Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Walter Allan Davy was born on 24th July, 1888 in Morchard. His mother was Mrs Agnes Davy and his father was Mr Robert Davy, they lived in Morchard, where Walter went to school. When Walter left school, he became a farm labourer.

He was a part of the Methodist religion.

He enlisted on 25 May, 1916, possibly because he saw that Australia needed help in France and England so he thought he must serve for his country to keep our freedom.

He set off to war on the 28 August, 1916, and was sent to France. He was sent all around Europe, mainly on the Western Front around the Etaples area. In this time and area were all the trench wars and the most brutal part of the war because their living conditions were horrible. They were wet, muddy and not ideal at all. In 1917, he suffered from trench feet for eight months, most likely from these conditions.

He made it back home alive on the 20th May, 1919 and married Mimie Norman. It would have been quite hard to fit back in with society after being gone for so long and some people may have forgotten about him, which can be hard for anyone. The date of his death is unknown.

(2017) Available: https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people. Last accessed 27th Jun 2017.

(2017)Available: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/NameSearch.aspx. Last accessed 27th Jun 2017.

(2017) Available: https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=74987. Last accessed 27th Jun 2017.

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Walter was the son of Robert DAVY & Agnes Frances LOFTES and was born on the 25th of July 1888 in Morchard, SA.

His parents were married on the 2nd of March 1888 in the Baptist Chapel, Orroroo, SA.

His father was the son of Robert DAVY & Mary KELL and was born on the 28th of December 1851 in One Tree Hill, SA.
His mother was the daughter of William LOFTES & Isabella MCMILLAN and was born on the 29th of September 1868 in One Tree Hill, SA.

Walter was the eldest child born into this family of 3 children.

His father was a farmer and Walter attended the Morchard School and then gained employment as a farm labourer.

At the age of 27, Walter enlisted into the AIF on the 25th of May 1916 in Orroroo, SA and was allotted the service number 6231 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.

On the 18th of July he was transferred to the 10th Battalion, 20th Reinforcements.
He then returned home to Morchard for pre embarkation leave and a social was held for him by the residence of Morchard.

Walter and embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Anchises on the 28th of August 1916.

He trained in England before proceeding to France where he suffered Trench Feet and a fracture right Fibula.
Walter served for nearly 3 years overseas and then embarked for Australia on the 20th of May 1919 on board HMAT Nestor and disembarked in Adelaide on the 29th of June.

Walter was discharged from the AIF on the 14th of August 1919.

Walter married Jemima Rose NORMAN on the 12th of July 1922 in St Peters Church, Gladstone, SA.
Jemima was the daughter of James WILLIAMS & Tryntje Geertruida NORMAN and was born on the 16th of June 1895 in Adelaide, SA.

They made their first home in Jamestown and Walter & his brother Robert opened a store at 28 Ayr Street, Jamestown, next door to the Old Belalie Hotel.

They welcomed their first child, MacDonald Joseph, on the 29th of April 1923, followed by Walter Robert on the 24th of July 1925.

They ran their store until 1941 when they moved to 22 Adelphi Terrace, Glenelg and Walter joined the Glenelg RSL and gained employment as a labourer.

With the outbreak of WW2 bother their sons enlisted;
MacDonald enlisted into the 2/4th Field Ambulance on the 6th of October 1942 (SX26242).
Walter enlisted into the RAN on the 8th of November 1943 (PA/4570).

In the late 1950’s they moved to Attunga Street, Glenelg North.

Jemima died on the 17th of May 1962 and Walter buried her in the Brighton Cemetery; Roman Catholic Section, Row 84, Plot TBA.

Walter died on the 17th of June 1977 and was buried 4 days later in the Brighton Cemetery; Roman Catholic Section, Row 84, Plot TBA, with Jemima.

Military

At the age of 27, Walter enlisted into the AIF on the 25th of May 1916 in Orroroo, SA and was allotted the service number 6231 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
He listed his mother, of Morchard, as his next of kin.

On the 18th of July he was transferred to the 10th Battalion, 20th Reinforcements.

Walter embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Anchises on the 28th of August 1916, sadly just 3 days before they arrived in Plymouth, Private Thomas William RIVETT of the 43rd Battalion, died on board the ship from Cerebral Spinal Meningitis and they buried him at sea on the same day, 8th of October.

Walter disembarked in Plymouth on the 11th of October and marched into the 3rd Training Battalion in Perham Downs, Camp No.6.

After 7 weeks of training Walter proceeded to France on the 4th of December and marched into the Australian Division Base Depot.
He spent Christmas 1916 here before being taken on strength with the 10th Battalion at Hobart Camp, near Dernancourt, on the 2nd of January.
Walter and his Battalion continued training here until the 14th when they marched to Bresle to continue their training.

By the 1st of February they had moved to Albert and were engaged in fatigue duties and whilst here Walter suffered from Trench Feet and a septic toe on the 8th of March
He was admitted into the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station at Edgehill, near Dernancourt, 3 days later and then transferred to the 1st Australian General Hospital in Rouen.

Two days later he was invalided to England on board HS Warilda and admitted into the Kitchener Military Hospital in Brighton
On the 27th of April he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford and 4 weeks later he was discharged to furlo and then marched into Perham Downs before proceeding to France on the 27th of May.

He rejoined his Battalion, who was in training at Henencourt, on the 15th of June and on the 7th of July they marched to Ribemont.
The following day they the Pozieres Memorial was unveiled and 25 members of the 10th Battalion attended the event.
Whilst at Ribemont they were engaged in drill and specialised training and on the 12th of June they were inspected by His Majesty, King George V.
Eleven days later they marched 44 miles to Bray-sur-Somme and continued training until the 27th of July when they entrained for Staple and then marched to Seninghem 3 days later.
Training was also continued here until they marched to Bleu on the 9th of August where they continued training and refitting.

During this training, on the 25th of August, Walter suffered a fractured right Fibula and was admitted into the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance and transferred to the 14th Stationary Hospital in Bolougne.
Six days later he was invalided to England on board HS St Denis and admitted into the Ilford Emergence Hospital (Colchester General Military Hospital).
After 7 weeks here he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford and then discharged to No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth.

On the 24th of November Walter was transferred to No.4 Command Depot in Hurdcott where he spent Christmas 1917 before being posted to the 1st Training Brigade in Longbridge Deverill on the 7th of January 1918.
He proceeded back to France 2 weeks later and marched into the Australian Division Base Depot.
Walter rejoined his Battalion on the 1st of February at Aldershot Camp, near Bailleul.

After 4 weeks in training they marched to Hollebeke, Belgium and were engaged in patrols and counter-attacks and repelled a German raid on their position.
They then moved to Dezon Camp, Scherpenberg on the 3rd of April and then Caestre the following day, before entraining to St Roch Station at Amiens and marching to Poulainville.
On the 13th they entrained to Hondeghem and moved into the support position in Swith Trench to defend Hazebrouck.

They spent all of May cycling in and out of the front lines before moving to the Merris sector in June where they continued to rotate in and out of the front line and where involved in the heavy fighting in this sector.
On the 5th of July they were relieved in the front line and moved into camp for a rest and 2 days later General Birdwood attended their parade.
After 10 days here they moved into the support area and prepared for the attack on Merris on the 29th.

Two days later they moved by motor bus to Hondeghem and on the 6th of August they marched 17 miles to Wizernes and entrained for Pont Remy. The following day they marched to Cocquerel before moving to Fontaine-Sur Somme and then onto Poulainville.

They participated in the great allied offensive of 1918, fighting near Amiens on the 8th of August. This advance by British and empire troops was the greatest success in a single day on the Western Front, one that German General Erich Ludendorff described as "the black day of the German Army in this war".

The battalion was out of the line when the offensive began, but followed up the advance moving through Corbie to Harbonnieres. There, on 10th of August, they supported the 9th Battalion's attack on Crepey Wood, which was cleared and then occupied. Throughout the afternoon, they endured a heavy artillery bombardment and then repulsed a strong German counter-attack.
The next day they captured Lihons, with the support of the 12th Battalion.

They were the relieved on the 14th and moving to Vaire-sous-Corbie.
Two weeks was spent here in rest and training and whilst here Walter was sent to the 2nd Division Rest Camp for 10 days before rejoining his Battalion at Cerisy for further training.

They then moved back into the front until late September 1918. Their last battle took place at Jeancourt on the 18th of September, during which they suffered 140 casualties.
Later in the month, having been severely depleted due to heavy casualties and the dwindling supply of reinforcements from Australia, was withdrawn from the line for rest and re-organisation.

As a result, Walter and his Battalion took no further part in the fighting and when the Armistice was declared on the 11th of November 1918 they were moving by train from Brucamps to Ephey to return to the front.

They then moved to Buegnies and on the 20th of December they moved to Chatelet, Belgium and spent Christmas 1918 here.
Walter was appointed to Driver on the 13th of January and then on the 27th of March he marched out for return to England.

Walter embarked for Australia on the 20th of May 1919 on board HMAT Nestor and disembarked in Adelaide on the 29th of June.

Walter was discharged from the AIF on the 14th of August 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.