Private
Eric Harry Lucas DAVIDSON
Infantry
Died: 27th August 1918 - Age: 31

Commemorated:

1. Grave:A.I.F. Burial GroundXI.L.4 Flers
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.120
3. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour4B GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

 

Family :

Son of the late Louis Davidson, of Borlases, Twyford, Berks. Recorded as a Gentlemen (1911) living at 9 Oxford Square, West London.

Father: Louis Meyer Davidson
Mother: Amelia Rachel Lucas
Brother: Nathaniel Louis Lucas Davidson
Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Council cite: "Eric Harry Lucas Davidson was born in Brighton in 1886 the son of Louis Davidson and his wife Amelia. His father was described as a Brazilian Merchant in the 1901 census: he lived in Hove, near Brighton, but was born in London St Pancras. His wife came from Manchester. His job title implies the import of foodstuff or perhaps raw materials. In 1911 Louis returned to his roots and lived at Oxford Square, Hyde Park, London, in a house consisting of 19 rooms and employed 7 servants – he is described as a Merchant but is now a widower. By this time Eric was aged 25, single, and employed in his father’s business – he therefore came from a very wealthy background. In the Commonwealth War Graves records his father is recorded as the late Louis Davidson of Borlases, Twyford, Berks, so by the end of the war both his parents were dead, although he did have a brother. Borlases is the big house almost in sight of the War Memorial at Waltham St Lawrence, so this was his father’s country retreat from about 1908. In the 1928 Kelly’s Directory, Captain Nathaniel Davidson, who was Eric’s elder brother, was in residence at the house, so Nathaniel also served in the armed forces, and was in fact on the executive committee that organised the erection of the village war memorial."

Education & Career :

He was educated at Clifton College in the famous Jewish boarding House Polack's.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 28th Battalion London Regiment (Artists' Rifles) 

1/28th (County of London) Battalion (Artist's Rifles) August 1914 : at Dukes Road, Euston Road. Army Troops attached to 2nd London Division. Moved on mobilisation to St Albans area. 28 October 1914 : left Division and moved to France. Established as an Officers Training Corps based at Bailleul, going in April 1915 to St Omer. 28 June 1917 : transferred to 190th Brigade in 63rd (Royal Naval) Division.

Action : The Second Battles of the Somme 1918 

21 August - 3 September 1918. Following the success at Amiens which Ludendorf described as "the black day for the German army" the conditions were right for the advance to be continued over the old Somme battlefield. Astonishingly the battlefield was crossed in 10 days, compared with the four months of the first battle. The Germans were pushed back towards the Hindenburg Line defences.

Detail :

Eric signed up in London at the start of the war and entered the conflict in France in February 1915. He served in the London Regiment (Artists Rifles) 28th Battalion as a Private and was killed in action on the Somme on 27th August 1918.

Reading Mercury 21st September 1918 " DAVIDSON.-"Killed in action, on August 27th, Eric Harry Lucas Davidson, second son of the late Louis Davidson, of 9, Oxford Square, W., and only
brother of Captain Davidson of Borlases, Twyford, Berks."

He is commemorated at Flers where he has a Jewish headstone. See also: TWGPP.

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Cadogan No. 162 E.C.London

Initiated
Passed
Raised
21st November 1911
19th December 1911
29th February 1912
 

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2020-12-17 08:42:00