I believe that Emlyn Bartley Davies was born in the December quarter of 1914, (Wrexham Vol.  11b Page  493), and also that his sister Eluned had been born in the December quarter of 1912,(Wrexham Vol.  11b  Page 474).   They both had the mother’s maiden name of Bartley on the entries in Free BMD on the internet.

I also believe that their parents were William & Lucy A. Davies (nee Bartley), who had married in the December quarter of 1911 at the Mold, Capel Pendref (Flintshire (Mold)          A15/2/E10).   There was another marriage in the same quarter of a Sarah Bartley who married a Thomas William, was she Laucy’s sister? (Mold, Capel Pendref (Flintshire (Mold) A15/2/E7).  Did they marry the same day, perhaps a double wedding?   (Welsh Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Mold. -Marriage registers – NO/29/1 –  1899 – 1910  and NO/29/2 – 1910 – 1921).

I have to admit this is mostly conjecture, but Emlyn is seen on the Hawarden Grammar School Admissions Register E/GS/1/10:-

1088/1668 DAVIES, Emlyn Bartley  D.o B – 26th October 1914  , Haulfryn, Fellow’s Lane, Connah’s Quay*, Father _ Collier.  Date of Entry – 14^th September 1926, Abermorddu C.C., Sch. £6 BT.   Date of Leaving – 21^st July 1932.

*I do think that this is a clerical error on behalf of the school, as there is a Fellow’s Lane in the Hope/Caergwle area and Emlyn went to Abbermorddu School, so it was unlikely that he lived in Connah’s Quay. (There isn’t a Fellow’s Lane in CQ., according to Google Maps.)

I looked up the old address in Caergwrle – Haul Fryn on the 1939 National Register, and there were no Davies family members there then, so it strengthens my belief that his parents had died before then.

So I don’t know much about Emlyn’s childhood and teen years, but I suspect that both Eluned and Emlyn lost their parents quite early.    However, as I am not totally certain about Emlyn Bartley’s parentage, I would appreciate any help to confirm or deny my research.

The next time we see Emlyn in on the 1939 National Register (Taken on the 29^th September 1939)   I think that Emlyn was living with his sister Eluned, who married in the Caergwrle, Methodist Chapel, High Street in the March quarter of 1939.

Bannister household (3 people) – 4 Sunny Bank, Cefn Y Bedd, Brynteg, Wrexham R.D., Denbighshire, Wales.   Head of the household was Albert Bannister, a Coal Hewer, born on the 22^nd February 1911 and was married to Eluned Bannister, born on the 27^th September 1912 and as most women on this register who did not have a job is decribed as doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties.”  Emlyn B. Davies  was born on the 26^th October 1914 and was single and a Chargehand, Fibro Worker, Bleach Department, Shift Warden.  Bleach & Drying at Courtaulds Ltd., Greenfield.

I do not know when Emlyn enlisted or was conscripted, but he was to find himself in 40 Squadron, I downloaded numerous Operational Reports for 40 Squadron, but couldn’t find Emlyn, per se, but on the night of the 9/10^th December 1942 he was a passenger on an aircraft Halifax Mk 11 W1001 NF-Y from 138 Squadron and according to the website:- http://www.harringtonmuseum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Aircraft-lost-on-Allied-Forces-Special-Duty-Operations.pdf   (Page 64)

T/O from Landing Ground 224, outside Cairo, Egypt, for Malta but never arrived. The aircraft presumably came down in the Mediterranean or Western Desert, possibly as a result of a night fighter attack.

Many thanks to the website and the researcher.  Listing compiled by Roy Tebbutt of the Carpetbagger Aviation Museum, Harrington, UK.

It appears he may have been on Special Duty Operations and was in Cairo for some reason.

On the website https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C15623960, shows labels with the names from  DAVIES, Ellis Ivor – DAVIES, Gyraint Lynn, where on Page 12 there is a label (Just a slip of paper really) that has written on it –  “Militia, DAVIES, Emlyn Bartley.”   Nothing else is written.  (In Folder AIR-78-42-9_1) which I downloaded, see below.

I tried to find on the Operations Reports if Emlyn had been on any other missions in 40 Squadron and did find on the 2^nd/3^rd May 1941 that a Sgt. Davies was among the crew of 6, with Sgt. Luscombe being the pilot, on Wellington 1c T.2468 C. on a bombing raid to Hamburg, taking off at 22.00 and returning at 04.30, but there are no initials on any of the names, so as Davies is such a common name, it could very well have been another Sgt. Davies.   He is in the same crew on the 4^th/5^th May in the same aircraft on a High level attack on battle cruisers.   Again on the 6^th/7^th May in T.2701 S. thesame crew were on a High level attack on Hamburg.   Then on the 8^th/9^th May, they were again in the air in T.2468 on a High level attack on Hamburg.   On the 9^th/10^th May, the Sgt. Davies was missing from the crew on a gliding attack on Mannheim.   On a bombing raid in R. 1461 Z., with his usual crew flying, Sgt. Luscombe,  but the Sgt. Davies was again missing, the aircraft failed to return, so if this was “our” Emlyn Bartley Davies, then he escaped death on this occasion.   Sgt. Luscombe is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

On page 484 of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registration book, Emlyn is mentioned and next him is the record of Gerald Davies, another R.A.F. pilot who died, from Shotton, please click on the link to read his story.

He was obviously missed by his sister, if my research is correct, and her family and his name will be remembered for perpetuity on the Hawarden Grammar School Roll of Honour.

The Roll of Honour was dedicated at Hawarden Grammar School on the 3rd February 1951 with a Remembrance Service for the 47* former pupils who died in the 1939 – 1945 World War.  As recorded in the Chester Chronicle Saturday 10th February 1951.

*Author’s note, there are 46 names on the Roll of Honour, clerical error by the newspaper.