Allen Davies was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire on 17 November 1892.
The 1901 Census shows that the family lived at 27 Clarenden Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire. The head of the family was John Davies aged 40, who was employed as a Builders Labourer. His wife Alice Davies aged 39 and their 6 (six) children – Amy L Davies aged 14, Robert Davies aged 12, John Davies aged 10, Allen Davies aged 8, Alice Davies aged 4 and Florence Davies aged 2 years.
The family at some stage moved to North Wales. The 1911 Census shows them living at 25 Water Street, Rhyl, Flintshire. They moved house again soon after to 1 From Hyfryd, Abergele, Denbighshire.
Allen was no longer living at the family home. He was employed as an Agricultural Worker and lived and worked at Tyn y Caeau Farm, Betts-yn-Rhos, Denbighshire.
In 1912 he enlisted at Wrexham Hightown Barracks as a Regular Soldier with 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
On Wednesday 7 October 1914, he with other members of 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers arrived in Zeebrugge, Belgium on board the troopship Winifredian. Within three weeks the Battalion would all but cease to exist, and over 900 of the nearly 1000 men on the Winifredian would be dead, wounded or missing.
On Wednesday 14 October 1914, the Battalion arrived in Ypres and were ordered into the line at Zonnebeke before moving to Dadizele on 19 October 1914 and engaging the Germans for the first time, in what is known as the First Battle of Ypres.
As dawn broke on Friday 30 October 1914, the Germans attacked the trenches and as the day went on the battalion already a shadow of its original self was effectively decimated. Before this, however, the Welsh Fusiliers gallant resistance had come to an end. The Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Cadogan, his Adjutant Captain Dooner and the great majority of the officers and men of the battalion were killed.
Amongst the casualties was Private Allen Davies. His death was not confirmed for some time and when news came through to his parents that their other son, John Davies 2nd Cheshire Regiment had been killed in action, Allen was still officially listed as Missing in Action. His body was recovered after the war and identified by means of his identification disc. He was exhumed and reburied at Hooge Crater Cemetery on 21 May 1919. Also exhumed at this location and reburied alongside him at Hooge Crater were Lieutenant Colonel Cadogan and Captain Dooner.
Photograph of the headstone at Hooge Crater Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium of Private Allen Davies’s grave.
Hooge Crater Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
On 6 April 1916, a payment of £8.12s.1d was made by the War Office to John Davies, this being monies owed to his son Allen. On 24 July 1919, a further payment which is recorded as a War Gratuity of £5.0s.0d was also made to him.
Allen’s brother Private 9094 John Davies 2nd Cheshire Regiment is also remembered on the Rhyl War Memorial and Abergele War Memorial.
He is also remembered on The North Wales Heroes Memorial Arch, Deiniol Road, Bangor, North Wales and on a Remembrance Plaque at The Royal Alexandra Hospital, Marine Drive, Rhyl, Flintshire.
There is a Flintshire Roll of Honour Card for Allen Davies at the County Archives Office, Hawarden, which contains very little information.