Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

WILLIAM DAVIS (1889-1960) born at Spring Flat Jeir, son of Alfred Thomas and Rosa Ann Davis nee Wales. Like his younger brother, Roy, William had been a member of the civilian 11th Light Horse Brigade, and had spent three years in F Company of the 2nd Australian Infantry Regiment, with 18 months in the Machine Gun Section, The Machine Gun Roughs when he answered the call and enlisted as a Trooper on August 12th, 1915. After his initial training at Warwick Farm he sailed from Sydney on October 14th on the HMAT A32 Theristocles. He transferred to the 1st Light Horse Regiment as Driver 2501A, 19th Battalion, on January 14th, 1916 and proceeded to join the Western Front, Force situated at Wardan, Egypt. Another transfer saw him attached to the 1st Light Horse Machine Gun Squad on July 23rd. He was admitted to the Hospital at Romani on June 5th, before being transferred by the First Light Horse Field Ambulance to Kantara on June 10th, and finally received into the 31st General Hospital at Port Said the same day, suffering from Hydrocele – (possibly Water on the Knee, or some other accumulate of fluids). He spent 20 days as a patient before being taken on strength with the 1st Light Horse Transport Regiment at Tel-El-Kebir.
On August 1st he was sent to A T Depot for further instruction in the use of machine guns before being posted to the 1st Light Horse Battalion Machine Gun Squadron at Romani on August 15th. He was promoted to Lance Corporal while at El Arish and spent another three days in the 1st LH FAH at Hoa el Geula. He was further promoted to Transport Sargent I February 1917. He reported sick again on June 5th and was sent to hospital at Kazar, this was diagnosed as Diphtheria and on June 11th he was sent to the ANZAC Receiving Station at Beni Sela. Over the next week he was cleared to various hospitals, the 53rd Welsh Casualty Clearing Station at Rafa, the Base Hospital at El Arish, and finally to the 14th Australian General Hospital at Cairo. On August 17th he was found to be suffering from Orchitisis (inflammation of the testicles - a common occurrence for someone spending long hours in the saddle), as well as a torn cartilage and tonsillitis. The next few weeks were spent in hospital at Abassia and he had to face a Medical Board at Ghezireh for reclassification as B1. He worked for some time in the Australian Kit Stores.
William Davis took part of the famous last cavalry charge at Beersheeba (Be'cr Sheve, Israel) on October 31st 1917. This was a critical element of the Third Battle of Gaza and its purpose was to secure the town's oasis of 17 water wells William was reportedly recommended for an award, and it had been thought that his brother, and Commanding Officer, had not put the papers through because he did not want it to look like nepotism. But, it has since come to light that Commandant Allenby had refused all current recommendations for honours, and medals after a massacre occurred in a Palestinian village following the death of a soldier from New Zealand.
The medical classification was permanent but the Medical Board continued to examine him once a month until 1919. In August 1918, he was posted to the Depot Stores as ER/SSM (WO Class 2). On January 28th, 1919, he embarked at Suez on the Hospital Transport City of Exeter for the return voyage home to Australia and Sutton . Bill Davis was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War medal and the Victory Medal. [Davis of Gounyan - Roll of Honour - BM Pittman]