Albert Stanley Davies was born in the June quarter of 1921 and his birth registered at Hawarden (Flintshire (Mold)HAW/27A/93) he was the son of Samuel & Annie Davies (nee Parsonage), who, I believe, married in a Civil or Registrar Attended Marriage in Chester. (Cheshire West ROC/59/131) in the March quarter of 1913. Albert Stanley was baptised in St. Deniol’s Church, Hawarden on the 13th of June 1921, giving his date of birth as the 24th of April 1921, his father Samuel was a Railwayman, and their address was Railway Cottage.
I believe that his sister Winifred Doris’s baptism was in St. Deiniol’s Church, Hawarden, on the 7th of April 1919, she had been born on the 27th of January 1919 and they were living at Railway Cottage, Hawarden and Samuel was a Platelayer. I also found a baptism, (Private) of Elizabeth Davies on the 6th of March 1928 and then an entry of the same Elizabeth Davies, born on the 12th of October 1927 and received into the Church on the 25th of June 1928 and also Dorothy born on the 13th of May 1926 and baptised on the 31st of May. I cannot find any other baptisms for the Davies family on the St. Deniol’s Church Parish Registers, nor in Shotton, or Sandycroft, so I can only assume that they were baptised elsewhere or not at all. Any help would be appreciated.
The first time I find the family is on the 1921 census, which was taken on the 19th of June 1921. They are living in Hawarden, but the census does not give an address. Samuel Davies was head of the household, he was 34 years and 3 months old, and he had been born in Cymmau, Flintshire (Cymau is a small village situated in the community of Llanfynydd, Flintshire) and he was a Foreman Platelayer for the Great Central Railway (At Home). His wife, Annie Davies had been born in Llanyff (sic), Flintshire. She ws 35 years and 7 months old. Their children were Hubert Samuel Davies, 7 years, and 3 months old, born in Hope, Flintshire. Winifred Doris Davies, 2 years, and 5 months old and Albert Stanley Davies, 2 months old, both born in Hawarden, Flintshire.
The 1939 National Register, which was taken on the 29th of September 1939, the war being declared on the 3rd of September 1939, gives us another insight into the family and this is a source for birth dates.
They are living at “2, The Limes” Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales. Samuel’s date of birth was given as the 14th of March 1887 and he was a Permanent Way Ganger, Heavy Worker, Annie’s date of birth was the 17th of November 1886 and like most married women on this Register if they didn’t have a job, she was described as doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties.” There were 2 redacted or closed records, so we do not know who they were.
I do not know how or when Albert Stanley entered the forces except what the newspaper tells us after his death. That source tells us that he had joined 3 and ½ years before he was killed in 1944, so he would have joined in 1940 and this source also tells us that he was in the D Day landings between 6th of June to August 1944, so bless him he had seen a lot in his young life.
His death is in the Naval Deaths (below) and gives his cause of death as 1 – Death in War Service. This source also gives his date of birth as the 24th of April 1921 and his residence as in Hawarden.
The following websites may shed more light on Albert Stanley’s death, the History Information from the CWGC Citation gives a clue to where he was when he died: –
“Many of the casualties are as a result of the Battle for Walcheren (Operation Infatuate), at the beginning of November 1944. Walcheren was an island that dominated the entrance to the River Scheldt, which the Germans fortified to prevent the allies gaining access to the vital deep water port at Antwerp. After a hard-fought battle, that principally involved units from the 52nd (Lowland) Division, the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade and the 4th Special Service Brigade, the island was secured on the 8th November 1944. “
I then found numerous websites, (below) which are well worth reading as they can tell you so much more, but I appealed to WW2talk http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/davies-albert-stanley.77249/ to get extra insight onto what may have happened. “TD” on the Forum gave me this connection as well as other information on “Operation Infatuate.”:-
http://www.commandoveterans.org/AlbertDavies47RMCommando
Commando Veterans Archive.
DAVIES, Albert Stanley – Killed in action or died of wounds
Age: 20
Cemetery/Memorial: Bergen op Zoom War Cemetery, The Netherlands
Roll of Honour: ’47RM Cdo. Roll of Honour’
Operations: Operation Infatuate
Marine Albert Davies died during operations at Walcheren.
He died during the period when his Commando were clearing the enemy from a series of gun batteries along the dunes at Westkapelle from Zouteland to west of Groot Valkenisse and Klein Valkenisse. Snipers and enemy mortar fire resulted in many casualties.
(Source of action: Professor (Capt) John Forfar MC. 47RM Cdo. ‘From Omaha to the Scheldt.)
Many thanks also to the Forum members who replied especially Michel Sabarly who gave us the account of the events on 2 Nov 44 (from the 47 RM Commando Report, formerly posted on the 47 Royal Marine Commando Association website but not accessible anymore). If anyone would like a transcription of the conversation on WW2talk above, please get in touch with flintshirewarmemorials.com. and I will send it on to you, if you cannot get onto the website directly. Michel has given so much information on the events that may help others too.
Also http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/special-service-brigade.69278/#post-749855
Kellard – Active Member
https://rmhistorical.com/files/content/RM Circular 31-8-1943.pdf – RM Circular 31st August 1943. Re the making of 4th Special Service Brigade. (See below)
Many thanks to WW2talk Forum members again.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/25/a3945125.shtml
Operation Infatuate by Leeds Libraries
Archive List > British Army
Archive List > World > Netherlands
Contributed by Leeds Libraries
People in story: Mr F Robinson
Location of story: Walcheren Island
Background to story: Army
Article ID: A3945125
Contributed on: 25 April 2005
Operation Infatuate
On the 1st November 1944, I was aboard a landing craft Headquarters, carrying the Deputy Senior Officer of our Assault Group, which was ordered to land troops and take Walcheren Island in the Scheldt Estuary. This was a bloody and costly assault losing many lives, RM Commandos and Infantry Commandos. Operation “Infatuate” was the last and costliest Combined Operation of the Second World War. On one sector, out of 28 landing craft only FIVE survived touchdown. The grateful Dutch remember it every year, even having their Queen honouring the occasion and inspecting the guard of honour of Veterans. We British sadly ignore the memory of all those heroes who were massacred trying to reach the beaches. In 1954 my wife and I visited Flushing to visit the memorial to the commandos who attacked the guns 10 years before.
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https://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=481
4th Special Service Brigade
The Fourth Special Service Brigade was created in March of 1944 specifically for the invasion of France. Comprised entirely of Royal Marines, the brigade was tasked with securing the flanks of the invasion beaches, linking up the entire British front from the Orne River to Port-en-Bessin and the Americans on Omaha. The newly raised 46 and 47 RM Commandos joined 41 RM Commando. It immediately became apparent to Allied planners that a fourth Commando was needed for the brigade’s mission, so in mid-March the remaining men of the Royal Marine Division and other volunteers began an accelerated training schedule to form No. 48 RM Commando in time for the invasion. The Brigade was expected to be in combat for at most a week before being returned home, however fate had other plans for them.
https://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=116
Battle of the Scheldt Estuary
2 Oct 1944 – 8 Nov 1944
http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/Royal+Marine+Commando+Units/47RM+Commando/
COMMANDO VETERAN ARCHIVE
Also Photo’s of other 47 Commando, CSM Harold Plank, (KIA Walcheren) & Cpl. Edward James EVANS, (KIA Westkapelle) who died on the same day as Albert Stanley – 2nd November 1944.
https://codenames.info/operation/infatuate-ii/
‘Infatuate II’ was the amphibious landing at Westkapelle. After a heavy bombardment by British warships, men of the 4th Special Service Brigade (Nos. 41, 47 and 48 [Royal Marine] Commandos and No. 10 Inter-Allied Commando consisting mainly of Belgian and Norwegian troops) supported by specialised armoured vehicles (amphibious transports, mine-clearing tanks, bulldozers, etc.) of the 79th Armoured Division were landed on both sides of the gap in the sea dyke, using large landing craft as well as amphibious vehicles to bring men and tanks ashore. Heavy fighting ensued here as well before the ruins of the town were captured. Part of the force then moved to the south-east in the direction of Vlissingen, while the main force advanced to the north-east in order to clear the northern half of Walcheren and link with the Canadian troops who had established a bridgehead on the eastern part of the island. Fierce resistance was again offered by some of the German troops defending this area, and the fighting continued to 7 November.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._47_(Royal_Marine)_Commando
No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commando
Excerpt from:-
Battle of the Scheldt
The Battle of the Scheldt started 1 November 1944, with 4th Special Service Brigade assigned to carry out a seaborne assault on the island of Walcheren. The brigade now comprised No. 41, No. 47, No. 48, No. 10 (Inter-Allied), and No. 4 Commando. The Royal Marine Commandos would assault Westkapelle with No. 47 landing on a small strip of sand to the right of Westkapple, at a breach in the dyke caused by Royal Air Force bombing raids, prior to the attack. [citation needed]
No. 41 Commando landed first and moved North to Domburg, No. 48 Commando went South towards Zoutelande and were followed by No. 47 Commando. No. 47 Commando was split when two of the LCT’s carrying them ashore beached on the Northern side of the gap instead of the Southern side. Due to the division of the force No. 47 did not assemble until 19:00 hours south of the Radar station having suffered the loss of 30 men and much of their radio equipment. On 2 November No. 47 passed through No. 48 and took over the advance to the Flushing gap. Meeting slight opposition until they reached the artillery battery W11 and made an unsuccessful attack that evening losing all five of their Troop commanders. Digging in for the night they repulsed a German assault and finally captured the artillery battery and the rest of the island on 3 November. On 10 November they were moved back to Breskens and then to Wenduine.[18]
Albert Stanley was obviously loved and missed by his Inscription on his CWGC Gravestone, and his family made sure he would be remembered for perpetuity by adding his name to the War Memorial.
BELOVED, UNFORGOTTEN AND WORTHY OF REMEMBRANCE