Format: Person

Linked To

Collection

Image

Recollections

no stories yet

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 New Zealand License

This licence lets you remix, tweak, and build upon our work noncommercially and although your new works must also acknowledge us and be noncommercial, you do not have to license the derivative works on the same terms.

Tools

Download Add to My Collection Contact us about this Citation for this item

Kā Kōrero o Waikirikiri Selwyn Stories

Private Henry Seth Davis

Description

TitlePrivate Henry Seth DavisSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionHenry was born at Stroud on 10 March 1887, son of Seth and Mary Davis, of Toadsmore, England. He had come to New Zealand when eight years old to live with his uncle, the late Mr Arthur Ephraim Davis, of Halkett. He did have family in New Zealand as next of kin, his sister, Mrs James Maffey of Redcliffs, Christchurch. Henry was educated at the Halkett School and after leaving school he had been farming at Hororata. He was described as being of a genial disposition, and was very popular. His two brothers had been fighting with the British forces since the war commenced. The fourth brother was a professional soldier and was an artillery instructor at Salisbury. He was 5ft 6in tall with a ruddy complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.

Henry enlisted on 18 September 1916 at Trentham and was assigned to C Company, 21st Reinforcements, Canterbury Regiment. He embarked for England on 21 January 1917. They arrived and marched into Sling camp on 27 March 1917. From there he was sent out to Codford to be taken on the strength of the 1st company 3rd battalion, 4th Brigade on 2nd May. He left for France later that month on 28th May. He survived through the battles leading up to Passchendaele but was wounded in the field on 6th October 1917. Taken to the No.3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station on 18th October he was suffering from a gunshot wound to his head but had also been gassed suffering from mustard conjunctivitis. The Germans used mustard gas for the first time during war in 1917. They outfitted artillery shells and grenades with mustard gas that they fired in the vicinity of the troop target. Mustard gas, an almost odourless chemical, was distinguished by the serious blisters it caused both internally and externally, brought on several hours after exposure. Sadly Henry died at the Clearing Station of his wounds. He was buried at Nine Elms British Cemetery, Poperinge. In New Zealand Henry is remembered on the Malvern County and Hororata War Memorials.

The cemetery was begun and used by the 3rd Australian and 44th Casualty Clearing Stations when they moved to Poperinghe (now Poperinge), from Brandhoek and Lijssenthoek respectively, in September 1917. Nearly all the burials in Plots I to IX came from these Casualty Clearing Stations, whilst they operated in this area during the 1917 Battle of Ypres, up until December 1917. Plots X, XI, XIII, XIV and XV cover the dates between the beginning of March, 1918 and the 12th October, 1918, the period of the German offensive in Flanders, the British counter attacks and the final advance of August-September. The burials in these cases were carried out almost entirely by fighting units. The cemetery contains 1,556 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 37 German war graves from this period. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.First NameHenry SethLast NameDavisFamilySingleSon of Seth and Mary DavisDate of Birth10 March 1887Place of BirthToadsmore, Stroud, Gloucester, EnglandDate of Death20 October 1917Place of DeathBelgiumCause of DeathDied of woundsAge at Death29

Connections

CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OneImageMalvern War MemorialHororata War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph

Military Service

Memorial or CemeteryNine Elms British CemeteryHororata War MemorialMalvern County War Memorial Occupation before EnlistingFarmer Regiment or ServiceCanterbury Infantry Regiment Enlistment Details18th September 1916 at TrenthamService Number33701Embarkation21st January 1917Reinforcement21st Reinforcements

Attribution

Researched ByL. M. Seaton

Menu

Private Henry Seth Davis