William (Will) Davies was born on 21st May, 1874 near Eyton’s Colliery Office, Flint, and the third of seven children to William Davies and Sarah (Williams).

By 1891 the Davies family were living in Swan Street and Will was employed as a blacksmith’s labourer.

In February 1899 Will’s mother Sarah, who was born in Flint, died at the age of 56, and was buried in the Northop Road Cemetery with her daughter Ann, who died in 1895, aged 23.

On 10th September, 1898 Will married Mary Jones in the Register Office, Holywell, and they set up home at 10, Salisbury Street. Will was now employed as a labourer at the chemical works in Flint.

He was for some years a member of the Territorial Army, for which he was awarded the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal on 1st October, 1909.

By 1911 Will and Mary had moved home to live at Tyddyn Mesham, Bagillt, and Will had changed his job yet again; at this time he was a labourer at the Shotton Iron Works.

Will and Mary had at least eight children and would move home once again to live at 1, Commercial Road, Flint.

He enlisted in Flint (probably as soon as the war began), and landed at Gallipoli on 8th August, 1915. He died on 14th September, 1915 from dysentery, at St Patrick’s Hospital, Malta, and was buried at the Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta (Plot B, Row XI, Grave 5).

Will is remembered on two war memorials: Flint Town and St Mary’s Parish Church, Flint, and is also remembered on his wife’s headstone in the Northop Road Cemetery, Flint (Grave 8, Line 8, South Side). He is commemorated on the North Wales Heroes’ Memorial Arch, Bangor.

He was awarded the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Will’s father, William, who was born in Flint, died at the Workhouse Infirmary, Holywell on 3rd September, 1916, aged 72, and was buried in the Northop Road Cemetery. He was a chemical labourer.

Will’s wife, Mary, was born in Flint and died on 23rd January, 1942, aged 63, at 9, Salisbury Street, Flint. She is buried with her husband and two of her children, William and Agnes. Mary was a member of St Mary’s Parish Church, and well known and highly esteemed.