henry Davies attested for military service on 10^th December 1915 at St. Helens. However, he was only actually posted on 9^th May 1916, to the Royal Engineers. He was classed as a “Qualified” soldier, working as a Carpenter.

At the time he was single, aged 24 years and 8 months, lived at 6, Warrington Road, Prescot and worked as a Master Joiner. He stood 5 foot 9 inches in height, weighed 10 stones 5 pounds and had a chest measurement of 35 inches, expandable by 1 ½ inches. His next of kin was listed as his mother Elizabeth, of the same address. A second attestation sheet exists, and on this one he records his marriage to Hilda Simms at the Wesleyan Chapel in Prescot on 12^th August 1916, thereby making her his next of kin.

He embarked for France on 11^th November 1916.

His records show that he joined his unit, the 87^th Field Company, on 7^th December 1916. He was admitted to hospital on 4^th January 1917, rejoining his unit 3 days later. The next entry shows that he was wounded on 8^th May 1917, and that he died the same from the wounds received.

P074-1

An extract from Sapper Davies’s service record, showing his hospital admission and record of his death.

On 7^th August 1917, the War Office wrote to the Army Records Office requesting that any personal items of Sapper Davies be returned to his widow, Hilda Davies, of “1 Portico Buildings, Eccleston, near Prescot”. On November 23^rd, 1917, Mrs. Davies was awarded a widow’s pension of 13s 9d per week with effect 26^th November.

In October 1919, his widow completed the Army Records Office family information form. It showed her at the same address as earlier, and Arthur’s parents are shown as Arthur and Elizabeth Davies of 6, Warrington Road, Prescot. In addition, Arthur is listed as having four brothers and four sisters; Reese (30), Garth (24), Henry (20), Oswald (13), Dorothy (26), Erica (22), Alice (15) and Ethel (10). All the siblings are recorded at their parents address.

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Arthur Davies’ Medal Index Card

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Arthur Davies grave at Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery

Private 56659 William Spencer DAVIES

Unit/Regiment	18th Bn, King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Date of Death	26/04/1917		Age at Death		29
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Cherisy Road East Cemetery, Heninel 10
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of Hector and Annie Davies, of Huyton, Liverpool; husband of Kate Davies, of 27, Wood Lane, Prescot, Lancs
Census Details	1901 Census - Hector Davies (56, widowed, a Blacksmith) lived at 15, Liverpool Road, Huyton, with his children Hector (28), Mary (25), James (21), Annie (19), Henry (16), Mary (14) and William (12)
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth registered Q2/1888, Prescot, Vol 8b, Page 646 Marriage to Kate Large registered Prescot, Q4/1911, Vol 8b, Page 1133
SDGW – Where Born		Enlisted		Prescot	Resided	Huyton Quarry
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P317

Service Details

The 18^th (Service) Battalion of the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment was formed by Lord Derby in August of 1914. They embarked for France on 7^th and 8^th November 1915 as part of the 89^th Brigade of the 30^th Division. William Davies enlisted in November 1916 and was drafted to France on 21st March 1917.

The battalion had fought throughout the Somme campaign in the summer and autumn of 1916. After the activity on the Somme, the battalion was relieved on 22^nd August and moved back to billets at Pont Fixe and La Panniere, where they spent the rest of the month. The next action in which we see the 18^th involved was the Battle of Le Transloy, 1^st to 18^th October 1916. It was the 13^th October before the 18^th Battalion came into the action, relieving the 20^th King’s in the front line. Fighting in atrocious conditions, with the ground littered by mud and bodies of both sides, the battalion suffered heavily before they were relieved on the 18^th/19^th October. They had lost 14 officers and 212 other ranks.

The next few months did not see any major initiatives and by January 1917, the battalion were pulled out of the line for a whole month spent in billets. After the filth of the trenches, this was pure luxury. The battalion then came back in the line to join in the “chase” of the German army as it retreated to its Hindenburg Line fortifications in March and early April 1917. The Battle of Scarpe was about to commence.

The 18^th Battalion moved into the front line on 27^th March in front of Neuville Vitasse and immediately set to work digging trenches to get themselves nearer to the enemy, often under heavy shellfire. They finally attacked the German positions on the 9^th April, but were held up in front of the German positions by uncut wire. Despite this, they consolidated their gains until relieved on the 10^th. After this, they were withdrawn from the line and billeted at Schlangen Redoubt.

By 23rd April, the battalion was back in the line, this time supporting the 18^th and 19^th Manchesters in their attack. Due to the late issue of orders, the attack, which took place on the 23rd and 24^th, was confused and although the battalion took their objectives, they suffered heavily. The battalion stayed in position until the 28^th, when they were relieved and moved back to the Hindenburg Line.

Their casualties in this action were 115 officers and other ranks killed wounded or missing. Amongst them were Prescot men William Davies and William Henry Robinson. Private Davies body was recovered from the battlefield and he now rests in Cherisy Road East Cemetery, Heninel

William Davies' widow and two young children lived at Hale Lane, Huyton Quarry. The Liverpool Echo of 22nd May 1917 reported that he had previously worked for thirteen years for Mr Hallas, a Coal Proprietor in Huyton. (Additional information courtesy of Joe Devereaux).

William Davies’ Medal Index Card. His entitlement was to the British War Medal and Victory Medal

Gunner 809 Henry Edward DAVIES

Unit/Regiment	Territorial Force, Royal Horse Artillery & Royal Field Artillery
Date of Death	28/04/1916		Age at Death		24
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Beaumetz-Les-Loges Communal Cemetery E1
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of Ellen Davies, of 8, Hutchinson St., Widnes, Lancs., and the late Alfred Davies
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		Hale, Lancs	Resided
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P075

Research ongoing

Henry Davies’ Medal Index Card. As he arrived in France in October 1915, his entitlement was to the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal

Private 9541 Thomas DAVIES

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Unit/Regiment	2nd Bn, Lancashire Fusiliers
Date of Death	07/07/1915		Age at Death
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Menin Gate Panel 33
SDGW – Where Born	Wigan, Lancs	Enlisted		Liverpool	Resided	Prescot, Lancs
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P076

Service Details

Thomas Davies was a regular soldier serving with the 2nd Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers when war broke out in 1914. They were billeted in Dover when war broke out in 1914 but moved to Norfolk on 8th August where they remained until the 18th, when they moved to Wembley.

From there they entrained for Southampton, where they embarked on the s.s. Saturnia for France on 22nd August, arriving in Bolougne the following day. Thomas Davies' Medal Index Card, shown below, confirms that he was one of these men.

In the early days of war the battalion moved regularly, rarely being in the same place for more than one day and engaging with the enemy on several occasions. By November 1914, as the pattern of trench warfare became clear, they were in the front line at Le Touquet, and between then and March 1915 they undertook a cycle of three of four days in the line followed by the same number of days in billets at Le Bizet.

As April and May came, they had moved into the Ypres Salient and again had several clashes with the enemy, also being on the receiving end of the first gas attacks in May.They remained in the area throughout June and by the beginning of July 1915, they were in Poperinghe.

The War Diary for the early days of July relates the following:-

"1st July 1915
Battalion in trenches north of YPRES. Enemy artillery active during the morning. Reserve an Support trenches heavily shelled. Some slight damage done to parapets and 3 men wounded by shrapnel. Releived in trenches in the evening by Essex Regiment and marched to rest camp about 2 miles n.e of POPERHINGE.

2nd July 1915
Battalion in bivouac. Reinforcement 50 men joined.

3rd - 4th July 1915
Battalion in bivouac. Company inspection and reorganisation.

5th July 1915
Battalion marched to ELVERDINGHE WOOD where they bivouacked for the night.

6th July 1915
Lieuts. G S Butler and R S McIver admitted to hospital. In evening Battalion marched to PILKEM where they relieved Rifle Brigade in trenches captured in early morning from the enemy. Trench improved and parapets repaired. This work continued until daylight on 7th.

7th - 9th July 1915
Owing to the very severe fighting in which the Battalion was involved over these three days, and the subsequent heavy casualties amongst the officers, no connected initiative is to hand.

The casualties on these three days are as follows. Officers Killed - 7, Wounded - 10. Other Ranks Killed - 79, Wounded 201, Missing 19."

In summary, the attack on 7th July took such a heavy toll on the officers of the battalion that there was nobody left capable of summarizing what had happened!

In order to find more about this action, the regimental history has been consulted and this has enabled a slightly better picture of events to be put together.

The battalion had been instructed to attack the German lines at Pilckem in order to divert enemy attention from Allied operations near to Hooge. However these operations were cancelled and local commanders commented that as a result, the Pilckem attack was futile and would incur more casualties on the attackers than the defenders. Unfortunately, their opinion was over-=ruled and the attack went ahead, with the prophecy of high casualties becoming reality.

On the morning of 6th July, the 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry with the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers in reserve, attacked a stretch of German trenches east of the Yser Canal, south west of Pilckem. The attack itself was very successful but the new line gained by the British was now overlooked by the German defences and shell fire poured onto the defenders, incurring heavy casualties as a result of the shelling and also three attempted counter-attacks.

As the day wore on, it was decided to relieve the troops in the line by sending up the 2nd Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers from reserve. Despite the confusion, the relief was complete by 3:00 a.m. on the 7th. Things were quiet for a while but at about noon the Germans began shelling the area heavily and also launched two counter attacks, which were driven off.

One shell fell on the slit in the canal bank which was being used as battalion headquarters resulting in most of the officers, signalers and runners becoming casualties. This could explain why there was subsequently nobody available to complete the war diary. The artillery barrage intensified and at about 3:00 p.m. an intense shrapnel attack was initiated followed by more attacks on the battalion's front, each of which were beaten back.

Shelling continued throughout the remainder of the day and into the evening, and hand-to-hand combat took place in trenches occupied by soldiers of both sides.

At some unknown point in this fighting on the 7th, Thomas Davies was killed. His Medal Index Card notes that he was "presumed dead" as his body was never identified. He is remembered on the Menin Gate, along with many of the 63 other men of the battalion who died that day.

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Thomas Davies’ Medal Index Card. He was entitled to the 1014 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal

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Thomas Davies’ inscription on the Menin Gate

Private 76797 Thomas DAVIES

Unit/Regiment

1st Bn., Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)

Date of Death

05/11/1918

Age at Death

Burial/Memorial & Reference

Vis-en-Artois Memorial

Panel 3

CWGC Family Details

(if shown)

Son of Emily Davies, of Ivy Cottage, Huyton Lane, Huyton, Liverpool, and the late John Atherton Davies

SDGW – Where Born

Prescot, Lancs

Enlisted

Seaforth, Lancs.

Resided

Huyton

How Died

Killed In Action

Theatre of War

France & Flanders

Research Ref. No.

P077

Research ongoing

Thomas Davies’ Medal Index Card

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Thomas Davies inscription on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial

Private 4370 Samuel DEARDEN

Unit/Regiment

10th Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers

Date of Death

17/08/1915

Age at Death

Burial/Memorial & Reference

Perth Cemetery (China Wall)

VI B 9

CWGC Family Details

(if shown)

Son of Peter and Frances Dearden lived Millbrook Lane Eccleston in 1901

Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations

Birth Registered Q2/1885, Prescot, 8b, 695

SDGW – Where Born

Prescot, Lancs

Enlisted

Warrington, Lancs

Resided

St. Helens, Lancs

How Died

Killed In Action

Theatre of War

France & Flanders

Research Ref. No.

P078

Service Details

The 10^th Battalion was raised in Bury at the beginning of September 1914 and moved to Dorset, where they trained at Bovington Camp and Wimborne until the end of May 1915. They were based at Hursley until 15^th July, when they embarked for Folkstone. On the same day, they sailed for France, arriving at Boulogne late in the evening. The following day, they travelled by train to Arques, remaining in this area until the 1^st August, when they went into the trenches for the first time at Vierstraat, where they remained until 22^nd August.

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Samuel Dearden’s Medal Index Card

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Samuel Dearden’s headstone in Perth Cemetery

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