Name
George Davis
14 Aug 1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/09/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
76469
Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment (Sherwood Foresters)
16th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 99 to 102.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Northchurch Village Memorial, St Mary's Church Window, Northchurch, Berkhamsted Town Memorial, St Peter's Church Memorial, Berkhamsted
Pre War
George Davis was born on 14 Aug 1896 in Northchurch, Herts, the son of Thomas and Sarah Davis (nee Briant), and was baptised on 1 November 1896 at Berkhamsted. He was one of eleven children, although only seven were still living in 1911.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 1 Eddy Street, Gossoms End, Northchurch, nr Berkhamsted. where his father was working as a band sawyer. They remained there in 1911 at which time George was working as a milk roundsman.
Wartime Service
George enlisted in Watford on 28 December 1914 as Private in the Army Ordnance Corps giving his profession a Storeman. He was promoted to Acting Lance Corporal but when he was transferred to the 15th Training Reserve battalion on 15 Nov 1916 he reverted to Private.
On 11 January 1917 he left Folkestone to join the BEF in France and was transferred on to the 12th Battalion Sherwood Foresters and later the 16th Battalion. His service record notes that he was reported as an eye case at the 35th General Hospital on 9 March 1917 and was being evacuated by hospital ship, however another note states the record is in error and he was later ‘accepted as being dead’
The 16th Foresters were involved in the Battles of Polygon Wood and also the Battle of Passchendaele in which George may have been involved.
He was killed in action on 20 September 1917 when the 16th and 17th battalions were involved in an attack on German lines at Shrewsbury Forest, south east of Hooge, near Ypres, Belgium, during the 3rd Battle of Ypres.
George has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £12 10s and pay owing of £10 10s 11d. She also received a pension of 5 shillings a week
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
thesherwoodforesters.com
