Category Archives: Somme

William Davis and George William Davis

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Registered War Grave, Somme

William Davis
Sapper 167656
No.2 Tunnelling Depot. Royal Engineers

 Division 78
Extension

Davis bros cem

William Davis was the son of George William and Elizabeth Davis, of 33 Albany Road, Reading.  His grave is a registered war grave with a private memorial, his parents are buried with him.  Grave number 16223.  The story of William Davis is tragic and mysterious.  The details of the inquest were published in the Chronicle 26th May 1916.

  “After one day a Clipstone Camp Nottinghamshire  William Davis, aged 25, disappeared and his body was found in the River Mann – a shallow stream near Mansfield.  He had reported to camp on Saturday May 6th and was not seen after dinner on Sunday.

Giving evidence, James Davis* his brother said deceased had orders to report May 7th and was put in the Royal Engineers.  This was against his wish, he wanted the Royal Flying corps.  He had no liking for the Army and had appealed twice on business grounds but was refused.  When the appeal was refused he seemed to settle down and accept the position.

William Davis made the acquaintance of Benjamin Charles Everest, Royal Engineers, at Clipstone camp but did not appear very cheerful, he was quiet and reserved. 

James Davis said he felt that his brother would not take his own life, would in fact be the last man to do so. 

The body was found embedded in mud – verdict “Found drowned.” 

It is not clear exactly when William Davis died, the inscription on the grave states:
Laid to Rest May 23rd 1916”

 

George William Davis
Corporal 137811
237th Field Company Royal Engineers

 

 George William Davis was the brother of William Davis.  He is commemorated on the headstone of his brothers grave.   George Davis was the husband of D.L. Mealings (formerly Davis), of Station House, Burghdere.   He was killed in action 7th October 1916 and is buried in the A.I.F. Burial Ground, near Flers, the Somme.  Location IV.A.25.

The “In Memoriam“ entry in the Standard 21st October 1916, is from his wife and gives some details of the action he was in at the time he was killed:

“Davis- G.W. – In loving memory of my dear husband, Corporal. G. W. Davis, who fell in action October 7th 1916, helping to lead a party of men to No Mans Land for defence work north of Gueudecourt”.

It was over the battle field in this area that the first tank battle had taken place on the 15th September 1916.  The bitter fighting of the last phase of the Somme battle lasted until November 1916.

For William and Elizabeth Davis, as for many parents, 1916 was a year of tragedy.  In their “In Memoriam” is a poem about their eldest son. 

He is gone, our dearly loved youth,
The heart of honour, the tongue of truth;
He, the life and light of us all,
Whose voice was blithe as a bugle call;
Whom all eyes followed with one consent,
The cheer of whose laugh, and whose pleasant word
Hushed all murmurs of discontent.

 

I has not been possible to find any information about James Davis

 

Evan Lloyd Davies

Alfred Sutton School War Memorial, Army, Reading University College, Registered War Grave, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Somme

Evan Lloyd Davies MM
Corporal 200422 
1st/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 32  Grave number 8995

 EL Davies oval2 ELDavies plaque

Evan Lloyd Davies was the son of William and Rhoda Davies and husband of Grace Ethel Davies.  He died on the 5th November 1918 of wounds received on 27th August 1916 as the 48th Division tried to take the Thiepval ridge.   During the battle he received the head wound which ended his war and ultimately his life.  Evan Lloyd Davies had acquitted himself well during the battle and was commended for the Military Medal for ‘distinguished bravery in the field’. He was buried in Reading Cemetery on the morning of the Armistice,  11th November 1918 aged 35.  He left his wife and two children.

Evan Lloyd Davies was a teacher at the Wokingham Road Senior School, now Alfred Sutton Primary School. The plaque above commemorates his name and is in the junior hall of the school.

 He had served overseas with his Territorial unit from the beginning of the war.  His full story is told in  ‘The School, the Master, the Boys and the V.C.’ which is the story behind  the Alfred Sutton School Memorial.

Children Remember ELDavies
In 1998 children from the school laid a poppy wreath on the grave of Evan Lloyd Davies in remembrance of his service to the school and his role in the Great War.

Evan Lloyd Davies was one of six Reading teachers to lose their lives in the war.

Arthur Frederick Cude and Albert Stanley Cude

Army, Commemorated name/s, Dardanelles, Other Regiments, Reading Blue Coat School, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Somme

Arthur Frederick Cude
Private 2929
1st/4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment

Division 21

Cude AC photo  CIMG2001

 

Arthur Frederick Cude  was the son of Mrs. Ellen Cude, of 142, Wilson Road,  Reading.  He was killed in action on the 16th May1916, aged 19. It is believed that Arthur Cude lost his life in the attack set out below:

“In May, the 1st/4th’s took over “G” sector, an area of unfamiliar and difficult ground near Tourvent farm on the outskirts of Serre.  The ground was badly cut up with old trenches and shell holes and littered with bones from the fighting in June 1915.  The communications trench was 1½ miles long and in a very poor state.  Rations had to be brought up from Hébuterne.  The front line was itself a salient which projected towards the strong German defence system around Serre.  The line was defended with some difficulty using an arrangement of disconnected outposts.  At 12.30 a.m. on the morning of 16th May a raid took place.  The Germans had opened a violent bombardment on another sector around midnight on the left of the 48th Division.  The guns of the 48th division responded to a false SOS and the Germans, after registering on the division guns, then directed heavy fire at the batteries.  Across a frontage of 600 yards two platoons of the 1st/4th’s manned seven detached posts.  The bombardment lasted half an hour and was directed at the front and supervision lines.  At 1 a.m. the bombardment shifted to the support and reserve trenches with shells falling at a rate of a hundred per minute.  “B” company in their outposts were over powered and half a supporting platoon of “A” company were destroyed in the bombardment.  When the Germans finally made their attack the outposts were in such disarray that they managed to get in behind and attack the Berkshires from the rear.  The attack, continued by German infantry until 1.40a.m. along different parts of the salient, and the bombardment went on all night until it stopped at dawn.  Losses numbered 98, 18 killed and 29 missing, later most were reported as prisoners of war.  ‘B’ company lost half its fighting strength. This was the first serious test for the 1st/4th’s and their endurance, discipline and fighting spirit were praised by the Divisional and Corps Commanders”. 

(From Petre Official HistoryVolume III)

Arthur Cude is buried  Hebuterne Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.  Grave location Plot I Row C 4.

 

Albert Stanley Cude
Corporal 9883
10th  Battalion Hampshire Regiment

 

Cude AS photo dbImage[1]

Albert Stanley Cude was the son of Mrs. Ellen Cude, of 142, Wilson Road,  Reading.  He died of wounds on 12th August 1915, aged 20.  Albert Cude is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey.  Panels 125-134 or 223-226, 228-229 7 328.

 The Helles Memorial stand on the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula.  It takes the form of an obelisk over 30 meters high that can be seen by shipping passing through the Dardanelles.  It carries over 20,000 names of those who died during the Gallipoli campaign whose graves are unknown or who were lost or buried at sea in Gallipoli waters. 

 The British had successfully landed at Sulva Bay on the 6th August 1915, ready to attack with the Anzac force.  In the very hot weather an attack took place the following day and further attacks took place over the following five days with very heavy losses.   It is not known how Albert Cude was wounded or whether he died of wounds and his body was lost, or  he was buried and his grave lost, or if he died whilst being evacuated and was buried at sea.

The brothers are commemorated on the grave of their parents in the Old Reading Cemetery.  Stanley is remembered on the Blue Coat School Memorial.