Pte 84988 William Henry Davies

In 1901 the family address is given simply as High Street, Much Wenlock.  Father Edward b.Kerry, Montgomeryshire, mother Sarah b.Morville, Shropshire, children all born Much Wenloch, Noel 8, Mary 7, George 6, Ida 5, William 3, Frank 2.

 

In 1911 the family have moved to 33 High Street.  His father is 43, a saddler and harness maker working in his own account at home, and Noel, 18, assists in the business. George, 16, is a butcher’s apprentice, Ida is 15, helping at home, Frank, 12, Cecil, 8, are at school, Hilda is 4 and Olive 3.  His mother is 42, and William is 13, working as a farm labourer.

 

He enlisted in Iron Bridge, Shropshire. Based on the amount of the War Gratuity, William served about 18 months, enlisting in the spring of 1917 when he would have been 19 years old. SDGW states that he was formerly 27607, 12th Lancers, but no records have been found under this number, indicating that William transferred out before being posted overseas.  William, with his farm background and his father and brother saddlers, may have possessed skills useful for a cavalry unit.  At some point he was transferred to the 14th Bn King’s Liverpool Regiment with the service number 84988.  The 14th K.L.R. served in the Balkans in 1917, and returned to the Western Front in June 1918.  The 14th was amalgamated with the 18th Bn K.L.R. on 13th August 1918, becoming the 18th (Lancashire Hussars Yeomanry), The King’s Liverpool Regiment. 

He was killed in action on the 10^th October 1918 during the hundred days offensive which ended the First World War (8^th August-11^th November 1918).

On 7th October 1918 the 18th Bn arrives at the Hindenburg Line and pursues the retreating German army.  The battalion War Diary records -  

10th October 1918 - At 0230 hours the battalion moved forward to a position near RUEMONT, and attacked towards LE CATEAU at 0510.  Very little opposition was met with at the start but later considerable M.G. fire was encountered. …  Our right company was not in touch with the flank, and the troops on the right appeared to be held up by M.G. fire from the railway embankment … A short length of trench on the high ground immediately E. of LE CATEAU was also reported to be held by the enemy.  At 0848 the Centre Coy reached K.33.b and pushed a platoon into the N. W. outskirts of LE CATEAU.  The right company was temporarily held up by MG and sniper fire, but appeared to be almost in the town itself.  Hostile M.G. fire was reported from the direction of Q.10. … Houses in K.28.a were reported to be strongly held by the Bosche, and a patrol was sent out to investigate and deal with them. … During the advance on LE CATEAU considerable difficulty was experienced, owing to a “whizz bang” battery being able to fire over open sights at the troops as they moved up the rise and along a slight valley.

Total Casualties from 7th to 13th October:

Killed – 2 Officers, 18 O.R.

Wounded – 6 Officers, 111 O.R.

Died of Wounds – 1 O.R.

Wounded and Missing – 1 Officer, 20 O.R. 

William Henry was one of those casualties referrred to in the diary, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France. 

The Vis en Artois Memorial bears the names of over 9,000 men who fell in the period from 8 August 1918 to the date of the Armistice in the Advance to Victory in Picardy and Artois, between the Somme and Loos, and who have no known grave.

The memorial was designed by J.R. Truelove, with sculpture by Ernest Gillick. It was unveiled by the Rt. Hon. Thomas Shaw on 4 August 1930.

His Army effects, pension and a War Gratuity of £7-10 went to his father.

 

His eldest brother Noel enlisted in February 1912 and served as a Corporal Saddler in the R.F.A. and R.G.A.  He was discharged with a Silver War Badge in May 1917 on medical grounds, suffering frequent attacks of malaria.

 

His mother died in 1930 aged 60.

 

In 1939 his father, 72, a retired saddler, is still living at 33 High Street.  His father lived through a second world war and died in 1951 at the age of 84.

 

William is commemorated in Holy Trinity Church, Much Wenlock.