DAVEY, Cecil Roy
| Service Number: | 1129 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Solomontown, South Australia, 23 October 1894 |
| Home Town: | Solomontown, Port Pirie, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Painter |
| Memorials: | Port Pirie Fathers of Sailors and Soldiers Association Port Pirie District Roll of Honor WW1 |
World War 1 Service
| 27 Dec 1914: | Involvement Private, 1129, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Dec 1914: | Embarked Private, 1129, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Themistocles, Melbourne | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 1129, 10th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Cecil Roy Davey was born in approximately 1895 in Port Pirie, South Australia. Davey was the son of Thomas Davey and Sarah Jane Brittain. Before the war, he was single, and he worked as a painter. In his attestation paper, Davey was described as having grey eyes , brown hair, 5’3½, 60kg, brown complexion, a chest measurement of 34 inches and was 19 years old when he enlisted. Davey also described himself as a Methodist. He enlisted to fight in the First World War on 16 September 1914, one of the many young Australian men who volunteered soon after the war began.
Davey embarked from Australia on the Themistocles on 7th December 1914. During 1914-1915, Davey was in the 10th training battalion, and he was later transferred to the 50th Battalion on the 26th of February 1916 .
In June 1916, there was constant bombing throughout the day and night. On 16th August 1916, he went missing in action in the Battle of the Somme and was later found hurt and pronounced wounded in action. During this period of time, his battalion was arriving at the trench, and the rainy weather made it difficult to move. There were 2 records of people seeing him, one by J. C. Anderson and Sgt. W.H. Stanford. The battalion was stationed at Wire Trench all night and moved to Brickfields. During Davey’s time of being wounded, his father sent a letter asking about him going missing and how anxious he was about his son. Most of 1916, Davey was in and out of hospital due to getting sick quite frequently.
On the 1st of September 1917, Davey was transferred to the 13th training battalion after being ill for a long period of time, and soon after, he proceeded to France via Southampton . Davey was also granted leave on 28th October 1917, but he overstayed his leave (24th April 1918), causing him to have a 1-day arrest and lose 4 days of pay. On the same day, Davey was admitted to a hospital due to having influenza and re-joined on the 6th of July 1918. While in the hospital with influenza, Davey’s battalion was doing training and Gas drills.
Davey was promoted to sergeant on 22 July 1918, and on the 5th of August 1918, Davey was posted to the 12-training battalion. On the 6th of September 1918, Davey was sick and sent to Brigade Clearing hospital and left on the 12th.
The 50th Battalion’s wars that Davey participated in were the Battle of the Somme, Battle of Messines, Third Battle of Ypres and Battle of Polygon Wood. The role Davey served in the war was a sergeant. It was common for a sergeant to do field duties, trainings, and sometimes command in Action. Davey was awarded three service medals: the Star (people who served early in the war, 1914/1915), the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal for winning the Allied war. On the 8th of November 1918, Davey returned to Australia due to special leave.
After the war ended, Davey got married to a woman named Frances C O’Shaughnessy and had two children called Margaret Davey and John Davey. He was later divorced and married twice more.