I found this Serviceman on the list of Obituaries, taken from the local newspapers, that Mary Moore had researched over many years at the Flintshire Record Office Hawarden, and without her help, Joseph Reginald’s story may not have been told and his sacrifice for us all would not be known, like millions of men who gave their all for us to be free.
I believe Joseph Reginald Davies was the son of Thomas Edward & Elizabeth Emma Davies (nee Edwards) who married in a Civil Ceremony at Holywell in 1908 (Flintshire (Mold) HOL/33/62).
Thomas Edward & Elizabeth Davies are seen living at Catch, Holywell in 2 rooms on the 1911 census. Thomas Edward, 25, tells us that he had been married 3 years and Elizabeth Emma, 20, tells us that one child had been born and was still living, this was George Francis Davies who was 2 years old. All had been born in Halkyn and were bilingual.
According to his obituary in the County Herald dated the 27th April 1945, he was their third son and had been born in 1914. Joseph Reginald was baptised at the Halkyn Parish Church on the 30th July 1914 – Joseph Reginald s/o Thomas Edward & Elizabeth Emma DAVIES, Taylors Cottages, Catch, Labourer.
The 1921 census gives us a picture of the family living at 39, Well Street, Holywell, Flintshire, and all the family were bilingual. The head of the household was Thomas Edward Davies and he was 33 years and 3 months old when the census was taken on the 19th June 1921. He was out of work, but he gave his employer as John Summers Steel Works and according to The Leader there was a strike in 1921 and thanks to https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/15931464.pioneers-forged-and-cast-our-industrial-heritage/ we know it was because of the Miner’s Strike in 1921:-
“After the war the 1921 Miners’ Strike and the 1926 General Strike both forced the steelworks to close and in the 1930s reduced demand during the Great Depression led to the works being bankrupt and steelmaking at Brymbo ceased between 1931 and 1934.
The works was saved from demolition thanks to the efforts of Sir Henry Robertson whose new company took it out of administration.”
Elizabeth Emma Davies was 30 years and one month old on that date and was doing “Home Duties.” Their eldest son George Francis was 12 years and 1 month old. John Thomas was 9 years and 8 months old, Reginald was 7 years 0 months old, Oswald was 4 years and 11 months old and were in Whole time education. Eileen May, their only daughter was under 1 month old, this census tells us that both parents were alive.
I have no information about Joseph Reginald’s young life or teenage years, but by the March quarter of 1929, I believe that Joseph Reginald’s father had died, age 42 years (Holywell Vol. 11b Page 283).
Joseph Reginald (Reggie) had met and married Myfanwy Roberts on the 12th February 1938 at the Parish Church, Holywell. Reggie as he was known by the family and friends was 23, a bachelor and Labourer, his address was 39, Well Street, Holywell and his father was Thomas Edward Davies (deceased), Labourer. His bride was Myfanwy, was age 20 and a spinster, her address was , 11, Abbots Row, Penymaes, Holywell, her father was Richard Owen Roberts, Labourer. They married after banns. Their witnesses were Mary Roberts & Oswald Davies.
The 1939 National Register gives us another insight into the family. This was taken on the 29th September 1939 and this source gives us the dates of birth.
Reggie, now married, and his wife Myfanwy are found living at 13, New Road, Holywell, his date of birth was the 24th June 1914 and he was a Scaffolder. Myfanwy’s date of birth is given as the 3rd May 1917 and she was a Machinist.
This same source, the 1939 National Register, finds the family scattered a bit, as I believe that Elizabeth Emma was now living at 9, New Road, Holywell. The National Register redacted or closed some entries and on this particular one of what I believe was part the Davies family, the first entry of the family, usually the head of the household, was redacted and not very well done as it obliterated the surname of the family, who I believe to be the Davies family, then to make things worse, Eileen May, the youngest of the Davies children is next on the list, born 29 May 1921, Single, “Seeking Work” and as she was, later in life, to marry gentlemen named Bailey and Carter, their names were included, and the rest of the family were then given the name Carter. However going back to the National Register, Elizabeth Emma Davies’s date of birth was given as the 12th May 1890, she was widowed and a Householder. Oswald Davies had been born on the 13th June 1916, he was single and a Heavy Worker. There was one other person there, she was Edith Edward(sic), born on the 26th March 1921, she was single and “Seeking work.” The 5th entry was again redacted. Was she a relative of Elizabeth Emma?
On this 1939 National Register, I believe that this is the Mother and 2 or 3 siblings of the DAVIES family, depending on who was the redacted persons, one of whom should have been the head of the household, but I do not know if it was another sibling or not, at No. 5 of the household. The family name had been transcribed on Find my Past as CARTER, but should have been DAVIES. !!!! Of course it could have been an Enumerator’s error who hadn’t listed the family in order of age and relationship. (Please see the 1939 National Register below).
I believe that in the June quarter of 1941 Elizabeth Emma died and her death is registered in Holywell (Vol. 11b Page 609). She was age 51 years.
On the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Enlistment Registers 1920-1946-Book32-0004, Reggie is noted to have enlisted (or was conscripted) on the 8th January 1942, however, he volunteered for the Commando Section, this leading him to be involved in all the missions that No. 3 Commando undertook: –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._3_Commando
No. 3 Commando
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
No. 3 Commando
Active 1940–1946
Disbanded 4 January 1946
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
Type Commando
Role Special Forces
Size 470–535 men all ranks[1]
Part of 1st Special Service Brigade
Engagements Second World War
No. 3 Commando was a battalion-sized Commando unit raised by the British Army during the Second World War. Formed in July 1940 from volunteers for special service, it was the first such unit to carry the title of “Commando”. Shortly afterwards the unit was involved in a largely unsuccessful raid upon the German-occupied Channel Island of Guernsey.
In 1941 they were involved in successful raids on the Lofoten Islands and Vaagso, in Norway, before taking part in the costly Dieppe raid in August 1942, where the unit was tasked with knocking out a German coastal artillery battery on the eastern flank of the main landings, although due to a chance encounter in the Channel with a German convoy, a large majority of the unit failed to make it ashore.
In early 1943, the unit was sent to Gibraltar before moving to North Africa in April from where they were involved in the Allied invasion of Sicily and operations in Italy prior to being withdrawn to Britain to prepare for Operation Overlord. On D-Day they went ashore on 6 June 1944 as part of the 1st Special Service Brigade tasked with linking up with the 6th Airborne Division on the eastern flank of Sword before being withdrawn. Later they took part in the Allied counterattack during the Ardennes Offensive in early 1945 before taking part in the advance into Germany as part of Operation Plunder.
Following the end of the war, No. 3 Commando carried out occupation duties in Germany before it was disbanded on 4 January 1946.
Excerpt from the above website, relating up to the period that Joseph Reginald was killed:-
“Final operations
Throughout 1944, plans were made to send the brigade, which had been renamed the 1st Commando Brigade, to the Far East; however, the effect of the German Ardennes Offensive resulted in these being cancelled.[75] In January 1945, under the command of Brigadier Derek Mills-Roberts, No. 3 Commando was deployed to Asten on the Maas.[73] Later in the month, the unit took up positions at Maeseyck and on 24–25 January, with snow falling on the streets and a heavy German artillery barrage on the town, they took part in an assault on Linne.[76] The assault was only partially successful and due to the destruction of the bridges that spanned the frozen Montforterbeek Canal, the Allies were unable to bring up armour to support No. 3 Commando which had moved across the ice on foot. When the Germans brought up their own tanks, the advance came to a halt.[77]
The Commandos were forced to spend the night freezing in the open in a ditch. The following day, after sappers from the Royal Engineers managed to erect a temporary bridge across the canal, a number of Churchill and Sherman tanks from the 8th Hussars managed to get across and No. 1 and No. 6 Troops climbed on top and advanced across the open ground and into the centre of the town.[78]
A brief period of lull followed as the 1st Commando Brigade prepared to resume operations[78] and on 13 February they were relieved in Linne by No. 46 Royal Marine Commando and went back to Maasbrecht for a rest.[79] The rest did not last long, however, and later in the month they relieved the marines at Smakt and began preparing for Operation Plunder, the crossing of the Rhine. At 22:00 on 23 March 1945, No. 3 Commando crossed the river in Buffalo landing vehicles and began moving on Wesel, where, on 25 March they cleared the centre of the town and captured a large number of German prisoners.[80][81]
After this the brigade continued to advance, moving through Ruddenburg and Greven before carrying out an attack on Osnabruck, which No. 3 Commando led, on 4 April 1945.[82] The next day, they crossed the Weser River in assault boats and under the cover of darkness carried out a flanking manoeuvre on the Germans occupying the town of Leese. As other elements from the brigade attacked from the east, No. 3 Commando, now under the command of Peter Bartholomew[83] after Komrower had been posted to the Commando Training Depot, carried out a follow-up operation to the north.[84] The operation was an attack on a factory that had been producing V-2 rockets and after No. 3 Commando had captured it with the support of a number of tanks, a search found a number of these weapons, along with about 100 scientists who had been working in the factory.[85]
The advance continued throughout the month and by 29 April, No. 3 Commando crossed the Elbe and carried out an attack on Launenberg.[86]”
http://www.commandoveterans.org/3Commando
No3 were involved in the actions during the crossing of the river Maas, the clearing of the Maas Rhine Triangle, the capture of Osnabruck, the crossing the Weser (Operation Widgeon) and Aller rivers, and finally the crossing of the River Elbe.
https://www.commandoveterans.org/OperationWidgeon
Wesel – Operation Widgeon
The following account was written by Harry Fecitt MBE, TD, ex-17 Para.
http://www.commandoveterans.org/JosephReginaldDavies3Commando
DAVIES, Joseph Reginald
Rank: Fusilier
Unit/Base: 3 Commando
Regiment/Corps: Royal Welch Fusiliers
Service: Army
Number: 4209027
Died : Wednesday, April 11, 1945
Killed in action or died of wounds, Age: 30
Cemetery/Memorial: Becklingen War Cemetery Germany
Fusilier Joseph Davies died of wounds inflicted during operations at the River Aller, Germany.
Sources – CWGC
No 3 Cdo. War Diary Appendix D (No.1) List of Battle Casualties April 1945. National Archives WO/218/83. (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C168354)
Primary Roll of Honour: 3 Cdo. Roll of Honour
Photo of grave in Gallery: Yes
Archive pages : No 3 Commando
http://www.commandoveterans.org/3CommandoROH
Fallen from No. 3 Commando
Joseph Reginald is mentioned on this page.
http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/battle-of-rethem-1945-aller-river-crossing.76984/
Battle of Rethem 1945 (Aller river crossing)
This is a Forum, it is about the time of Joseph Reginald’s death (The Archway Extracts are below.) Many thanks to Jim Herriot, John Russell, (whose book ‘Theirs the Strife’ is about this battle), and the rest of the Forum, without whom Reggie’s story may never have been told.
Jim Herriot posted some files
“Willem,
The attached files*will give you a SAS perspective on the fighting taking place within the vicinity at the time (SAS Operation Archway).
The report style is as it was then, very matter of fact with no embellishment (these chaps were not writing their memoires).
Be warned still, the casualty reports in file number 4 are no less distressing today, seventy-four years on. I thought long and hard about including it and came to the conclusion that to not keep it included would be a disservice to all who made the ultimate sacrifice, and therefore I hope the inclusion does not give offence, as non is intended, sincerely.”
John Russell sent me this message on the Forum:-
Hi Mavis – now back home. I have checked my book and although there are two Davies mentioned regrettably neither is Joseph. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission site (Search Results | CWGC) has a few little extra pieces of information but nothing very substantial:
Before reburial in Becklingen CWGC cemetery he was buried in the 1st Commando Brigade field cemetery, which was immediately adjacent to the road bridge over the Esseler Kanal (this will make sense if you have my book ‘Theirs the Strife’).
On the CWGC site there are two brigade burial concentration forms. One shows his rank as LCpl while the other has this crossed out and his rank given as Fus (ie Fusilier). This is either correcting a mistake or possibly he was promoted to local LCpl in 3 Commando but the form had to give his correct rank.
He died of wounds received on 11 April. Had he been wounded in the battle for the bridgehead over the Weser fought in the Stolzenau/Leese area a few days earlier and subsequently died on 11 April, he would not have been buried at Essel. I know this is a blinding flash of the obvious but it does confirm that he was either wounded during 3 Commando’s assault across the Aller during the night 10/11 April or during the subsequent battle in the Essel forest on 11 April. I won’t give details of that battle here but I cover these events in full in ‘Theirs the Strife’.
There is no mention in the CWGC record of either his parents or his home address.
I have checked the website Commando Veterans Archive and it has this entry at: DAVIES, Joseph Reginald | ͏. Unfortunately this doesn’t take us much further, although again it gives his rank as Fus. You could join the archive and post a request for information.
I think that’s about it. I will be very interested in any progress you make. Good luck with your research and best wishes.
Further to my last, I just remembered I had a 3 Commando casualty list for April 1945 (see attached). It shows Joseph died of wounds on 11 April and gives his rank as LCpl. His regimental number is a bit different (2401027 as opposed to 4209027 given in the CWGC entry) but it is close enough to probably be a clerical error.
*Please contact the website for a copy of the files and No. 3 Commando casualty list.
After the war I believe that Myfanwy remarried in September quarter of 1954 to Peter G. Webb (Holywell Vol. 8a Page 1163).
Joseph Reginald (Reggie) should be remembered for his sacrifice and I hope that his name will one day be added to Halkyn’s WW2 War Memorial.
