Herbert Davies — Portrait Of Pembridge

Herbert Davies, Private, 1st Battalion Herefordshire Regiment

For those who had known Herbert Davies, when they woke up one morning in late July 1918 and read their newspapers, if they had had a suspension of disbelief it would have been fleeting for they would have known that the soldier reported as killed in action in the newspaper was not W. H. Davies but their friend/acquaintance, Herbert Davies, the “nephew” of Mr. Simpson of West Street, Pembridge.

In the image below, a newspaper report describes “Pte. W. H. Davies” as the “nephew of Mr. Simpson, West Street, Pembridge.

Surviving records do not accord with this.

In the 1901 census, Herbert Davies, aged 9, is recorded as being born in Eardisland and residing at Bridge Street, Pembridge with his aunt, Eliza Simpson, aged 66, and a young boarder, Mary Lloyd, aged 8. The three of them lived in a house of six rooms. Under “profession/occupation Eliza Simpson is described as “navigator’s wife” and “worker”. The term “navvy” is derived from navigator and this term was subsequently adopted for manual labourers working on railways.

Of note, Eliza Simpson seems to be of a very elderly age to be the aunt of a nine-year-old.

The 1911 census states that William Simpson, aged 77, retired railway worker, and his wife, Eliza Simpson, also, aged 77 were residing in a six room house at West Street, Pembridge. So, the “W. H. Davies” in the newspaper cutting above, that is described as “the nephew of Mr Simpson, West Street, Pembridge”, is in fact Herbert Thomas Davies. Further, there is no W. H. Davies, Herefordshire Regiment, in the Commonwealth War Grave Commission register who died on “July 23rd 1918, only a Herbert Thomas Davies of that same regiment. And to cap it, below is an IWM image with “WE REMEMBER HERBERT THOMAS DAVIES” attached to it. Except for the initials, it’s identical to the picture above of W. H. Davies.

(2)

Interestingly, the 1911 census states that the only other person residing with William and Eliza Simpson in West Street, Pembridge is Annie Wall, a grand-daughter aged 12.

In the 1871 census, William and Eliza Simpson are registered at Dilwyn. They have one son, William and two daughters. Ten years later and still residing at Dilwyn, another son and daughter have been born. The daughter is christened Annie. In 1895, she will marry George James Wall and they will have a daughter, also, named Annie who is the Annie Wall residing with George and Eliza Simpson in West Street, Pembridge in 1911.

Eliza married William Simpson in 1858 in Eardisland. Her maiden name was Davies. In the 1901 census, Herbert Davies is described as a nephew of Eliza but it is more likely that he was a great nephew.

The trail goes cold regarding the whereabouts of Herbert Davies in the 1911 census.

Sometime between December 1915 and January 1916, he enlists in the Herefordshire Regiment in the 2nd/1st or 3rd/1st Battalion under the Lord Derby Scheme -

“By mid-1915, the war was lasting longer than had been anticipated and the British military required more recruits; Derby's Scheme was a survey to determine how many could be obtained, via the use of appointed canvassers visiting eligible men at home to persuade them to 'volunteer' for war service.

Every eligible man, aged 18 to 41, who was not in a "starred" (essential) occupation was required to make a public declaration of whether he would enlist immediately or defer his service to a later date, to appear when called. Many canvassers were experienced in politics, though discharged veterans and the fathers of serving soldiers proved the most effective, while some just used threats to persuade. Although women were not allowed to canvas, they did contribute by tracking men who had moved address.

Each man would be given a copy of a letter from the Earl of Derby, explaining the programme and rather dramatically stating that they were in "a country fighting, as ours is, for its very existence". Faced with the canvasser, each man had to say whether or not he would attest to join the forces; no one was permitted to speak for him. The scheme was undertaken during November and December 1915 and obtained 318,553 medically fit single men.” (Wikipedia)

Above photo: Derby Scheme poster of November 1915 (WIkipedia)

“The 2nd (Herefordshire) Battalion was formed on August 22nd 1914 and at that time comprised the small Hereford staff and the hundreds of volunteers that had enlisted. As things settled down many of these volunteers were transferred to the 1st Battalion and men who were unfit or who had not signed the Imperial Service obligation were transferred from the 1st Battalion to the 2nd.

The 3rd/1st (Herefordshire) Battalion was formed in Autumn 1914 to handle the large number of volunteers. It became the Depot & Training Battalion for the Regiment, training new recruits and receiving soldiers returning to fitness after wounds and sickness before posting them to an operational unit.” (3) who

Above photo: Training for war (IWM)

As things settled down many of these men from 2nd and 3rd (Herefordshire) Battalion were transferred as reinforcements to the 1st Battalion and other operational units.” (4)

“With stalemate on the Western Front, it was hoped to divert German forces to the east by a campaign in Palestine. Jerusalem was the ultimate objective. The Sinai Desert was crossed, but an enemy defensive line near Gaza blocked the way to Jerusalem. This was attacked in March (1st Battle of Gaza), the regiment (1st Herefordshire Regiment) suffering many wounded and dead. “Poor leadership meant that the Turks were not overcome on the first day, as they might easily have been.” (5)

The following would have been a fairly accurate account of what Herbert Davies would have experienced in Palestine.

In June 1917, Herbert Davies, after completing his training, was sent to Egypt to join up with 1st Battalion Herefordshire Regiment, 158th Brigade, 53rd Welsh Division.

“With the 2nd Battle of Gaza in April 1917, again having failed, a third attempt was made to capture the city in November 1917. The Herefordshire Regiment, as part of 53rd Division, played a part in this 3rd Battle of Gaza as they had also done in the previous two battles to capture the city.

The battle began as a feint to divert enemy forces to Gaza. The EEF (Egypt Expeditionary Force) bombarded the Ottoman garrison for 6 days. Then it deployed three infantry divisions to fool the Turks into believing that another frontal attack was imminent. The real effort was made at Beersheba, on the eastern extremity of the Ottoman defences.

In 1917, Beersheba (Be'er Sheva in current day Israel) was a heavily fortified town 43km from the Turkish strong-point of Gaza. It was on the right flank of an Ottoman defensive line that stretched back to the Mediterranean coast and became the scene of the historic charge by the 4th Australian Light Horse Brigade on 31 October 1917.

The Allies launched their attack at dawn on 31 October, but by late afternoon British forces had made little headway toward the town — and its much-needed wells.

Above photo: Turkish machine gunners at Beersheba, 31 October 1917 (NAM)

General Harry Chauvel, commander of the Desert Mounted Corps, ordered the 4th Light Horse Brigade, under Brigadier William Grant, forward in an attempt to secure the position. Grant ordered the light horsemen of the 4th and 12th Regiments to charge the Turkish trenches. Using their long bayonets as 'swords', the momentum of the Light Horse charge carried them through the Turkish defences.

The water supplies were saved. Over 1000 Turks were taken as prisoners of war.” (6)

Above photo: 12th Light Horse Regiment watering horses at Beersheba (WIkipedia)

The Allies capture of Beersheba allowed the British and dominion forces to outflank and roll-up the Turkish defensive line”

Above photo: Burying Turkish dead at Beersheba (NAM)

A war diary written by Major Yates 1st Battalion, Herefordshire Regiment describes the Battle of Khuweilfeh (1st - 6th November 1917) which directly followed the Battle of Beersheba.

“Maj Yates - diary PALESTINE – 1917 I did not rejoin the Battalion until after Beersheba was taken, in which attack the 53rd Div held the left flank against a possible counter attack. On arrival at Harm, the railhead of the Beersheba Force, I was put in charge of the Div Reinforcements (about 1000 men and 50 camels) and marched the first day to Beersheba and the second day up to the Div that had been attacking Khuweilfeh (we got machine gunned by 2 planes on the way but luckily got away with only one man being hit). I joined the Battalion on 8th Nov 1917 and the battle of Khuweilfeh was just over the ground before the dead were buried. This was probably the fiercist fight the Herefords ever put up. The Turks had rushed across all their reserve and most of their centre to try to hold off the enveloping movement of the Beersheba Force and units of no less than 4 Divs were identified on the front of the 53 Div. The Turks had taken up a commanding position on a range of hills running north and south and protecting the wells at Khuweilfeh. It was decided to attack them and the Herefords were allotted a front to 1,000 yards on the extreme right with the exception of the Australian Camel Corps which were withdrawn during the course of the battle. The attack was delivered at night and the formation was 4 companies in line in column of platoons extended. Only a 4 minute bombardment was allowed and then the assault was delivered with rifles unloaded.

Above photo: Guns of the Inverness Royal Horse Artillery in action against Tel el Khuweilfe on 2 November (Wikipedia)

It was completely successful the enemy had no time to recover before our men were on the position. They pushed on through the jumble of hills that made keeping touch and direction difficult. It was when the enemy counter attacks were delivered that the fighting became bitter. Lt Peake and a party of men and a few 6 RWF (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) pushed forward and rushed 9 guns at the foot of the hills and bayonetted the gunners. Unfortunately the CO of the 7 RWF mistook then for Turks and had our guns open up on to them. The fire was very accurate and very few of our men got away. The Turks then got the guns away. Machine guns caused a lot of trouble all the next day. It was impossible to advance and our men had to hang on grimly, picked up by the machine guns if they moved. During the advance on the first night there was a tendency to bear to the left and that left a hill on the extreme right unoccupied. Afterwards I found a machine gun put on the reverse slope of this hill knee deep in cartridge cases. An officer of the 6 RWF (on the left of the Herefords) told me that from his position he could see about 100 Turks advancing against a position held by about 15 Herefords who were unaware of it and owing to the distance they could not be warned. It was apparent that our men would be wiped out and my informant said he immediately took steps to protect his own flank as a result. When the Turks were within a few yards the little party saw them and without an instants hesitation jumped up and went for them with the bayonet and drove them back. After 24 hours fighting the enemy retreated leaving us the coveted wells – very precious wells as the animals had had to be sent back 12 miles to Beersheba to water after being 72 hours without water. (7)

“The attacks undermined the security of Gaza, which fell to the Allies on 7 November 1917 with little resistance from Ottoman forces.

Above photo: The dead bodies of two Turkish soldiers lie on the ground after they had been killed unsuccessfully defending Khuweilfeh and its wells against the 53rd Division of the British Army and the Australians of the 3rd Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps Brigade (AWM)

The success in the third battle of Gaza allowed the EEF to advance further into Palestine for another month before the Ottomans could regroup. In that time, EEF units under the command of General Allenby captured the port of Jaffa, most of southern Judea and, on 9 December 1917, the city of Jerusalem.” (8)

Above photo: General Allenby's formal entry on foot to Jerusalem (IWM)

Sergeant Colley, 1st Battalion, Herefordshire Regiment described his regiment’s march into the captured city -

“For the first 2 days the march was excellent and then we had the first sample of the winter rain of Southern Palestine. It rained unceasingly for 4 days and nights, and each night we bivouaced in a ploughed field, the mud and water being very depressing. The road was one continual stream of mud. We were drenched but after passing through Bethlehem, we caught our fist glimpse of the Golden City, which had the effect of cheering us up a little. We marched through the outskirts of Jerusalem, watched and perhaps amused by the inhabitants of many nationalities. They all appeared half starved but obviously pleased that the Turkish occupation had come to an end. Contrary to expectations we were not billeted in buildings and everyone was fed up, especially seeing that we were drenched through and had been for days, and also seeing that there were many vacant buildings about.” (9)

By June 1918, the 1st Battalion, Herefordshire Regiment had departed Palestine for the Western Front “to counter the still extant threat from the German Spring Offensive” (10). It was to become part of 102 Brigade, 34 Division which had suffered heavy losses during The Battle Of The Lys and which had been withdrawn from fighting and moved to the area west of Poperinghe.

The following details the actions of the 1st Herefordshire Regiment from 21st July to 23rd July, 1918 which was the day that Herbert Davies was killed in action.

“On the 18 Jul, 10 (French) Army had attacked north of Soissons, and driven the enemy back some five miles, taking many prisoners and guns. 34 Div was to take part in the exploitation of this victory.

Above photo: 16th Infantry Regiment digging in north of Chaudun, 18th July, 1918 (Wikipedia)

On the 21st orders were received to relieve the 38 French Div in the line opposite Hartennes-et-Taux the next day, and before this was commenced came orders to take part in an attack early on the following day, 23 Jul.

Above photo: Hartennes-et-Taux, today (Wikipedia)

Under the most favourable circumstances this would have been difficult for any troops, but for a newly constituted division, composed, as regards infantry, of troops which had not yet been in action in France, and which had just completed a trying move by rail, bus and route march, it was a very severe test. There was no time for reconnaissance. The country was entirely new; there were no organised trench systems on either side. The enemy's positions were never accurately known till they had been captured. To all these difficulties there were added those inseparable from acting for the first time with foreign troops.” (12)

Here is an account by an NCO of 1st Battalion, Herefordshire Regiment writing of the events leading up to Herbert Davies’s death.

“Sgt Colley “Eventually we arrived near the Ypres section, being met by the new BGC who was wearing 2 wound stripes – which caused us to arrive at many conclusions as to what was in front of us. We commenced a musketry course and were inspected by Gen Plumer, who let us off very lightly, and did not frighten us too much, as to what was in front of us. Suddenly, one day however came the order to move; mysterious places were mentioned; even after we had entrained no one appeared to know quite where we were going.

Above photo: Sergeant Colley (13)

We travelled for more than 24 hours passing to the south of Paris, arriving at our destination at night and immediately set out on a 14 mile march. Great was our satisfaction when we eventually arrived at our final destination weary, tired but happy to discover that we were to go into good billets – but only for a day or so as a long line of motor lorries came to take us on the final stage of our journey. Gen Foch had now commenced his great counter strokes in the Soissons sector and on Jul 23 the Herefords went into action near Percy Tigny. Few who were there and live will ever forget that advance through the corn field. We experienced our first taste of gas shells and suffered heavily from this cause.” (14)

Another sergeant in the 1st Herefordshire Regiment, Sergeant Pugh wrote -

‘Sgt Pugh Inspected by General Plumer, commanding 2nd Army marched for 15 miles after several hours in a train, first British (or other) troops seen by the inhabitants. We left there on a Friday for a place near Crecy(?), the Battalion being taken by motors, all French with French drivers, and then we had a 17 kilometre march to Longport where we arrived at 7 o clock on a Sunday morning and were later relieved by the Americans. When we were there we heard the rumour several times that gas was coming, and we had to put on our masks.

At this place we stayed in a wood and it was there we had to put on our masks and we were also bombarded. Our fellows bombardment putting up a barrage and one morning, a Monday, at 8 o clock we left for the attack. We kept going on a bit at a time, and were attacking on the Tuesday and Wednesday and were still in the line on the Thursday and under heavy fire. It was the same on Friday, and it was then raining in torrents. We had been fighting in the woods, firing from trenches, but the artillery did most. This was part of the attack at Soissons.” (15)

Above photo: American heavy artillery at Soissons, July 1918 (Wikipedia)

It was on the above-mentioned Tuesday that Herbert Davies was killed. In the “WW1, Daily reports: Missing, Dead and Wounded 1914-1918, it states in relation to Herbert Davies’s death - “Previously reported wounded, now reported killed”.

George Hicks and George Lilwall, both also of the 1st Herefordshire Regiment, died on the same day and in the same location as Herbert Davies.

Herbert Davies is buried at Raperie British Cemetery, Villemontoire.

Above photo: Raperie British Cemetery, Villemontoire (CWGC)

In the “UK, Army Registers of Soldiers Effects”, it states that Herbert Davies left the sum of £25 10s 8d to Annie Wall, more likely his aunt, Annie Wall (nee Simpson) as opposed to her daughter with the same name, now aged 19 and the grand-daughter of William and Eliza Simpson.

By 1901, six years after Annie Simpson had married George James Wall, she was a widow residing in East Street, Pembridge with three daughters and one son all aged between 2 and 5. Her occupation in the census of that year, is housekeeper.

By 1911, Annie Simpson is residing in a three bedroom dwelling in East Street, in possibly the same residence as in the 1901 census but now only with her youngest child, Harold, aged 12. We know that Annie Wall’s parents, William and Eliza Simpson were taking care of their grand-daughter, Annie, so it is quite possible, given that the other two daughters would have been between 14 and 16 years old that they, also, had been farmed out to relatives to look after.

In the “Soldiers That Died In The Great War”, it states that Herbert Davies was the nephew of Mrs A. Cook of Bircher Common, Herefordshire. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission certificate pertaining to Herbert Davies also states the same. So, it is possible that Annie Simpson had remarried. Eliza Simpson had died in 1914 and, although there are no records to substantiate this, it is quite possible that William Simpson had also died before Herbert Davies’s death. Therefore, the next closest relative to Herbert Davies at the time of his death would have been his aunt who now went by the name of Mrs A. Cook.

Rory MacColl

Sources

1/ https://herefordshirelightinfantrymuseum.com/uploads/1918-july.pdf

2/ https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1118106

3/ https://herefordshirelightinfantrymuseum.com/wars/wwi/

4/ https://herefordshirelightinfantrymuseum.com/wars/wwi/

5/ http://www.ewyaslacy.org.uk/-/The-Herefordshire-Regiment-in-the-First-World-War/1914-18/nw_gdv_0002

6/ https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/where-australians-served/sinai-and-palestine

7 https://herefordshirelightinfantrymuseum.com/uploads/1917-nov.pdf

8/ https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/where-australians-served/sinai-and-palestine

9/ https://herefordshirelightinfantrymuseum.com/uploads/1917-nov.pdf

10/ https://herefordshirelightinfantrymuseum.com/wars/wwi/