BORN: 1895/6, Christchurch, Monmouthshire, Wales.
UNIT: 10th Battalion (1st Gwent) South Wales Borderers.
DIED: 31 July 1917, killed in action at Pilckem, Passchendaele (3rd Battle of Ypres), aged 32.
BURIED: Artillery Wood Cemetery, Boesinghe, Belgium. Grave III. B. 5.
LOCAL CONNECTIONS: Llandevaud. Bishpool.
Early life - a Bishpool Boy
Walter DAVIES was born in 1885/6 in Bishpool, in the parish of Christchurch, Monmouthshire, Wales. He was baptised there on 24 Jan 1886, the third of seven children of William DAVIES and Caroline Louisa ‘Carrie’ (nee BAILEY).
Walter’s parents had married on Christmas Day 1879 in St. Paul’s church, Newport, Monmouthshire. William was aged 25 and worked as a labourer. Caroline was aged 23 and the daughter of a coachman. William and Carrie were neighbours: they both lived in George Street, Newport (but in different houses).
Walter grew up with his family in Bishpool. In 1901, aged 15, he worked as a limestone quarry man, like his father and elder brother. In 1911 he still lived in the family home at Watery Lane Cottage, Bishpool. He, his father, and his brother remained quarrymen.
Walter marries Ethel
On 19 Oct 1913 Walter married Ethel Agnes Lucy THEOBALD in the parish church at Llanmartin, Monmouthshire. (For some reason Walter gave his middle name as Charles, even though his birth and baptism records have no mention of a middle name). Ethel was aged 23 and from the nearby village of Llandevaud. She was the sister of Edward THEOBALD, who is also commemorated on the Magor War Memorial. Edward would later be killed in action in 1916 at the battle for Mametz Woods, fighting with 6 Battalion South Wales Borderers. You can read more about him here [link to be added].
Walter’s children
Walter and Ethel settled in Llandevaud at Wisteria Cottage and had 2 sons. Walter John DAVIES was born 27 Mar 1914 and baptised in Llandevaud on 17 May 1914. By this time Walter was working as a platelayer for the Great Western Railway company. Their second son Bernard William Edward DAVIES was born less than a year later on 16 Feb 1915. He was baptised on 04 Jun 1916, also in Llandevaud. The family still lived at Wisteria Cottage, Llandevaud, but Walter was serving with 10 Battalion South Wales Borderers by this time.
Walter and WW1
‘Taking the King’s shilling’ (Joining up)
Walter’s service record appears to be missing. It was probably amongst the many that were burned in the Blitz during WW2. So do not know precisely when he enlisted. However, we know from calculations based on his War Gratuity that it was in the month from 01 Aug 1915. Perhaps he and his brother-in-law Edward THEOBALD signed up together. They both served with the South Wales Borderers (SWB). Edward was posted to the 6th Battalion whilst Walter joined the 10th (1st Gwent).
Cattle markets and greasy tea
In August 1915 recruits from the Newport area were told to assemble at the town’s cattle market. This was an apt location according to one man: “Around one hundred men found themselves being driven around like cattle by drovers masquerading as sergeants”. The men marched to the railway station, cheered on by crowds that lined the streets. However, the euphoria did not last long. The conditions that awaited them at Brecon were awful. There was no hot water and ‘toilets’ were large, often overflowing, buckets; one per floor. Sleep was difficult and the food was poor. Breakfast included a pint of tea with so much grease from previous meals floating on top it was undrinkable.
Dodgy kit
Men were issued with whatever kit was available. The blue army fatigues were often poorly fitting. One recruit was issued boots 3 sizes too big, a tunic with a 50-inch chest and trousers with a 25-inch inside leg to fit is 29-inch limbs! Some men had to wear old postman’s uniforms, or scarlet jackets left over from the Boer War. Many continued to wear their civilian clothes and paraded in suits, cloth caps and bow ties. And uniforms were not the only kit shortage. Most soldiers had to drill with replica rifles that could not be fired. Some had to use wooden poles! By the time they went to war, most men had not fired more than 12 rounds on a rifle range.
Off to war
Walter and his battalion sailed for France in December 1915 after more than a year of preparation. This is Walter’s journey.
The 10th battalion was raised in Brecon within the first few weeks of the war as part of Kitchener’s New Army. After training in Brecon, they moved to Colwyn Bay for where they joined other battalions. In July 1915 the Gwents moved to Hursley Park, near Winchester, as part of 115th Brigade of 38th (Welsh) Division. Final preparations were made at the military transit camp at Hazeley Down. Her majesty the Queen inspected the 38th Welsh Division on 20 Nov 1915. On 04 Dec 1915 the South Wales Borderers landed at Le Havre, and Walter was with them.
Within a few days, Walter’s battalion arrived at the billeting area near St. Omer, about 30 miles behind the front line. The soldiers got stuck into much needed training in bombing, musketry, and engineering work. Then, in Jan 1916 they moved to the Neuve-Chapelle section of the front line.
Mametz!
The 10th Battalion fought in the Battle of Albert in 1916, an attack that formed part of the Battle of the Somme. On 5th July the 38th Welsh Division (including Walter’s battalion of SWB) moved from their position in reserve to Mametz Wood. They were to be tested in battle for the first time. What happened during that battle would go down in Welsh history alongside events such as Aberfan or Senghenydd. Over 950 men from the Welsh Division lost their lives in brutal fighting, sometimes hand to hand in thick undergrowth. Events at Mametz did much to first taint then recover the reputation of the Welsh in combat.
The severely depleted 38th (Welsh Division) did not return to major action for more than a year. Walter and his battalion moved from the Somme front line to the Ypres salient near Hazebrouck. They held their position there for almost a year, rotating in and out of front line trenches. The next major battle Walter fought has also been etched in the British psyche – Passchendaele.
Walter's death & burial
Passchendaele
On Tuesday 31 Jul 1917 the Battle of Pilckem Ridge began. It was the first attack in the 3rd Battle of Ypres, or as it is better known – Passchendaele. Within a few short days, the Welsh division would sustain 3,000 casualties and lose hundreds of men. Sadly, Walter was one of them. He died on the first day of the battle. Here is how Walter’s last days unfolded.
On 29 Jul 1917 the men of 10th SWB attended Sunday church service at their base at Stoke farm. However, the rain was so heavy it had to be abandoned. At 20:30 Walter, along with 18 officers and 508 other men, moved from to Assembly Camp G, north of Ypres and near the Yser Canal. The following day was spent completing final preparations for a major attack on the infamous Pilckem Ridge.
Allied artillery had been shelling enemy positions for days. Then on Tuesday 31 Jul the attack began with the usual early morning bombardment. Captain Page of the 130th Field Ambulance recorded what he saw.
‘At 3.40 a.m. a terrific bombardment began. Every British, French and Belgian gun from the coast to Messines went full blaze. The din was terrific, and the Bosch line was a sight worth seeing. It was a mass of flame… the ground trembled and the air was filled with the shrieking … of shells.’
At 3:50 a.m. whistles blew and men from 114th and 115th Brigades went over the top. The bombardment was effective and resistance was relatively light around Pilckem. (This was not the case in other parts of the 10-mile-long line of attack. The shelling had alerted the Germans to the impending attack). Walter’s battalion was held back in support of the main attack. Then, at 5 a.m. he and his comrades manoeuvred through muddy trenches and crossed the Yser Canal via the bridge whilst under constant shell fire. They arrived at Kiel Cottage at the planned time of 6:50 a.m. The commander praised the behaviour of his soldiers under heavy artillery fire, but they had suffered casualties. It is possible that Walter was one of these; his burial location west of Pilckem is consistent with this [see later].
The 10th battalion took up a position north of Caddy Lane, previously one of the German strongholds. Then at 3 p.m. they were ordered to move forward through Pilckem village to the western slopes of the newly captured Iron Cross Ridge. But on reaching Pilckem they met fierce resistance and a dozen men were killed.
Walter’s battalion reached their rendezvous point at 4:10 pm and started building a series of strong points along the road running SE from Iron Cross. Some of the heaviest rain in 30 years had churned the Flanders soil into soup-like mud. In such conditions it was difficult to keep rifles and machine guns in good working order. So battalion headquarters moved south to Rudolphe Farm where a constant supply of hot tea was organised for the men.
At this time, one company from the battalion were sent to reinforce the new front line. Later that evening SOS signals were received from them. The had lost so many men they feared they would by overrun by a German counterattack. So other companies were dispatched to reinforce them.
The attack on Pilckem was successful but at a terrible cost. The Battle of Passchendaele raged until Nov 1917. Walter was one of 325,000 casualties who paid the ultimate price.
His burial
We do not know whether Walter was part of one of the companies sent to the front line or whether he died in the earlier bombardment during the advance across the canal. However, he was buried at Trench Map location C2a3.1 (see the map below). This is a field about 400 north-west of Pilckem, which suggests that Walter was killed early in the battalions movement north-eastwards.
After the war ended, Walter’s body was exhumed and moved to Artillery Wood Cemetery under the concentration of graves scheme. Many of those relocated with him were unknown soldiers. Fortunately Walter’s initial burial site was marked with a named cross and his identity disc confirmed who he was. Some of Walter’s personal effects were recovered during the exhumation, but we do not know if they were ever sent to his family. His final resting place in Artillery Wood Cemetery is grave number III.B.5. Ethel requested that her husband’s headstone should include the inscription ‘The chain shall be unlinked and we shall clasp each other’s hands never to part no more’.
Walter is also remembered on the Christchurch War Memorial, in the record of those associated with the Newport War Memorial and also in the Welsh Book of Remembrance (1928). Langstone Community Council has also published Walter’s profile.
Medals and Pension
Walter’s widow Ethel received payments totalling £10 12s 8d. This had the same purchasing power as £308 in 2017 and was about a month’s salary for a skilled tradesman. By this time Ethel lived in the Maindee part of Christchurch parish.
Walter was awarded ‘the full set’ of 3 medals. The 1914-15 Star medal. British War medal, the Victory medal were nicknamed Pip, Squeak and Wilfred. These were characters in a 1920’s Daily Mirror comic strip that coincided with the issue of the 3 decorations. The 1914-15 Star was awarded to in anyone who served in any theatre of war outside the UK between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915. As a recipient of this medal Walter would automatically qualify for the British War and Victory medals.
What happened to his family?
Ethel
Walter’s brother in law, Edward THEOBALD, died while Walter was at Mametz Wood. He was only 4 miles away. So Ethel lost her husband and her brother (Edward Theobald) in the Great War. She died in 1932 aged only 41. Ethel lived in Christchurch parish but was buried in Llanmartin churchyard on the 15th anniversary of Walter’s death on 31 July 1932.
Walter's boys
His elder son Walter John DAVIES died in WW2. He was Petty Officer 145334 aboard the submarine HMS Phoenix and recorded as ‘Presumed dead on 21 July 1940’. The Phoenix was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by depth charges from the Italian torpedo boat Albatros on 16 July 1940. He was 26 years old. At least his mother Ethel did not live long enough to suffer this additional loss.
Walter’s younger son Bernard William Edward DAVIES married Eva HARGREAVES in London in 1936. They lived in Harrow in 1939 with their children, when Bernard worked as a decorator. Bernard died in London in 1992.
Contact me if you want more detail about the sources used or any help finding your ancestors’ stories, military or otherwise.
Links
South Wales Borderers regimental museum at Brecon Barracks
A history of SWB including Rorke’s Drift in the Zulu Wars
Hedd Wyn. The Welsh poet who fell at Passchendaele.
