Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private E. Davies, 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment), who was reported missing after the action at Wasmes on 24 August 1914; re-joining his regiment on 3 November he was killed in action during the First Battle of Ypres on 11 November 1914

1914 Star, with copy clasp (7305 Pte. E. Davies. 2/W. Rid: R.); British War and Victory Medals (7305 Pte. E. Davies. W. Rid. R.) nearly extremely fine (3) £240-£280

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals.

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Enoch Davies was born in Hull, Yorkshire in 1883 and attested for the West Riding Regiment at Halifax on 27 November 1902. He served in India February 1904 to November 1905 and transferred to the Army Reserve on the expiration of his period of Army Service on 30 November 1905. Following the outbreak of the Great War, he was mobilised from the Reserve at Halifax on 5 August 1914 and posted to the 2nd Battalion, disembarking with them at Havre, France on 15 August.

Billeted in the market place at Hornu on the night of the 22 August, Davies’ battalion moved forward the following day and fought at the Battle of Mons on the British Expeditionary Force’s first main day of fighting. Deployed along the canal at St. Ghislain, the battalion’s rifle fire took a terrible toll on the advancing Germans, as testified to by Lieutenant Ince:
‘I think it was about 8 or 8.30 p.m., when at about 500 yards we saw a German company in fours marching down a road on our right flank towards the British positions. We immediately opened fifteen rounds rapid into them, together with one of our Vickers guns. We practically wiped out the German company, though they did the only thing they could do, that was to extend and immediately open fire on us. Most of them were either killed or wounded, and a few retired rapidly. Our casualties were unfortunately two killed and one or two slightly wounded.’

And also by Lieutenant O’Kelly:
‘About an hour later (3 o’clock afternoon) we saw the enemy advancing in a great mass several hundreds strong, while we were about 50 only. We opened rapid fire and did terrible damage, the enemy’s front ranks falling fast, but always filling up. Each man must have fired some hundreds of rounds that evening.’

That night the battalion withdrew via Hornu to Wasmes where they came under heavy shell fire at daybreak, followed by an infantry assault later in the morning by German III Corps who advanced in columns and were ‘mown down like grass’ by British rifle fire and machine-gun fire. The 2nd West Riding Regiment together with other battalions of the 13th Brigade then held off repeated German attacks on the village of Wasmes, incurring heavy casualties of their own, and then retreated in good order to St. Vaast around midday.

Brigadier-General C. D. Bruce, C.B.E. records in the regimental history a number of first hand accounts from those present at Wasmes; one survivor, a Corporal in C Company describes how Lieutenant Russell’s No. 12 Platoon of C Company met their end:
‘The Germans were all round his front, right, and rear, and at very close quarters. More Germans were advancing across the cornfield in which the platoon was situated, carrying stacks of corn as shields in front of them. Mr. Russell and his platoon were all firing the ‘mad minute’ with their bayonets fixed. I saw the Germans charge the platoon, who fought to the last with the bayonet, and were all either killed or wounded. The Germans were piled in heaps all around them. All our officers were either killed or wounded.’

Private Davies was reported missing after the fighting at Wasmes on 24 August but he rejoined his regiment on 3 November 1914 just as they moved to billets near Dranoutre. Having moved through Ypres on 5 November, the 2nd West Riding Regiment were then engaged in a fierce attack near Hermitage Chateau to regain lost trenches before moving to new positions at the Veldoek Chateau on 10 November - the woods of these two old estates being separated by the Ypres-Menin Road.

The enemy then attacked in force the following morning at about 8am; Major E. G. Harrison kept a diary which noted:
‘Exceptionally heavy shelling started 7 a.m., practically all shrapnel, covering the whole position from the firing line to the reserves, continuing the bombardment till 8 a.m., when it abated. At this time a message came to me by an orderly from Lieut. R. O. D. Carey, saying, “Am very hard pressed but will hang on as long as possible.” I then advanced with the remainder of my force. We found the Germans had advanced past the Veldoek Chateau, but we managed to repulse them, gaining back the ground, being nearly as far as our old firing line, which Lieut. R. O. D. Carey with D Company had been driven out of. We could have actually regained these trenches if the troops on the right and left of us had been up.’

Private Davies was reported missing after the day’s action which had caused the battalion over 300 casualties. He was later confirmed to have been killed on or since that date. He was the son of Harriet Davies and the husband of Sarah Davies and having no known grave is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.