Hiram Davies D.C.M.
 

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Hiram Davies was born on the 27th of January 1888 in 15 Brick Row, Maesteg, the only child of David Davies Tregolwyn, and Mary Jane Davies (nee Rees). Although Hiram shared his birthday with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, there’s no record of any musical talent, unlike his paternal grandmother. His grandmother Margaret Jervis (she married Thomas Davies in 1857), was the main singer in the concert in Tabor chapel Maesteg, on Saint David’s Day 1856, when “Mae Hen Wlad fy Nhadau” was first sang in public. The 1851 census records state that her work was a “coal tipper”.  Hiram’s father died in 1891 of TB, he was 24 years old, and Hiram was only 3 years old. Hiram’s mother remarried some years later, and Hiram was raised by his maternal grandmother Mrs Sarah Rees (nee Harries) in 3 Gwendoline Terrace, Llwydarth. Hiram was educated in Cwmfelin School, and like the majority of boys his generation he went to work in the colliery on leaving school, at Garth Celtic Colliery.
Hiram Davies - Black and white photo

At the outbreak of the War, Hiram was on his annual holidays in Blackpool. On his return, he worked for a short time as a haulier in the colliery, in order that his grandmother had enough money to support her until his return at Christmas! Hiram duly went off and enlisted with the 10th Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, Rhondda Division with his brother Illtyd on the 11th of November 1914. Hiram joined the army to help free a small country (Belgium) from the oppression of its large neighbour.

The 10th and 13th Battalions were recruited from miners in South Wales, particularly in the Rhondda Valleys by David Watts Morgan, the member of parliament for Rhondda East, who later become a Colonel in the Regiment. Watts Morgan started his recruitment campaign in the area in 1914, by calling upon the miners to enlist and fight. He was awarded the CBE for his efforts, and later the DSO for bravery in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. The 10th and 13th Battalions were put together to form the 114th Brigade, which also included the 14th Battalion (Swansea) and the 15th (Carmarthenshire). They were also part of the 38th (Welsh) Division, which were also known as the “Welsh Army” or “Lloyd George’s Army”. The Welsh Army wore the Red Dragon on the top of their left sleeve of their tunic.

For the first half of 1915 the 38th were based in North Wales, in Pwllheli and Prestatyn. For months they drilled on the sea front and marched and marched. There was little else to do: the rifles issued to them had been condemned in 1902, however there was no ammunition available. In August the division moved from North Wales to better training grounds at Winchester. The shortage of rifles and ammunition continued, however until November when the division was told to prepare for embarkation. In the last days at Winchester each man fired about 24 rounds on the ranges at Salisbury Plain and was pronounced fit for battle. Hiram left Winchester on the 2nd of December 1915, and landed in Le Havre (via Southampton) on the 3rd of December, and went in to the trenches at Richburg on December the 13th.

During his four years in the army, Hiram saw action in France and Belgium, in the Somme, Ypres, Armentier’s, Mametz Wood, and Alberts to name a few. Hiram was fortunate to live through the nightmare of the Great War, however he was gassed on three occasions in Ypres  1916, Armetier’s 1917, an Alberts 1918. Members of his family were less fortunate than him. His stepbrother Illtyd was killed in action while serving with the South Wales Borderers at the Battle of Dorain, on the 8th of May 1917, at 23 years of age. In addition his cousin Albert Rees, son of Joseph Rees former manager at the Maesteg Tinplate Works, was also killed by the fever in Selonica

 

Inside St. Martins Cathedral

After the War Hiram returned to the LLynfi Valley, and married Mary Beatrice Miles, from Tor y Fron Farm, and they lived initially in Llety Brongu where their only child David was born on the 17th of October 1929, and then in Gelli Eblig in the Darren Valley. After several years of ill health, due to the mustard gas attacks he endured during the Great War, Hiram died in Maesteg General Hospital on the 16th of June 1943. Hiram is buried alongside his father and his beloved wife Beatrice in Llangynwyd Cemetery.

13440 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 15 NOVEMBER, 1918.

 

When the advance was checked by the fire
of three machine guns he at once organized
and led a bombing party, which he skillfully
manoeuvred to within short distance of the
nest of machine guns. Shortly afterwards
the advance progressed without opposition.
His determined and gallant behavior was
worthy of very high praise.

45148 Rfn. J. Dennison, K.R.R.C. (Hull).

 

When some of our men were being driven
back by a large party of the enemy, Rfn.
Dennison and a Lance-Corporal jumped up
on the parapet of the trench and heavily
bombed the advancing enemy who became
greatly demoralised. Our troops resumed
the offensive and captured many prisoners
and machine guns. The gallant action of
this soldier and his companion undoubtedly
saved an awkward situation.

110075 Pte. G. W. Dickenson, Tank Corps
(Heworth, York.).

 

For conspicuous gallantry and skill in repairing
his Tank after it had been set on
fire, although closely surrounded by the
enemy all the time. His officer had been
killed and his first driver wounded, but he
drove the Tank through the enemy and
brought in fifty prisoners.

202739 Sjt. H. Dickinson, M.M., R. Lane.

B. (Ulverston).
For conspicuous gallantry and initiative in
an attack. He attacked an enemy machine-
gun team of six men, killing them all and
destroying the gun. Later, on reaching his
objective, he rallied and reorganised under
fire a party of men who had advanced too far
and were caught in the barrage. He showed
splendid leadership and resource throughout
the action.

275102 Pte. H. T. Dorrington, Lond. R.

 

(Brockley).
During an advance he and another man
were led by a N.C.O. to attack an enemy
machine gun which was causing many casualties.
They crawled to within ten yards of
the gun, which was firing directly at them,
and Pte. Dorrington got up and rushed the
gun, which he turned on the enemy at once.
He killed two of the crew and three prisoners
were secured. His boldness and dash were
splendid.

528464 L./Cpl. (A./2nd Cpl.) H. E. Drage,

R.E. (Brondesbury).
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to
duty. He spent the whole night under
persistent shell fire repairing the breaks in
the telephone line from brigade to battalion.
. He also with five linesmen under his charge
at a linesman's post mended lines for several
hours under heavy gas shell bombardment.
and though badly, gassed remained and

'worked the exchange single-handed after
the rest of the. men -had been 'removed to
''fcosp'ftfal'. 'He' behaved' splendidly.

. 11370 Pte. P. Duffy, Bord. R. (Ballagdeen),


For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to-
duty in a raid. He was one of the relay-
post of stretcher bearers, and under heavy
trench mortar barrage which killed the-
medical officer and others, he continued at
duty dressing the wounded. He and
another bearer .carried down a stretcher case-
and he led back a squad of bearers. It was-
due to his energy and disregard for his own.
safety that the wounded were got back without
loss of time.

16840 Pte. H. J. C. Eades, Devon. R_
(Plymouth).

In company with a non-commissioned!,
officer he was endeavouring to get touch,
with the battalion on the flank, when they
met the enemy advancing to retake the-
positions lost the day before. Pte Eadesimmedately
opened rapid fire on the enemy,
wiio became quite demoralised, and 200 of
them surrendered. The courage displayed'
by this man in the face of overwhelming:
numbers was of the finest description.

23531 L./Cpl. J. Edwards, R. Lane. R;
(Barrow -in-Furness).

 

For conspicuous gallantry and initiative in
an advance. When all his men had become-
casualties he collected some others, and>
carried out his orders, making a successful?
reconnaissance of part of the enemy's position.
On returning, he brought a captured!
trench mortar into action and fired it until,
all the ammunition was expended. He-
showed great courage and resource throughout.

31216 Pte. J. .T. Edwards, Devon. R..
(Llanelly).

F'or conspicuous gallantry and devotion to<>
duty in action. When his platoon was out,
of touch with the left he went out three times-
under very heavy machine-gun and rifle fire*
to get touch, which he eventually did. The-
information obtained by him enabled his-
platoon to maintain their positon. Later he*
went forward under heavy fire and brought-,
in -a wounded non-commissioned officer.
Throughout the day he took command of his-
section and 'showed the finest qualities of"
leadership.

43402 Pte. (L./Cpl.) W. H. Edwards,.

Suff. R. (Ely).
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to»
duty-while in charge of the brigade observers.
During; a period of open fighting he kept
brigade headquarters continually informed"
of the progress of patrols and the position of"
the enemy; he was also instrumental in
locating enemy machine guns and enabling-
the artillery to engage them. He showed'
absolute disregard of personal danger, and"
under the heaviest fire displayed the greatest-coolness
and resource.

200631 Pte. D. J. Elam, R. .Scots (Manchester).

 


For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to-
duty. He led his section splendidly in an
attack, and cleared huts held by machine*
guns: He bombed 'and rushed a post with
his section, killing an officer and five men,
and enabling his company to reach their

intense machine-gun fire. The strong point
and many prisoners were captured.

21690 dpi. H. Davies, Welsh R. (Maesteg).

The Awarding of 21690 H. Davies (Maesteg) D.C.M.
Welsh dragon memorial

My father David Davies, Hiram’s only child occasionally showed the medals to my brothers Steffan, Ffransis, Owain, my sister Mair Non and I, and we always asked “Why did they give him these medals?” My father always laughed at this question, because it was the same question he always asked his father and he answered by quoting Hiram, “For eating the bloody horrible food they gave us”.

Hiram was awarded the D.C.M. for action officially on August 27th 1918, in which he single handedly disabled a machine gun post, which slowed the Regiment’s advance in Delville Wood, or “Devils Wood” as it was nicknamed by the soldiers, which was part of the final push which ultimately led to the Armistice on the 11th of November. The Bois Delville (or d’Elville) was a tract of woodland, nearly 1 Kilometre Square, the western edge of which touched the village of Longueval in the Somme. The Wood was capture by the 9th Scottish Division between July and August 1916. The Wood was lost at the end of April 1918, and retaken by the 38th Welsh Division on the following 28th of August at the cost of 52 soldiers killed.

The book “The Welch Regiment 1914 – 1918”, records the events of the 26th,

  Y Ddraig Coch - Somme (Mametz Wood) 27th and 28th of August :

“26th of August, the 13th Welch, were ordered to advance the next day on the ridge between Delville Wood and Flers.

27th of August, At 5.15 a.m. the next morning the advance began under an artillery barrage, the 15th Welch under the command of Major E. Helme leading, the 13th Welch under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel J. Kennedy, D.S.O., M.C. in close support, and the 14th Welch under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel G.F. Brooke D.S.O., in reserve. Enemy opposition was stout, and the 13th Welch soon had to reinforce, and at 6 a.m. the 14th Welch were also drawn into the fight….. The enemy were pouring troops in to Delville Wood. Casualties had been heavy.

27th to the 29th of August – The 13th Welch cleared Delville Wood taking a few prisoners.

The 38th Division “The Welsh Army” fought up until the 4th of September when they reached the trenches in front of Nurlu and Equancourt, where they beat off a counter attack. The next night the Division was relieved.

The Division had been continuously engaged with the enemy for more than a fortnight, had driven them back for15 miles, and had suffered 1,152 casualties. Major –General T.A. Cubitt, C.M.G., D.S.O., Commanding 38th Division said on the 7th of September “the men have displayed qualities of courage…. Staying power that has never been surpassed. The reputation of the Welsh Division has never stood higher than today”.”

The official notification of the award on the 26th of September 1918 stated:

“No. 21600 Corporal HIRAM DAVIES,
                    13th Welsh Regiment.

Decoration:  - DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL.

                            - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - -  -
 
For gallantry, and initiative on 27th was temporarily checked by heavy M.G. and rifle fire, this N.C.O. at once organised a bombing party, and led them against a nest of three Machine Guns, whish he skillfully out-manouevred and bombed, killing many of the teams and causing the surrender of the remainder. This greatly helped the advance to continue.”

The London Gazette (official notification by the press of the D.C.M.) on the 15th of November 1918 stated:

“21690 Cpl. H. Davies, Welsh R. (Maesteg).
When the advance was checked by the fire of three machine guns he at once organised and led a bombing party, which he skillfully manoeuvred to within short distance of the nest of machine guns. Shortly afterwards the advance progressed without opposition. His determined and gallant behaviour was worthy of very high praise.”

The Glamorgan Gazette ran the story on the 25th of October 1918:

“Maesteg Sergeant Wins D.C.M. – The many friends of Sergt. Hiram Davies, of the 13th Welsh, will be pleased to learn of the honour which he has gained by winning the D.C.M. for bravery on the field. Sergt. Davies previously lived with his grandmother, Mrs Rees, 3 Gwendoline Terrace, Maesteg. He was employed at the Garth Celtic Colliery, and joined the colours at the outbreak of war. He was a very popular personality at Maesteg.”

However, Hiram’s story is more interesting. The following is an extract from an article that my father David Davies wrote on Hiram Davies for “Yr Hogwr” (the local Welsh language magazine), in November 1995 (translated from the original Welsh), which outlines the history of the award:

  “He eventually arrived home in 1919 a sadder, but a wiser man. My father died when I was 14 years old, and we had a very close relationship, and there is a danger perhaps of me romanticising over the father I lost. However I will try to be objective as possible in relaying the history of how my father won his medal.

The picture portrayed by my father and other witnesses, who served with him in the trenches, was different to the picture portrayed in the citation. The final push was about to start, and the Battalion was reinforced with a new batch of seventeen and eighteen year old raw recruits from the South Wales valleys, and everyone one itching to see some action. It was obvious to the men who had survived two years of war that it would be the last action these raw recruits would see once the order to attack was given. There were three machine gun posts, which were holding up the advance with their heavy fire, which was in the vicinity of where these young recruits were expected to attack.
There was nothing for it but to remove the obstacle of the machine gun posts. The citation mentions a “bombing party”. According to my father and the other soldiers who were there, he went on his own. In his opinion, an individual moving quietly had a greater chance of success.

He was missing for two days, there was a rumour that he had been killed, however he returned in time to “go over the top” with his colleagues. Many other obstacles had to be faced by the young soldiers, but as my father said, “I could face the mothers of those youngsters, and say”everything I could do for them I did”.

The two versions are an example of the comprehension of the common man and officialdom to the same situation. My father was fortunate to return after the war. His stepbrother Illtyd was less fortunate; he died in Dorain, a member of the South Wales Borderers.

Wars are traumatic events, and everyone brings heroism and suffering. It’s good that we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and we should also remember those who are still suffering as a result of war, and we should do as much as we can to ease their suffering. That is why I always wear a red poppy, in memory of my father and as a contribution towards the easing of the pain of those soldiers who are still suffering as a result of war.”

Battle of Mametz Wood July 1916.

Hiram had quite a bit of input in to the Somme campaign of July1916. On Sunday the 5th of March, Hiram was seconded to the 19th Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, or “The Pioneers”. The “Pioneers” mined under enemy lines, and set prime high explosives for detonation. This was very dangerous work, and there had been many occasions where the miners were involved in hand to hand combat with the enemy. Hiram mined in Givenchy and Lavantie and other areas. According to the Great War Museum in Albert, the “Pioneers” mined and primed the explosives for the biggest explosion on the 1st of July 1916, which resulted in the Lochnagar Crater. 66,000 of pounds of ammonal was detonated 52 feet below the surface was detonated, leaving a crater 90 yards in length, and 70 feet deep!the explosion was heard in London! Hiram rejoined the 10th Battalion on the 10th of June.

The battle of Mametz Wood between the 7th and 12th of July, was significant for a couple of reasons. It was the first time that the 38th Division “The Welsh Army” or “Lloyd George’s Army”, were engaged in open battle, and it resulted in the highest amount of casualties the 38th endured in any single battle, 4,000 soldiers were killed or wounded due to advancing suicidally uphill over open ground against sweeping machine gun and intense artillery fire.

The initial offensive commenced on the 7th of July when members of the 14th Battalion of the 38th, approached the formidable Mametz Wood from open land from Lindys Wood and Marlborough Wood to the east of Mametz Wood, under the strategic orders of General Haig. The plan was to send the 38th foot soldiers in to the Wood in rows and capture the Wood. Three hundred yards from Mametz, the Welsh were in disarray, due to heavy enemy shelling and machine gun fire from the Wood. Those soldiers who were not wounded or killed were forced to find cover wherever they could, and subsequently retreated to whence they came.

The second offensive commenced on Monday the 10th of July. By this time Hiram Davies had arrived as a private in “A” Company of the 10th Battalion, having been brought in from Friesmont near Albert, after two months with the 19th Welsh, tunnelling under enemy lines. The Company had been marching since Monday June 26th when they left Richonsart, therefore it was obviously planned that the 10th Battalion were to be used in the attack on the Wood. “A” Company attacked the Wood from White Trench on Monday morning the 10th of July at 4.15am. Two brigades were used the113th (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) on the left and the 114t h (Hiram’s Brigade) on the right, with 17th Division (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) assisting on the left flank.

The plan had little subtlety, being a frontal attack over unpromising ground, down the cliff of White Trench, then up the slope towards the wood. There was to be no feints, no outflanking manoeuvres. When the order to advance was given, three battalions (including Hiram’s) moved down the cliff into a hail of shells and bullets with a “success that astonished all who knew the ground”. The advance to the wood was made in good order, but once inside the wood thick undergrowth impeded progress. Shells from both sides hit the trees and detonations and splinters caused many casualties. By 11am all eight battalions of the two brigades were involved in the fighting. The battle swayed to and fro but by 6.30pm the division had reached to within 40 yards of the northern edge of the wood. To avoid close fire from the German second line, the troops were withdrawn 200 yards into the interior where they dug in for the night.

The following morning the fresh attack again took the division near to the far edge of the wood, but again it was forced to withdraw a little way to safety. But the Germans had had enough and that night the 11th/12th of July evacuated the wood leaving it in the hands of the exhausted Welsh. The 38th Division had driven the cream of Germany’s army from the largest woodland on the Somme.

The following day the 38th Division were relieved, and marched away from the wood. The 4 battalions of the 38th had marched to the wood singing songs; the 38th marched away in silence, the survivors from the battle not even amounting to form one battalion, and leaving 4,000 friends and colleagues killed or wounded on the battlefield of Mametz Wood.

The Mametz memorial was erected in 1987 in the form of a Welsh dragon challenging the Wood to commemorate the sacrifice of the brave Welsh soldiers of July 1916. The Western Front Association erected the memorial. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission refurbished it in 1998.

The total number of casualties sustained by the 38th Welsh Division was:
Killed                     602            Missing                  585         Wounded              2806         Total                     3993

                            hiram davies

Life in 1917 was a series of stints in the trenches in France, and battles in Ypres in Belgium, for Hiram, and of course being poisoned by mustard gas in Armetieres, but such was the life of a soldier in the Great War. Hiram used to use the Welsh language to notify his family of his location, e.g. Armentieres was “braich” (arm) “a” (and) “dagrau” (tears).

On Tuesday the 31st of July, Hiram fought in the Battle of Pilckem in Passchendale, the first part of the Third Battle of Ypres. This is a very important day in Welsh history, particularly the history of Welsh literature, and Eisteddfod history. During the Battle of Pilckem, Private Ellis Humphrey Evans, of the 15th Battalion of the Welsh Fusiliers, was mortally wounded, one of 31,000 casualties that day. General Haig described that day as “a fine day’s work”. Ellis Humphrey Evans, was Hedd Wyn, the son of Evan and Mary Evans of Yr Ysgwrn farm near Trawsfynydd, ”Bardd y Gadair Ddu” (The Bard of Black Chair) Birkenhead National Eisteddfod 1917. Perhaps it was fate that decided that Hedd Wyn’s name be associated with Belgium, because it was a Belgian refugee, Eugene Van Fleteren, carved the Chair for the 1917 Eisteddfod. Hedd Wyn is buried in Artillery Wood Cemetry, Boezinge, Ieper, West- Vlaanderen, Belgium.

During 1917, Hiram’s stepbrother, Illtyd of the 8th Battalion of the South Wales Borderers, was killed in action. He was born Illtyd Williams Davies on the 1st of February 1894, in 3 Gwendoline Terrace, Llwydarth, Maesteg. According to his Birth Certificate, his mother was Mary Jane Davies (Hiram’s mother), but there was no record of his father. The author’s theory is that Illtyd was named after his father, as Illtyd Williams he registerd with the army and Illtyd Williams is on his gravestone. It seems that Illtyd was an embarrassment to the family. There are a few articles during the war relating to Hiram in the Glamorgan Gazette, and Illtyd is only mentioned as Hiram’s stepbrother (i.e. not giving his name, even after he was killed), although respect is given to Hiram’s cousin Albert Joseph Rees who died of the fever in Salonika in January 1918. There is no record of Illtyd in the 1901 Census. There were members of the Rees family living in 1, 2, & 3 Gwendoline Terrace. Hiram’s mother Mary Jane Morgan (she remarried) lived with her husband and 3 children in number 1, Hiram’s uncle and family lived in 2, and Hiram lived with his grandparents in 3. Illtyd is not recorded as living in any of these addresses. In fact there is no record of him in Glamorgan. Despite this it seems that Hiram & Illtyd were close, and they joined the army together on the 11th of November 1914.
 
The 8th Battalion of the South Wales Borderers, landed in Salonika on the 12th of November 1915, to assist the Serbian Army against the Austrian, Bulgarian & German armies. Although there were no major battles on the scale of The Western Front, there were many small skirmishes, and it was in one of these that Illtyd was killed in the Battle of Dorain on the night of the 8th of May 1917, just 23 years old. Because he was my Grandfather’s brother, because we share the same name, and because of his sacrifice, with the aid of the Royal British Legion, I arrange for a wreath to be placed on his grave on the 8th of May every year.

Hiram fought several battles during the Third Battle of Ypres, and had to survive in the mud and atrocious weather, that the campaign was notorious for. The campaign had a significant affect on the 10th Battalion. Due to the number casualties suffered, the 10th Battalion was disbanded on the 3rd of February 1918, and the small number of soldiers remaining was transferred to the 13th Battalion. During this time Hiram returned to Maesteg on leave.

 

Gelli Eblig An article in the Glamorgan Gazette in early February 1918, mentioned a night of celebration and support for the troops was held in the Kings Head in Llwydarth, with Corporal Hiram Davies as the main guest. Hiram was in no mood for celebrating, he was very depressed from spending months of nightmarish hell in Flanders fields. It was the first time he’d been home since the death of his brother Illtyd and Cousin Albert. When the day dawned for Hiram to return to France, Hiram told his Grandmother that he wasn't’t going back. His Grandmother tried to persuade Hiram to return to France, not out of any loyalty to “King & Country”, but because she knew that Hiram would be shot for desertion and cowardice if he didn’t return, and she had lost two grandsons to this hideous war already. She arranged for Hiram’s friends to take Hiram to his uncle’s pub, the Railway in Pontrhydycuff, which is within a stone throw away from Llangynwyd train station and get him so drunk that he was unconscious, and put him on the train to take him back to France.

Hiram rejoined the war as a member of the 13th Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, keeping 1 bullet in his breast pocket, with the sole purpose of shooting himself, in the event of suffering another Christmas in the Killing Fields of the Western Front.

                               hiram davies blackpool postcard

Diary 1916
Name           Hiram Davies     Address       A Company    The 10 Welsh
Height          5ft 4ins             Weight         12st 10lbs

Memoranda
“Left Winchester 2/12/15 Landed at Havre Dec 3 Left Havre Dec 4 Reached Harthis Dec 5 Left Harthis Dec 13 and went into the trenches at Richburg the same night come out of trenches Dec17 Left Richburg for St Floris Dec12.”

Jan 5 Wed
Left St Floris and marched Levente.

Jan 6 Thurs
Left Levente for the trenches for forty eight hours

Jan 7 Fri
Trenches

Jan 8 Sat
Left trenches for forty eight hours rest

Jan 9 Sun
Rest accident G. Jones shot

Jan 10 Mon
Went into trenches for forty eight hours

Jan 11 Tues
Trenches

Jan 12 Wed
Under heavy shell fire

Jan 13 Thurs
Marched from Laventie to Hamet Billt sixteen mile march

Jan 21 Fri
Marched from Hamet Billt and had a nights rest near Veille Chapelle

Jan 22 Sat
Went into trenches for four days near Neuve Chapelle

Jan 26 Wed
Come out of trenches

Jan 27 Thur
My birthday

Jan 31 Mon
Marched to Locon

Feb 8 Tue
Marched from Locon and went into trenches the same night for four days near Richbourgh

Feb 12 Sat
Went back to the reserve for four days

Feb 16 Wed
Went into the trenches (… Richbourgh)

Feb 20 Sun
Came out of trenches for four on reserve

Feb 24 Thur
went into trenches for four days near Richbourge

Feb 27 Sun
Came out of trenches for four days in reserve

March 2 Thur
Went into trenches for four days (?) Richbourge

Mar 5 Sun
Got attached to the 19th Pioneers and stopped near Bethune

Mar 7 Tue
started work in mines at Gavinshy (Givenchy)

Apr 15 Sat
Finished work at Gavinshy (Givenchy)

Apr 16 Sun
Marched from Bethune to Laventie

Apr 17 Mon
Went into mines at Lavantie

June 10 Sat
Left Lavantic and went to Bussus

June 13 Tue
Marched from Rosnes to Aa(?)spelle and

stopped the night

June 14 Wed
Marched from Aachatt (? Auxi-leChau? - )to Richonsart

June 26 Mon
Left Richonsart for a twenty two mile march

June 27 Tuesday Reached Neuvivillette in the

morning and left the same night

June 28 Wed

And marched Fianville in the morning

June 30 Fri
Marched from Fianville

Aug 2 Wed
A stiff march to Wormhout

Aug 3 Thur
Started a course of machine gun

Aug 6 Sun
Marched into Belgium and stopped under canvass

near Poperinghe in the Ypres district

Aug 8 Tue
Went into the trenches to work with RE

Aug 12 Sat
Finished the course of machine gun

Aug 15 Tue
Went into the trenches at Ypres for four days

Aug 16 Wed
A gas attack

Aug 19 Sat
Come out of trenches

Aug 22 Tue
Went into the line on working party for one

night

Aug 23 Wed
Went into the trenches at Ypres for four days

Aug 27 Sun
Come out of the trenches

Aug 29 Tue
Went for a course of machine gun to Etaples

Sept 5 Tue
Returned from course of machine gun  (Ypres)

Sept 6 Wed
Went into the line for four days

Sept 10 Sun
Come out of the trenches

Sept 14 Thur
Went into the line for four days

Sept 18
Come out of the line

Sept 22 Fri
Went into the line for four days

Sept 26 Tue
Come out of the line

Sept 30
Went into the line for four day

4 Oct Wed
come out of the line

Oct 8 Sun
Went into the line for four day

Oct 12 Thur
come out of the line

Oct 16 Mon
Went into the line for four day

Oct 20 Fri
come out of the line for four days

Oct 24 Tues
Went into the line for four days

Oct 28 Sat
come out of the line for four days

Nov 1 Wed (In diary, printed   

“Holiday on Stock Exchange -

Fox Hunting begins ”)
Went into the line for four days

Nov 5 Sun
come out of the line for four days

Nov 9 Thur
Went into the line for four days

Nov 13 Mon
come out of the line for four days

Memoranda

But                   stock    bridge               cover
Triangle            sight     rebound            ???
Pint                  spring   prong               put and?
Pistol                grip      plung                seer

Boots
37-38 High St., Winchester      (the likely place where the diary was bought)

The D.C.M. is one of Britain & the Commonwealth’s highest military honour, second only to the Victoria Cross. The D.C.M. was awarded to enlisted personnel, non commissioned officers, warrant officers, in any branch of the service for distinguished conduct in battle.


Five D.C.M. were awarded to soldiers from the LLynfi Valley who served during the Great War 1914 – 1918, John Francis O’Brien D.C.M, M.M. of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers; Daniel Casey D.C.M., David Rees D.C.M., Morgan Llewelyn Bowen D.C.M. and Hiram Davies D.C.M.  of the Welsh Regiment.

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