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Family of 52767 Army Sgt. William James Davies died 0ct31 1918 Mesopotamia (ww1) born Mountain Ash Wales . He is my wifes Gfather and info is needed to fill many gaps in my tree Thank you.

have you been on any of the MOD sites they are very good also have you tried the census for parents, babtisms for william etc marriages etc

Michael

I have just tried looking on the cesus for Wales but there are to many for me to decide which is the right person. do you have any idea when he was born or any clue as to how old he was when he died, Also what of his parents, any clues. where have you tried ?
If you leave a message in the next 48 hrs i will try to help otherwise you need to do some more research your self as i have suggested on previous message

I have sent you a PM

Spanish Eyes, William James Davies, it is so hard to get info from my wifes family but what i know so far is.. Born Mountain Ash Wales, Married Beatrick ?????? when and where ( we think in Mountain Ash) when?? had two Girls Olive and Sarah Elizabeth.. Age born i,m thinking 1880s the last photo of him just beford he was killed he looks 30ish. only other info i have is he moved to Tairgwaith Amman valley to find work and the family settled down there Best wishes Michael

I will look at this this evening, I have to do the dreaded house work as I am moving back home to Spain and I have to see the letting agent tomorrow.

Didn't get time yesterday but will be on research this evening and will let you know how i get on,,,,,I have spent years trying to find some info and anly this week it looks as if I have a breakthrough, so do nit give up

Soldiers Died in the Great War gives his place of birth as Mountain Ash and place of residence as Gwauncae-Gurwen, Glam.

Ref to Annielaurie, this is correct Gwaun-cae-Gurwen and Tairgwaith are two villages right next to each other so" yes" i know that my W.J. Davies is in C.W.G. Commission at Kirkee in Mesopotamia ( Iraq)

I am just wondering before I do amy more searching for your relative Michael, have you already had the info people such as myself and Annielaurie have found, and if so what is it exactly that you are looking for.
The War Graves Commssion are very helpful and they found form me where mu uncle was buried in Malaya and sent me a photo. I now it was a differnt time and a different place but it could be worth a try..

The information I gave was from Soldiers Died in the Great War, not CWGC.

If his service records are not on the Ancestry website, then they haven't survived.

Trouble is, it's such a common name, but perhaps obtaining his marraige cert is the way forward - at least you know who his wife and children were, so the reference to order the cert might not be too difficult to find. Have a look at FreeBMD.

which child is your mothers parent Olive or Sarah?

My wife Gwyneiar is the daughter of Sarah Elizabeth. I know where W.J.Davies died and is buried, what i am looking for is his family and kin from around Mountain Ash, therefore cousins of my wife ect and any brothers or sisters he may have had. Michael

would Sarah have been born before 1911 census ,or do you know if he was married by then?

Marrage date not known , but Sarah was born 1916 died 1958, also i have found out that the dates of birth for both Beatrick and W.J. Davies was 1885 Thanks all Michael

???????????? marriage
Name: Beatrice Morgan
Year of Registration: 1912
[1912]
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Spouse William J Davies
District: Pontypridd
County: Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan
Volume: 11a
Page: 1033

?and these children's birth indexes---do you know Olive's year of birth?

Name: Olive M Davies
Year of Registration: 1913
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Mother's Maiden Name: Morgan
District: Pontypridd
County: Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan
Volume: 11a
Page: 1220


Name: Sarah E Davies
Mother's Maiden Surname: Morgan
Date of Registration: Jan Feb Mar 1916
Registration district: Pontypridd
Registration County: Wales
Volume Number: 11a
Page Number: 1056 (

Gwaun-cae-Gurwen War Memorial

The Great War, 1914-1918

William James Davies, Sergeant, 52767, Welsh Regiment. William was born at Mountain Ash, and resided at Gwaun-cae-Gurwen prior to the war. He enlisted at Cardiff into the 8th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was attached to 40 Brigade, 13th (Western) Division. The Division landed on Cape Helles in July 1915, relieving the 29th Division. They fought here until being evacuated on 8 January 1916, concentrated at Port Said, where they held forward posts in the Suez Canal defences. On 12 February 1916 the Division began to move to Mesopotamia, to strengthen the force being assembled for the relief of the besieged garrison at Kut al Amara. By 27 March, the Division had assembled near Sheikh Saad and came under orders of the Tigris Corps, and then took part in the attempts to relieve Kut. However, after these efforts failed and Kut fell, the British force in the theatre was built up and reorganised. The Division then took part in several operations to push the Turks from Persia, under very trying conditions, of unbearable heat, William took ill and was hospitalised in India, where he died on 31 October 1918. He is commemorated on the Kirkee 1914-1918 Memorial, India. William is not commemorated on the GCG Memorial

Jansmith, Thank you so much for that info, and also W.J.Davies is on the GCG Memorial.. Thank you again Michael

Hi Michael yes i thought that might be wrong but i just copied and pasted the info as it was when i found it. I have tried searching 1911 census
Gwaun-cae-Gurwen but haven't found him there yet so wonder if he was still in Mountain Ash area. What do you think about the marriage and birth info could it be the right ones?


more info about the 8th
8th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers): August 1914: Formed at Cardiff - K1 Battalion - to Parkhouse Camp, Salisbury Plain in 40th Brigade part of 13th Division. About October 1914: to Chiseldon. Swindon. December 1914: Bournemouth in billets. January 1915: Designated a Pioneer Battalion of 13th Division. February 1915: North Camp Aldershot, Hampshire. 15 June 1915: sailed from Avonmouth for Mudros. 5 August 1915: landed at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli. December 1915: left Gallipoli. January 1916: Left Egypt. February 1916 to Mesopotamia. 31 October 1918: Delli Abbas, North East of Baghdad, Mesopotamia as Pioneer Battalion of 13th Division.

Jansmith. Yes your info is spot on correct,( Alan ) Olives son comfirms this on his mothers birth cert. ( he only had info on his mother) and no-one else in this family ( funny lot eh ) Michael