Private 514507 Arthur Davies
Died of Wounds on Wednesday, 11th April 1917, age 28.
Buried in Grave VIII A. 14. at Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery, Saulty, Pas De Calais, France.
1st/14th Bn., County of London Battalion TF (London Scottish). 168th Brigade of 56th Division.
Formerly 8769 1/14th London Regiment (London Scottish).
Son of Mary Hannah Davies, of 22, Wellington Rd., Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Tipton, Resident: Tipton.
First landed France & Flanders, 31st January 1917.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives survived and transcribed.
Commemorated on the Tipton Library Memorial.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.
Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/90995/
Genealogical Data
1901 Census
17 Keelinge Street, Tipton, Staffs.
William Davies (36, Iron Moulder, born Tipton), his wife Mary Hannah (35, born Tipton), and their 5 children: William (16, Tailor's Office Boy, born Tipton), Maud (14, born Tipton), Arthur (12, born Tipton), Bertha (10, born Tipton), and Alfred (6, born Tipton).
1911 Census
22 Wellington Road, Tipton, Staffs.
Mary Hannah Davies (44, Head, born Tipton), and 5 of her 6 children: William Samuel (26, Clerk for Woolen Merchants, born Tipton), Arthur (22, Clerk in Engineering Firm, born Tipton), Bertha (20, Machinist in Clothing Factory, born Tipton), Alfred (16, born Tipton), and Dorothy Gertrude (9, born Tipton).
Personal Data
There are 2 Tipton casualties named A Davies. One of them is correctly commemorated on the Tipton Library Memorial, the other was mis-spelt as A Davis.
Arthur attested in Tipton on 30th August 1916, he was a single man aged 27 years and employed as a Commercial Clerk. He was 5 feet 6½ inches tall with a 35½-inch chest, weighed 140 pounds, had perfect eyesight and his physical development was described as 'good'. His next of kin was his mother, Mary Ann Davies living at 22 Wellington Road, Tipton. His brother Alfred was already serving in Palestine.
It was 11th November 1916 before he was required to report to the army, and was allocated to the 1/14th Battalion London Regiment (London Scottish). He received just 10 weeks training before he first landed in France on 31st January 1917.
Action resulting in his death
The Battle of Arras commenced on Easter Monday, 9th April 1917, in snow. The 1/14th London Regiment (London Scottish) were part of 168th Brigade of the 56th (London) Division detailed to attack Neuville Vitasse. The London Scottish were not in the leading wave which by midday had taken the village of Neuville Vitasse and a section of the Hindenburg line to its east.
The London Scottish attack started at 12.10 pm and, after passing through the first wave, was soon engaged in some lively fighting which lasted two hours. They killed a number of the enemy, captured 100 of them and one machine gun, and overran the mass of trenches by 1,000yds. On their right 167th Brigade had not progressed so well, and the London Scottish flank was therefore unprotected. The London Scottish were then withdrawn having had 19 men killed, and did not re-join the attack until the following day.
On the 9th April Arthur suffered a gun shot wound to his chest and was evacuated through the Casualty Clearing chain. On the next day he arrived at No. 43 Casualty Clearing Station at Saulty, 15 miles south west of Arras, but died from his wounds on the 11th April. He is buried at Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery, adjacent to the Casualty Clearing Station.
Newspaper Cuttings
Tipton Herald 19th May 1917
Casualties
Pte A Davies (Tipton) of the London Regiment died of wounds.