• Home
  • About
  • Getting Involved
  • Men on the Gates
  • Men at the Front
  • Men at Home
  • Women of WW1
  • News
  • Events
  • Contact
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

News

Men on the Gates

Home Men On The Gates DAVIES, GH Douglas. Private 2736.
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T V W
Da De Do Dr Du
Dar Dav Daw

DAVIES, GH Douglas. Private 2736.

May 11, 2017Published By Derek Noton

BORN – Oswestry
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation – Farmer / Holy Trinity Church / Maesbury,(WM) / Oswestry School 

EDUCATION – Oswestry Grammar School
UNIT – 3/1 Shropshire Yeomanry att. 10 Bn Cheshire Regiment.
RANK – Private 2736
THEATRE – Somme / Authuille Wood 10 Bn Cheshire Regiment. 24 August 1916.
DIED – KIA 24 August 1916. Aged 27.
BURIED – Blighty Valley Cemetery, Authuille Wood. (CWGC)

George Henry Douglas Davies (known as Douglas) was born in 1889 at Oswestry. He was the fourth of the five children of John Edward Davies, a farmer at The Fields in Maesbury and Emma Jane Davies. The children were John, Thomas, Cyril and youngest, sister Hilda who died in infancy. Brother Thomas would also be a war casualty. George was baptised at Holy Trinity, Oswestry on 7 May 1889 and was educated at Oswestry Grammar School.  Their father bred horses and farmed. Of the 4 brothers, Thomas would go to sea whilst John, Cyril and George would stay at home and work on the farm.

George first enlisted in 3/1 Bn Shropshire Yeomanry, a cavalry battalion and training unit stationed at Wrexham – making use of his equestrian skills and knowedge. This was probably in 1915. In summer 1916, the unit ‘dismounted’ and became a training infantry unit based at Oswestry Park Hall Camp with the existing draft transferring to other units. It is likely George was posted to 10 Bn Cheshire Regiment at this time and went over to France as a draft in the first half of 1916.  The battalion had moved into the Somme battle zone on 3 July going into the trenches at Authuille in front of Theipval.  George was KIA on 24 August 1916 during the Somme Offensive when the battalion was in the line near to Wood Post in Authuille Wood. The battalion were on working parties in preparation for the forthcoming renewed assaults to take Thiepval and the Ancre Heights. On this day the battalion was heavily shelled and suffered 8 other ranks killed and 19 wounded.

George was buried at Blighty Valley Cemetery near to Authuille. He is also commemorated on the war memorials at Maesbury, Holy Trinity Church and at Oswestry School War Memorial and also the family grave in Oswestry Cemetery and where his brother Thomas is interred.

BROTHER TO Lieutenant Thomas R Davies. Royal Navy Reserve HM Yacht Conqueror II. KIA 27 September 1916, Oswestry General Cemetery

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

END


QUICK LINKS

  • Home
  • About
  • Getting Involved
  • Men on the Gates
  • Men at the Front
  • Men at Home
  • Women of WW1
  • News
  • Events
  • Contact

CONTACT

01691 656 882
menonthegates@hotmail.com
info@qube-oca.org.uk

Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

VISIT US

Oswald Road
Oswestry
SY11 1RB

Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm
Sat 9:30am - 12:30pm
ADMISSION FREE

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Web by Twenty Two Design

Qube is a registered charity in England and Wales | Charity No: 1063319 | Company Reg. No: 3390138