Edward Davies was buried at Bistre as reported in the County Herald, March 14, 1919

The remains of Pte. A. Davies were interred with every manifestation of regret, and with full military honours, a firing party being present from the Chester Depot. The deceased held four medals for different campaigns, including the South African medal. He had taken part in the recent war, and had been wounded, gassed and affected with shell shock. He resided with his wife and six young children, (the oldest being 13 years of age), at Nant Mawr.

The newspaper reference to A. Davies was incorrect. Edward was buried at Bistre 3 March 1919 “with military honours”. His grave in Bistre Churchyard (NC 8) shows:

In Loving Memory of Edward the beloved husband of Ruth Davies, South Wales died February 26th 1919 aged 38 years.

“A light from our household gone. A voice we loved is stilled. A place is vacant in our hearth which can never be filled.”

All records found for Edward up to the time of his discharge in 1917 show a family from South Wales and the reason for them to move to Buckley is not known. Census records show that Edward was born at Aberavon. He married Ruth Shore at Neath in 1904, and in 1911 they were living at Pontrhydyfen near Port Talbot with children Mary Jane, Blodwen, Edward and Ceinwen. From his service record, they later had Ruth and Thomas Charles. At the time of Edward’s death the six children would have ranged in age from 13 to 4.

From Edward Davies’s surviving Pension Claim file we see that he enlisted 2 September 1914 in the South Wales Borderers and was promoted 3 Sept 1915. He claimed previous 12 years’ service in the Rifle Brigade, listing 4 medals from previous service: Sudan Medal (1896-98) Khedive Decoration (1897) QSA Medal (1899-01) KSA Medal (1902). He was wounded at Ypres in May 1917 and hospitalized at Tooting Grove, London. He was discharged 27 September 1917 “Unfit for further service” at which time his address was Port Talbot. His medical history pages say…10/5/17 gunshot wound to right toes – 16/6/1917 neurosis – dizziness, memory fears, shell shock symptoms – 27/7/17 confirmed shell shock, – but his pension claim was partly rejected on basis that his neurosis will only last 12 months duration – then over stamped “DIED 26.2.1919”.

From the records at the CWGC it seems that his widow may have moved back to Port Talbot after his death.

Another Edward Davies, a Private in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers died 26th February 1919 and is buried at Bistre.