Early Life :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

9 April - 16 June 1917. The Arras Offensive consisted of a series of linked attacks starting with the Anglo Canadian assault on the dominant Vimy Ridge feature through the battles in the Scarpe River valley and up to the assaults on the Hindenburg line in the summer of 1917.

Detail :

It is strange that someone from Hove should be initiated into Freemasonry at Rhyl, but it was not uncommon for The Welsh Regiment to recruit from far and wide, with their volunteers ending up in Rhyl for training. As James is in receipt of the 1915 Star, he was most likely volunteered early in the war being and was in Rhyl by the start of the year, initiated on the 15th January 1915 and then went out to France upon completion, explaining why he did not take any higher degrees.

"D" Coy. 10th Battalion, Welsh Regiment. His medal card shows that he "DofW 9.2.16", Died of Wounds. His file is archived at Kew under Reference: WO 339/20020

The news of his death was reported in the Newcastle Journal on 18th February 1916 and the Sussex Agricultural Express on 25th February 1916: "Captain James Gordon Davies (10/1st Rhondda), the Welsh Regiment, killed in France on February 9th, was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Davies, of "Gwynnecote," Hove Park, Hove and late of Sanderstead Hill, Surrey."

The Western Mail 16th February 1916 provides more detail and the portrait image: "THREE WELSH OFFCICERS. - RHONDDA AND LONDON WELSH BATTALIONS. - Fifty-six officer and 664 of the rank and file appeared in the casualty lists issue by the War Office on Tuesday night, as follows:- Dead: Officers 20 Other Ranks 178. Wounded and missing: Officers 36 Other Ranks 486.
News has been received at Rhyl that Captain J. Gordon Davies, officer commanding D Company of the 10th (1st Rhondda) Battalion Welsh Regiment, has been killed by a sniper's bullet. Particulars of the gallant officer's career will be found below.

CAPTAIN GORDON DAVIES - POPULAR OFFICER KILLED IN ACTION. News has reached Rhyl of the death at the front by a sniper's bullet of Captain J. Gordon Davies, officer commanding D Company of the 10th (1st Rhondda) Battalion Welsh Regiment. He belonged to Bright and was senior officer of his company, having received his commission in August, 1914, and promoted captain in August last. Captain Davies, who was a most popular officer, joined the battalion at Codford Camp. He was a Cambridge graduate, and an all round athlete, being the heavy-weight champion boxer of the Western Command. But for the war he would have entered the Church, and he intended doing so when hostilities ceased. Captain Davies was described the commanding officer (Colonel Gifford) as "one of the finest officers that ever joined the colours," and he was simply worshipped by his men. His battle for the heavy-weight boxing championship at the Western Command Boxing Tourney in Liverpool last July will long be remembered by those who saw it. Captain Huntington, the Army and Navy middle-weight champion, entered in the higher weights, and the pair fought out a final with bull-dog courage. It was a case of the survival of the fittest, and Captain Davies, amidst encouraging cheering, just outlasted his friendly, but keen, rival, and gained a narrow victory.



Probate:DAVIES Jame Gordon of 46 Hove Park-villas Hove Sussex captain Welsh regiment died 9 February 1916 in France Administration Lewes 21 July to James John Davies gentleman. Effect £112 5s. 9d.

For his service he was posthumously awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Masonic :

When James was initiated into Caradoc Lodge No. 1674, at Rhyl early 1915 he was resident at Hove and had no employment ("None"). He didn't elevate past Entered Apprentice and his short masonic career is punctuated in the contribution record with the final annotation of "Killed in Action Feby 1916."

Source :

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

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley