Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

04/04/1916

Date of Discharge

26/08/1919

Place of Enlistment

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

31/10/1894

Place of Birth

Ballarat, Victoria

Address (at enlistment)

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

Occupation

Soldier

Next of Kin

Thomas Henry Davies (father), Seymour Street, Ballarat, Victoria

Final Rank

Major

Final Unit

7 Field Artillery Brigade AIF

Military Cross (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No.219, 20 December 1917)
Military Cross Bar (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No.67, 3 June 1919)

Davies entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon on 12 March 1914 with the fourth intake of cadets and graduated on 3 April 1916. He embarked in May 1916 as a Lieutenant with the 33rd Battery, 9th Field Artillery Brigade, arriving in England two months later. He was posted to the 25th Battery, 7th Field Artillery Brigade (part of the 3rd Division) in France in early January 1917 and was promoted to Captain in August that year. He received the Military Cross for his work on 11/ 12 June 1917 during the Battle of Messines "for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as a forward observing officer. He worked continually in exposed positions under heavy shell fire, by his initiative and skill transmitting valuable information, later he carried out a successful reconnaissance leading and organizing a party to secure portions of enemy guns." He was awarded the Bar to the Military Cross for his work on 20 August 1918 at Clery on the Somme when his battery was operating in close support to the advancing infantry. According to the citation, Davies "directed concentration of fire of the guns as they arrived, and maintained the rate of fire until communications were opened with brigade headquarters. His energy and ability throughout ten days fighting largely contributed to the success of the operation."

Davies was wounded on 30 September 1918 but remained on duty. He was promoted to Major in October 1918 and he arrived back in Australia in July 1919. He died at Ballarat on 14 November 1956 aged 61 years.

Description - height 5 feet 5 inches, weight 136 pounds, chest 34-39 inches, Presbyterian.

Colonel J.E. Lee, 'Duntroon: The Royal Military College of Australia 1911-1946', 1952
Charles Bean, 'Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18' (Vol. VI p.829n)
AWM First World War Unit Embarkation Rolls
AWM Honours & Awards
NAA Discovering Anzacs - https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/gallery/3380
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)