Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Cecil was the son of George DAVIS & Emma Richards COOPER and was born on the 18th of June 1893 Wallaroo Mines, SA.

His parents were married on the 6th of February 1890 in the Bible Christian Manse, Kadina, SA.

His father was the son of George DAVIS and was born in 1863 in England.
His mother was the daughter of James COOPER & Mary RICHARDS and was born in 1867 in St Ives, Cornwall, England.

Cecil was the second child born into the family of 5 children.

His mother had previously given birth to a son; Ernest Edward COOPER, before his parents married.

His father was a miner and the family lived in Wallaroo until 1900 when they moved to Pt Pirie.

When Cecil was 9 years old his father deserted the family in Pt Pirie on the 31st of May 1902.

The following year his mother remarried to Richard KENYON in Pt Pirie.
Richard was previously married to Elizabeth Ann NANKIVELL in 1881 and had 6 children with Elizabeth before she died on the 14th of January 1894 and he buried her in the Melbourne General Cemetery.

When Richard moved his family back to Wallaroo, Cecil’s mother had helped look after his children.

Cecil now gained 4 step siblings and a few more half siblings would arrive over the next few years.

On the 28th of January 1903 Cecil suffered with Trachoma and was admitted into the Adelaide Hospital for a month.

Now in his early teens Cecil started to become a little wayward and ran into trouble with the law with his first conviction of larceny being in 1907, but luckily he was sentenced to 6 months good behaviour.

By now he had left school and gained employment as a labourer & fisherman, but then in May 1913 he was convicted of larceny and sentenced to 6 months hard labour in Yatala Gaol.

At the age of 23, Cecil enlisted into the AIF on the 6th of July 1915 in Keswick and allotted the service number 470 and posted to A Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
He was then posted to 32nd Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements on the 16th of August at Cheltenham Camp and he then deserted.
A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was arrested in Pt Pirie on the 1st of November and was then posted to the 32nd Battalion, 4th Reinforcements.
Cecil was then struck off strength on the 1st of January 1916 due to Trachoma and then discharged from the AIF, medically unfit on the 28th of February 1916.

Unfortunately upon his discharge in February, Cecil stole a gold watch, gold Albert chain, gold medal and a piece of gold from Mr Henry Feilding at Sevenhills, valued at £25 and in May he was sentenced to 12 months hard labour in Yatala Gaol.

Cecil was released from prison on the 20th of January 1917 and now unemployed he decided to try his luck at re enlisting into the AIF again.

At the age of 26, Cecil re enlisted into the AIF on the 16th of May 1917 in Pt Pirie and allotted the service number 2152 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.

Cecil was then posted to the 50th Battalion, 10th Reinforcements on the 1st of August, but later that day he was then posted to the 27th Battalion, 20th Reinforcements and then the Machine Gun Company Reinforcements.
Two weeks later he entrained for the Machine Gun Depot in Seymour, Victoria and then on the 31st of August they moved to Bendigo.

On the 25th of September he was transferred to the Tunnelling Company, but was then transferred back to the Machine Gun Company on the 2nd of October.

Cecil embarked from Melbourne on board SS Indarra on the 26th of November 1917 as part of the Machine Gun Company General Reinforcements.
They arrived in Albany, Western Australia 4 days later and they sailed again the following day, on the 1st of December.

On the same day Cecil was admitted into the ships hospital for 4 days, suffering from Pleurisy.

They reached Colombo on the 13th of December and after 2 days here, they sailed once more.
They spent Christmas 1917 on board the ship before disembarking in Suez on the 27th of December.
After 11 days in Suez they embarked from Port Said on board HMT Kashgar on the 9th of January 1918 and disembarked in Taranto, Italy on the 20th.

Four days later they entrained from Taranto, stopped at Bordighira on the 27th of January and then detrain in Cherbourg, France on the 31st of January and embarked for Southampton, England, on board HMT Mona’s Queen, the same day.

They then disembarked on the 2nd of February and marched into the 15th Training Battalion in Codford, where Cecil was transferred to the 32nd Battalion.
Then on the 14th of February Cecil suffered again with Trachoma and was admitted into the Group Clearing Station Hospital.
Ten days later he was discharged from hospital and rejoined his Battalion, but was classified as medically unfit and marched out to No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth, two days later.

Cecil embarked from England on the 12th of March 1918 on board SS Kenilworth Castle, disembarked in Melbourne on the 22nd of May and then entrained to Adelaide.

Cecil was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the 6th of June 1918 and awarded the British War Medal.

Cecil returned to Pt Pirie and married Laura Agnes HARRISON on the 8th of July 1922 at the residence of Mr Samuel Smart, Pt Pirie, SA.
Laura was the daughter of Bertram Samuel HARRISON & Susan GREEN and was born on the 3rd of February 1903.

They made their home at 36 Horner Street, Pt Pirie and welcomed 3 daughters.

Cecil died on the 29th of May 1934 in the Pt Pirie Hospital and was buried the following day in the Pt Pirie Cemetery; CP, Lot 220, Grave 4.

Military

At the age of 26, Cecil enlisted into the AIF on the 16th of May 1917 in Pt Pirie and allotted the service number 2152 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
He listed his mother, Mrs Kenyon, of Solomon Town, Pt Pirie, as his next of kin.

Cecil was then posted to the 50th Battalion, 10th Reinforcements on the 1st of August, but later that day he was then posted to the 27th Battalion, 20th Reinforcements and then the Machine Gun Company Reinforcements.
Two weeks later he entrained for the Machine Gun Depot in Seymour, Victoria and then on the 31st of August they moved to Bendigo.

On the 25th of September he was transferred to the Tunnelling Company, but was then transferred back to the Machine Gun Company on the 2nd of October.

Cecil embarked from Melbourne on board SS Indarra on the 26th of November 1917 as part of the Machine Gun Company General Reinforcements.
They arrived in Albany, Western Australia 4 days later and they sailed again the following day, on the 1st of December.

On the same day Cecil was admitted into the ships hospital for 4 days, suffering from Pleurisy.

They reached Colombo on the 13th of December and after 2 days here, they sailed once more.
They spent Christmas 1917 on board the ship before disembarking in Suez on the 27th of December.
After 11 days in Suez they embarked from Port Said on board HMT Kashgar on the 9th of January 1918 and disembarked in Taranto, Italy on the 20th.

Four days later they entrained from Taranto, stopped at Bordighira on the 27th of January and then detrain in Cherbourg, France on the 31st of January and embarked for Southampton, England, on board HMT Mona’s Queen, the same day.

They then disembarked on the 2nd of February and marched into the 15th Training Battalion in Codford, where Cecil was transferred to the 32nd Battalion.
Then on the 14th of February Cecil suffered again with Trachoma and was admitted into the Group Clearing Station Hospital.
Ten days later he was discharged from hospital and rejoined his Battalion, but was classified as medically unfit and marched out to No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth, two days later.

Cecil embarked from England on the 12th of March 1918 on board SS Kenilworth Castle, disembarked in Melbourne on the 22nd of May and then entrained to Adelaide.

Cecil was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the 6th of June 1918 and awarded the British War Medal.