Auction Catalogue

19 September 2003

Starting at 11:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

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Lot

№ 1120

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19 September 2003

Hammer Price:
£880

Three: Lieutenant J. W. F. M. Davis, South Wales Borderers, killed in action at Givenchy on 17 January 1915

1914 Star (2. Lieut., S. Wales Bord.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut.); together with memorial plaque (James Waldon Fortune McNaught Davis) this contained in card packet of issue, extremely fine (4) £600-700

The following is extracted from The Bond of Sacrifice, Volume II: ‘Lieutenant Jim Walden Fortune McNaught Davis, 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers, was born at Farndon, Newark-on-Trent, on the 23rd February 1893, and was the son of John McNaught Davis. This gentleman, who was himself for twenty eight years in the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, had at one time no fewer than nine sons, all serving at one time in various regiments.

... Lieutenant Davis was educated at Worksop College, where he was Captain of the school for three years, and at St. Catherine’s College, Cambridge. He was for eight years in the Officer’s Training Corps at Worksop College, and was a Lieutenant in the Cambridge University Corps. At Cambridge he beat the Oxford candidate two years running in the light-weight boxing competition, taking his half Blue, and held the University Cup.

He was gazetted to the South Wales Borderers in August 1914, and was antedated six months, becoming Lieutenant on the 1st January 1915, he was shot through the arm and lungs, and died in half an hour. His last words were “Good old doctor, sorry to trouble you!”