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Davies, Reginald

Reginald Davies was born in Rhuddlan 1892. He was the son of William and Elizabeth Davies.

The 1901 Census records the family living at the White Horse, High Street, Rhuddlan. Reginald is the seventh child in the family of nine, there are two younger boys. His Father’s occupation is given as Butcher and two of his older sisters are recorded as; Pupil Teachers.

The 1911 Census shows Reginald, now 19 and employed as a Grocer, still at home with his parents and siblings. The census also records that the family spoke both Welsh & English.

At some point afterwards he moved to Manchester where he was employed as a Grocer by Seymour Mead & Company. [A large chain of Grocery shops in the Manchester area.]

According to his attestation record he enlisted in the 18th Bn [3 City] Manchester Regiment on the 5th September 1914, in Manchester, {apparently with other workmates “Rhuddlan in Peace and War”} He was 22 years 8months old.

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Private Reginald Davies. Photo Credit. Rhuddlan Local History Society & Mr Reginald Davies.

Recruitment for the 18th Battalion was completed on 7th September 1914. After initial training in Heaton Park, the Battalion continued training at Belton Park [Lincolnshire] being absorbed into the 30th Division. On completion of training, the Battalion deployed to France via Folkestone/Boulogne on 8th [18th?] November 1915. Further trench training followed until finally, the Battalion was deployed into the front line near the village of Vaux [Somme] on the 6th January 1916. [Website; The Manchesters.org]

Reginald must have been one of the Battalion’s earliest casualties, as the website, records the first casualty occurring on the 11th January 1916.

His death is reported briefly in the Rhyl Journal of 29th January 1916. He was said to have been, a faithful young churchman popular in the parish and the second Rhuddlan casualty, John William Frost, having been killed “some time back”. Accompanying the newspaper report was the transcript of a letter received by his parents from his Company Commander Capt. Henshall, in which he described Reginald as “no better man in the Company”, he also told how he had been killed by shrapnel.

Subsequently the Rhyl Journal of February 12th 1916, reported that a memorial service for both John William Frost and Reginald Davies had been held in St. Mary’s the Parish Church.

There is an undated and unsigned, Flintshire War Memorial Record of Service Card for Reginald, at Hawarden Records Office.

A payment of £3.7.5p was made to his Father on 12th May 1916 and a further payment of £5.10.0p on 29th October 1919.

Reginald is remembered on St Mary’s Church Roll of Honour, Rhuddlan War Memorial, The Royal British Legion’s Roll of Honour, [now inside the Community Centre] and the North Wales Memorial Arch at Bangor. He is also commemorated on the family headstone in the Church yard.

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Family Headstone in Rhuddlan Churchyard. Photograph by Author.

I am indebted to Sarah Hodnett of the Rhuddlan Local History Club, for her assistance in compiling this record.

 

 


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