Charles Henry Davis

Charles Henry Davis

Personal Information
Date of Birth	1 Jul 1894
Place of Birth	Bloxworth, Wareham, Dorset, England
Death	Mar 1972
Place of Death	Weymouth, Dorset, England
Age at Enlistment	21 years old
Description	5' 5¼ " (1.66m) tall ; 123 lbs 55.792 kg ; dark complexion ; brown eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Labourer
Religion	Methodist
Address	Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Israel Davis
Military Information
Reg Number	2807
Date of Enlistment	1 Jul 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	11th Battalion, 9th Reinforcement, transferred to 51st Battalion's B Company / 13th Brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	4 Oct 1915 ‒ 27 Oct 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A20 Hororata Fremantle to Egypt
Fate	Wounded in Action 3 Sep 1916 at Mouquet Farm Discharged in England
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (West Armadale panel) Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Charles had only arrived in Australia 12 months before he enlisted.

War Service

Entered Blackboy Hill camp on 5 Jul 1915 where he was allocated to the 9th reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion. Charles travelled with them to Egypt where on 7 Jan 1916 at Tel-el-Kebir he was taken on strength by the 11th Battalion. As part of the reorganisation of the AIF, on 1 Mar 1916 Charles was transferred to the newly formed 51st Battalion at Serapeum and posted to "B" Company.

He travelled with them to France aboard the HMT Ivernia departing Alexandria on 5 Jun 1916, and arriving in Marseilles in southern France on 11 Jun 1916. From Marseilles they travelled by train to the battlefields in wagons designed to move horses and cattle. Charles was involved with the last attack carried out on Mouquet Farm near Pozières by the Australians on 3 Sep 1916. Once again they were able to take the ground around the farm, but could not hold it against strong counter attacks by the Germans, many of whom were hidden below ground and emerged behind the Australians.

Charles received a gun shot wound to his right leg which was dressed at the 15th Field Ambulance before he was passed to the 44th Casualty Clearing Station. On 5 Sep 1916 he was sent to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital in Boulogne, and on the 8th he boarded the HS Jan Breydel for England where he was admitted to the Ontario Military Hospital in Kent. The bullet had passed straight through the leg without doing major damage and on 6 Sep 1916 he was moved to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital before enjoying a period of furlough in October 1916 at the completion of which he reported to No 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs.

Four days later on 8 Nov 1916 he was sent to the 13th Training Battalion at Codford where he was retained until his leg was strong enough for him to again proceed to France on 5 Feb 1918. In the meantime, he was married on 6 Dec 1917 in Codford, Dorset, England to 22 year old Dorothy Minnie Langdown of Bere Regis.

Charles rejoined the 51st Battalion in the front line of the Ypres Salient on 12 Feb 1918, spending the rest of the war with them. From 2 - 21 Nov 1918 he enjoyed some leave in the UK. On 9 Jan 1919 as an early enlistee it was time for his draft to return to Australia and he returned to the No 1 Command Depot which was now based in Sutton Veny on 16 Jan 1919. Originally Charles and Dorothy were listed to travel to Australia. However, Charles spent the next 11 months moving between command depots and training units until it seems he decided to take his discharge in London as a result of his wife's ill health. Guaranteed work on a farm in Bere Regis, Charles was discharged on 20 Dec 1919 in England.

Post War

Address in 1921 was Skippets Farm. Bere-Regis, Wareham, Dorset. In 1951, Davis Road in Kelmscott (next to Kelmscott Village Shopping Centre, formerly Fourth Avenue) was named for Charles Davis.

Notes

"..enlisted July, 1915, went with the 51st Battalion to Egypt, was wounded in France, 3 Sep 1916".

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial