DAVIES, George

George Davies was born at Lye but moved to Stourbridge. He served in the Boer War as a pre-war regular soldier and would have finished his period in the Reserve. He volunteered at the outbreak of war and joined the 10th (Service) Battalion. In 1916 the 10th were deeply involved in the Battle of the Somme and in 1917 they helped take the Messines Ridge and fought in the September phase of the Third Battle of Ypres. At the end of the year they took over trenches on the crest of Welsh Ridge near Marcoing, which had been dug after the recent battle of Cambrai. In January the frost and snow were bitter and the troops had four day tours of duty in the trenches. Enemy shelling was sporadic but two men were killed over the 17-21st January. One of them was Private George Davies who is buried at Neuville Bourjonval British Cemetery, near Havrincourt (C 2) and commemorated on the Stourbridge and St. John's church Memorials.