Name
Harry Davis
10 Nov 1886
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/04/1917
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
14295
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 5
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Welwyn Village Memorial, Welwyn St Mary the Virgin Roll of Honour, Welwyn
Pre War
Harry Davis was born in Welwyn on 10 November 1886, the second son of William and Sarah Davis of Mimram Road, Welwyn and was baptised there on 2 January the following year. He was one of five children.
On the 1891 Census the family were living in Welwyn (no address given) where his father was working as an agricultural labourer. They remained in Welwyn in 1901 and were living at 10 Mimram Road at which time Harry was working as a Post Office Messenger. By 1911 Harry was the only child living at home with his parents in Mimram Road and he was working as a Grocer’s Porter.
Wartime Service
Harry enlisted in Welwyn and served with the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. He was sent to France on 27 April 1915, joining the Battalion as part of a draft of over 300 men at Ouderdom, Belgium, a few days later.
He was soon in action when they were attacked with poison gas near Hill 60 in early May and were in trenches on the Somme throughout most of 1916. They were under enemy bombardment from trench mortars, sniping as well as enduring a lot of wet weather.
Harry was killed in action, aged 30, on 23 April 1917 during the Battle of Arras, and in particular the attack on La Coulotte, when over 320 men of the Battalion were lost.
He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £12 and pay owing of £8 18s 6d. Pension records exist but give no indication of the amount of pension received.
On some records his surname is misspelt with the addition of an 'e', i.e. Davies.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Paul Jiggens, Welwyn and District History Society - www.welwynww1.co.uk, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk, Brenda Palmer
