British and World Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private P. O. Davies, 25th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, who was subjected to brutal treatment as a P.O.W., the subject of an official report on his return home after the War

1914-15 Star (1909 Pte., 25/Bn. A.I.F.); British War and Victory Medals (1909 Pte., 25 Bn. A.I.F.), together with a “Returned Badge”, the reverse numbered ‘139139’, and a gilt and enamelled Masonic neck badge, good very fine (5)
£250-300

Phillip Oswald Davies, a miner from Many Peaks, Gladstone, Queensland, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in June 1915 and was embarked with the 25th Battalion in H.M.A.T. Kyarra in that August. Having then seen brief service in Gallipoli in December, he was embarked for France - via Egypt - in early 1916. And it was here, in heavy fighting at Pozieres in late July, that he was taken prisoner, his account of the action stating:

‘At midnight on 29 July 1916, we launched an attack with artillery preparation. We met heavy machine-gun resistance. There were only small openings in the German wire and these were covered by machine-gun fire. When we reached the wire we were forced to take cover in a shell-hole. The night was dark and misty. We were surrounded by a large number of Germans and were attacked and overpowered by them from our rear ... ’

Thus commenced his time as a P.O.W., originally at Gefangenenlager, Wahn, Germany, a chapter that led to him submitting a full report to the authorities on his repatriation, from which the following extract had been taken:

‘On one occasion, when they tried to force me to do more than my physical strength would allow (by assaulting me), I returned one of the blows with my fist. A German, named Link, had me arrested and taken to a guard room where I was given a severe thrashing with the butt end of a rifle. When they broke the rifle they made me black and blue from blows with the barrel. Later, a court of enquiry was held at the instigation of the Controller. The finding of the court was three weeks in close confinement at Limburg. I have in my possession a copy of the evidence taken at that court on 2 May 1917. Four months later, when working in the same mines, I was again very brutally treated for refusing to work without food ... ’