2nd Lieut Bernard Samuel Davis

• Age: 24
• From: Duffield, Derbyshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 9th April 1917
• Commemorated at: Bucquoy Rd Cem Ficheux
  Panel Ref: VI.P.20

Bernard Samuel Davis was born on the 16^th May, 1892 in Duffield and was the son of  Shirley Wadsworth Davis and his wife Ellen Maria (nee Latham). His parents were both born in Birmingham and married in 1886.  They had seven children. Bernard had elder siblings Harold Shirley and Edith Ellen, both born in Birmingham, after which the family moved to Duffield in Derbyshire, where Stanley Latham (who died at age 3,) Bernard, Doris Gertrude, Eustace Herbert, and Phyllis Catherine Marian were born. 

Bernard was baptised in St. Silas' Church, Lozell’s, Warwickshire, on 03rd July 1892, his parents’ residence given as Duffield and his father’s occupation as traveller.

At the time of the 1901 Census his parents, with five children and two domestic  servants, live in Hazelwood Road, Duffield. His father is a commercial traveller, Bernard is 8.  Also in the household is his mother’s sister Elsie Latham, 12.

The 1911 census finds the family in “Oakholme”, in Avenue Road, Duffield, with six children and a domestic servant. His father, 50, is a  commercial traveller (heating and hot water engineers), his mother is 47.  Harold, 24, is a commercial traveller (steam boilers), Edith, 22, helps at home, and 18-year old Bernard is a pupil teacher at the National School (William Gilbert Endowed School).  Doris, 15 , and Eustace, 13, are at school, and Phyllis is 3.

Bernard was educated at Belper Grammar School and the City of Leeds Training College.  He played football for Derby Thornhill and was a member of Duffield Cricket Club.

Prior to the war he had been a teacher at Edge Lane School Liverpool. 

His first military service was with the Inns of Court OTC,  from 05th November 1915. After Commissioning, he was Gazetted to the 5th Battalion The Border Regiment on 05th August 1916, however, he does not seem to have served with this unit. He was first posted to the 9th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment perhaps at his own request because of his associations with Liverpool.

On 07th October 1916 Bernard married Irene Percy Moody in St. James’ Church, New Brighton. Irene, born in 1894, was also a teacher. Bernard gave his occupation as 2nd Lt. Border Regiment. Irene's address at the time is shown as 98 Rowson Street, New Brighton, Cheshire.

Bernard then transferred to the 17th Battalion in France as a Second Lieutenant, on 30th October 1916. At this time the Battalion was in the front line trenches near, on the Somme.

From the 10th to 18th of November 1916, he attended a course at the 3rd Army Trench Mortar School and was granted leave from the 15th January to the 24th January 1917.

Bernard was killed in action on 09th April 1917, the first day of the Battle of Arras.

On that day the 17th Battalion was in the trenches at Boisleux/Henin, near Arras, in Northern France. By that time Bernard was in command of ‘B’Company, which was dug in West of Boiry Copse, which itself, west of the village of Henin. Although in Brigade Reserve its task was to act as a mopping up force for the main assault Battalions of the 89th Brigade, the 20th Battalion to the left and the 19th Battalion to the right. The main attack began at 05.30 am, but by 15.30 In the afternoon, when the Pals attacked it had faltered against the uncut wire.. The German front line trenches were well placed behind the crest of a small rise in the ground, and although enemy shelling was fairly light, Casualties were caused by well placed machine guns, firing from the front line. The Battalion was held on the uncut wire about one hundred and fifty yards front of its original positions.

By the evening ‘B’ Company was ordered to retire and re group in its original positions and by that time, two officers and nineteen other ranks from the Battalion had Been killed, or died of wounds, including Captain Davis whilst three other officers and forty eight other ranks had suffered wounds. All four of the officers in action from ‘B’ Company were hit, two killed and two wounded. 

Although, he was a Company Commander, the Battalion War Diary still lists his rank at the time of death as Second-Lieutenant. Presumably, this may be because his Captaincy was non substantive. However, CWGC and Medal Roll list his rank as Captain. and De Ruvigny states he was gazetted Captain on 17th June 1917. The CWGC Graves Registration form lists him as 2nd Lt. Davids, B.S., 17th Bn. K.L.R.

Furhtermore, De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour also states that he was Mentioned in Despatches, gazetted 22nd May 1917, for gallant and distinguished service in the field.

He was aged 24 when he was killed in action.

Bernard was buried close to where he fell and after the war, when graves were concentrated, his body was removed and reinterred at Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux, France where his headstone shows his rank as Captain and his age as 25. It also displays the insignia of the Border Regiment and bears the epitaph:

“ABIDE WITH ME”

In November 1916, the village of Ficheux was behind the German front line, but by April 1917, the German withdrawal had taken the line considerably east of the village and in April and May, the VII Corps Main Dressing Station was posted near for the Battles of Arras. It was followed by the 20th and 43rd Casualty Clearing Stations, which remained at Boisleux-au-Mont until March 1918, and continued to use the Bucquoy Road Cemetery begun by the field ambulances. From early April to early August 1918 the cemetery was not used but in September and October, the 22nd, 30th and 33rd Casualty Clearing Stations came to Boisleux-au-Mont and extended it. By the date of the Armistice, it contained 1,166 burials but was greatly increased when graves were brought in from the surrounding battlefields and from small cemeteries in the neighbourhood. 

The cemetery now contains 1,901 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 168 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 23 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate 21 casualties buried by their comrades in Henin-sur-Cojeul German Cemetery, whose graves could not be found on concentration.

The cemetery was used again in May 1940 for the burial of troops killed during the German advance. There are 136 burials and commemorations of the Second World War; 26 of the burials are unidentified and special memorials commemorate 39 soldiers whose graves in the cemetery could not be specifically located.

His death was reported in the local press on 18th April 1917:

DUFFIELD OFFICER KILLED

Second Lieutenant Bernard Samuel Davis, third son of Mr Shirley Davis, of Duffield, has been killed. The gallant officer, who was only 24 years of age, was married as recently as October last. He was educated at Belper Grammar School and the City of Leeds Training College. He entered the scholastic profession and was engaged at Liverpool before joining the army. He went to France in October 1916, being attached to the to the Kings Liverpool Regiment. He received special leave last January for special patrol work, and was complimented by the Divisional General. He received his commission through the Inns of Court OTC. He played football for Derby Thornhill, and was a member of the Duffield Cricket Club.

Bernard is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Duffield War Memorial

Duffield Roll of Honour

The Belper Grammar School War Memorial

The City of Leeds Training College War Memorial 

A pension card has not been found. 

Probate, giving Bernard’s address as Oakholme in Avenue Road, was granted to his widow Irene in the amount of £206-19s-7d.

A son, Bernard Roderick Davis, was born in Duffield on 24th October 1917, six months after Bernard’s death. It seems the child was raised by Bernard’s family, as on the 1921 census the boy, then 3 years old, was living with his grandmother Ellen and a number of his father’s siblings in Duffield.

Irene is not found on the 1921 census, but she later appears on passenger lists as a teacher travelling to Marseilles and Egypt (a 1935 manifest giving her address as 18 Lorne Road, Birkenhead).

His father died in 1926 aged 65 and was buried in Duffield Cemetery.

In 1939 his widowed mother Ellen, 76, lived in Ecclesbourne Avenue, in Duffield with Edith, 51, a bookshop assistant, and Phyllis, 32, an elementary school teacher. His mother died in 1947, aged 84.

Neither his widow nor his son is found on the 1939 register. His son died in 1986, aged 68.  It is not known where or when Irene died.

We currently have no further information on Bernard Samuel Davis, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.