William Arthur Gordon Davies and his older brother Herbert Garstine Davies are not named on the Bodelwyddan memorial. however, the Flintshire Roll of Honour in the County Record office in Hawarden, includes an index card for each of them These cards were filed with all the other Bodelwyddan cards. We therefore include them here on this website.
The 1901 Census on Ancestry.co.uk shows the Davies family living in Sandy Cottage, Cyfoeth-y-Brenin, Cardinganshire. The household comprised of Head, Thomas Davies age 43, born in Llandeilo, Monmouthshire of English descent, a Fishmonger by trade. His wife Alice Rose age 34, born in Melbourne, Australia and their children, Francis Gertrude age 10,Herbert Garstine age 7, Thomas Stanley age 4, Sarah Doris 3, William Gordon 1, born in Llanfyllin in Montgomeryshire in 1900 and Jane Williams, 18 a Servant.
The 1911 Census shows us that the Davies family were living at 72 Court Street, Madeley, Salop. They had some additions to the family, George Belman age 8, James Percy age 6, Richard Sidney age 5, Howard Leslie age 2 and Ernest Montague age 7 months. Mrs Sarah Davies, Widow, Mother, age 89 was also in residence. Thomas Davies is listed as a Butcher by trade. William Arthur Gordon Davies was 11 years of age and listed as attending School.
We know from records that this family moved to Liverpool where they ran a family butcher’s Business in Wavertree.
Later the family moved to live in the small parish of Bodelwyddan in Pen Isa, Glascoed, St Asaph
William Arthur Gordon Davies enlisted into the 1/10th The King’s (Liverpool Regiment.) in Liverpool. Unfortunately I cannot find his Service Record, but on researching the movements of his regiment around the time he died of wounds on 14th September 1918. The King’s Liverpool Regiment were part of the 55th Division (West Lancashire) who were involved in the capture of Givenchy.
William was awarded the British War Medal and The Victory Medal.
The following information is extracted from The Long Long Trail
The capture of Givenchy craters (24 August 1918)
The Defence of Givenchy was to become the single most famous action that the Division fought. “It was afterwards publicly stated by an officer of the German General Staff that the stand made by the Division on April 9th and the days which followed marked the final ruination of the supreme German effort of 1918”, says the Divisional history. Givenchy was eventually selected as the location of a fine memorial to the Division.
