Francis Robert Davis (1891 - 1971)

Born 22 Feb 1891 in Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Lilian May (Meaden) Davis — married Jan 1914 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, United Kingdom.

Descendants

Died 30 Jul 1971 at age 80 in Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Alan Davis [send private message]

Biography

Childhood

Francis Robert (Bob) Davis was born on the 22nd Feb 1891 in Yateley, Hampshire, England and lived with his family at 4 Brandy Bottom, a small row of houses within Yateley Common with open woodlands, heath and a large lake.^[1][2][3] This would have been a wonderful environment for a young lad to grow up in with freedom to roam and engage with nature. His father was a coachman/groom. By the 1901 Census his parents had set up a hand laundry on the grounds which grew to employ five women and no doubt Bob was required to help out.^[4]

Military Career

In 1909, when he was 18 years old, Bob enlisted in the Army and was allocated to the Royal Horse Artillery, then to Royal Field Artillery. His military file has not survived but the 1911 Census records him as a Gunner in RFA, stationed at Louisburg Barracks, Borden in 126th Battery, 29th Brigade, RFA.^[5]

Bob married Lilian May Meaden on the 14th January 1914 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England.^[6] Within seven months their lives were disrupted by the declaration of war with Germany on 4th August 1914. That month Bob deployed to France with his unit, 29th Brigade RFA, leaving Lillian who was pregnant with their first child to manage at home.

His WW1 Medal Index Card records his regimental number as 57982 and indicates he served with 29 Brigade throughout the War earning promotion to Sergeant. ^[7] At one point he was demoted to Bombadier for disciplinary reasons.^[8].

The 29th Brigade RFA were in action at the The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne and at The Battle of Messines in 1914. In 1915 they fought in The Second Battle of Ypres. In 1916 they moved south and were in action during the Battles of the Somme. In 1917 they were at Arras, in action during the The First and Third Battles of the Scarpe, before heading north for the Third Battle of Ypres, where they fought in The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde, The Battle of Poelcapelle and The First Battle of Passchendaele. In 1918 they were in action on The Somme, then returned to Flanders fighting in the Defence of Hinges Ridge during The Battle of Hazebrouck and in The Battle of Bethune, The Advance in Flanders The Second Battles of Arras, the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and the Final Advance in Picardy.^[9]

Family recollections are that Bob was demobilised at the end of the war but was badly affected by mustard gas and was constantly sick with a towel over his head and a basin between his knees. He could not hold down a job, so began gravel carting with an ex-Army horse named ‘Blackie’ and a two wheeled tip cart. Finally he lost contracts to a man with a model ‘T’ ford. He then secured a job at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in the Troop Yard (looking after officers’ horses). When RMC closed in 1942 he was moved to the (Staff) college at Minley and became a telephone operator. When he was 59 he had a big operation on his lungs and bronchial tubes. He had one lung removed, recovered and went back to work.^[10]

Family

Bob and Lillian had three children:

Robert George Davis ^[11]

Rosslyn Lilian (Davis) McDougall-Bell ^[12]

Frederick Albert Davis ^[13]

After Bob's mother died in 1928 the family rented Thatched Cottage, Cricket Hill, Yateley from the Stilwell family. Despite his war injuries Bob enjoyed a good retirement and died just short of 80yrs on 30th Jul 1971.^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ : database entry for Davis, Francis Robert (mother's maiden name: Meaden) GRO Reference: 1891 Q2. District of Hartley W.,, Volume 2c, Page 182
2. ↑ The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12;Piece: 954; Folio: 88; Page: 2; GSU roll: 6096064 (Ancestry.com. 1891 England Census[database on-line] :accessed 20 Aug 2021) citing Francis Davis in household of James Davis.Ancestry Sharing Link
3. ↑ The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/2362E (Ancestry.com. 1939 England and Wales Register [database on-line] :accessed 20 Aug 2021) citing Francis Davis. Ancestry Sharing Link
4. ↑ The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901;Class: RG13; Piece: 1104; Folio: 67; Page: 1 (Ancestry.com.1901 England Census[database on-line]:accessed 20 Aug 2021) citing Francis Davis in household of James Davis.Ancestry Sharing Link
5. ↑ The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911; (Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line] : citing Francis Davis in the Royal Field Artillery 126th Bty Ancestry Sharing Link
6. ↑ FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line] citing Davis Francis R & spouse surname, Meaden; Reference: 1934 Q1. District of Tunbridge, District of Tonbridge, Volume 2a, Page 1241. Ancestry Sharing Link
7. ↑ The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; War Office and Air Ministry: UK, British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920. (Ancestry.com. UK, British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 [database on-line]: accessed 20 Aug 2021) citing Francis R Davis RFA Sgt 57982 Ancestry Sharing Link
8. ↑ The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; War Office and Air Ministry: Service Medal and Award Rolls, First World War. WO329; Ref: 193 : ( Ancestry.com. UK, World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920 [database on-line] citing Francis Robert Davis Sgt 57982 Ancestry Sharing Link
9. ↑ 29 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery during the Great War (The Wartime Memories Project, https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/fartillery.php?pid=9856 : accessed 28 Aug 2021).
10. ↑ Personal written notes recorded in 2000 by Robert Davis, son of Lilian, held by Alan Davis
11. ↑ England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ : database entry for Davis, Robert G. Mothers maiden name: Meaden. GRO Reference: 1915 Q1. District of Tunbridge, Volume 2a, Page 1562.
12. ↑ England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ : database entry for Davis, Roslyn L. Mothers maiden name: Meaden. GRO Reference: 1920 Q2. District of Hartley W., Volume 2c, Page 432.
13. ↑ England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ : database entry for Davis, Frederick A.J. Mothers maiden name: Meaden. GRO Reference: 1923 Q1. District of Hartley W., Volume 2c, Page 352.
14. ↑ England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Deaths (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ : database entry for Davis, Francis Robert, District of Aldershot, Volume 6b, Page 48