Charles Albert Davies was born in 1884 in Oswestry. He was the 5th of 7 children born to Joseph and Ruth Davies. His siblings were Mary, John, William, Winefred, Frank and Fred. Their father was a roofer/slater. They lived at 1 Vine Cottages, Albert Road. By 1901 their father had died. In 1901 Charles was working for Cambrian Railways as a junior clerk – as too was elder brother John. Of the other siblings, William had died, Winefred was working as an elementary school teacher, Frank was a telegraph messenger, and Fred the youngest was at school. Their mother died in 1902 and the family split up. In 1911 Charles and brother Fred were boarding at 11 Gittins Street and were both working as clerks at Cambrian Railways.

Charles enlisted in August 1914 as Private 11797 6 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. He left Oswestry with the first contingent of Oswestry Pals on 9 September 1914 and went over to France with the battalion in July 1915. A few weeks before leaving he had married Edith Day at Oswestry and they would set up home at 94 Castle Street.

Charles served with 6 Bn KSLI until late 1917 when he was selected for officer training as a ‘Temporary Lieutenant’. He received his commission on 27 February 1918 and was posted to 7 Bn South Wales Borderers, stationed in Salonika/Macedonia. He was killed at the Third Battle of Doiran. He was listed as missing on 18 September and as KIA on or since 22 September 1918. Charles has no known grave and is commemorated on the Doiran War Memorial. He is also remembered on St Oswald’s Church and on Cambrian Railway war memorials.

Acknowledgements.

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