Frank Davies

 29 people from Swansea, were killed in different parts of the country during the Second World War.

Frank Davies
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Winchman Frank Davies, who worked with the Lighthouse and Pilotage Authorities, at Trinity House Service, M.V. Georges of Joly (of United Kingdom), who was buried at Danygraig Cemetery.

Many lights on lighthouses were turned off during the Second World War, however, not all were turned off.  Trinity House, worked with the Admiralty to decide which of the lights were merely dimmed, to navigate the merchant and fighting ships around the coast.

Trinity House Pilots worked throughout the nights to get ships into safe ports, whilst Tenders worked to clear minefields, evacuate the occupied Channel Islands, and take part in the events of D-Day, 6^th June 1944.

Many of the lighthouses that were in the flight path were painted with camouflage paint.  Those Keepers and crewmen on Lightvessels who lost their lives during the Second World War are commemorated on a memorial in Trinity Square, London.

Frank was born in 1908, the son of David Thomas Davies and Catherine Jane Williams, who got married in 1892.

At the time of the 1911 Census, the Davies family was living at 58 Woodfields Street, Morriston.

1911 Census

David, 43, was a Marine Engineer, whilst Catherine was 36 years old.

Their children Clyde, 16 was a Fitters Apprentice.  Susie, 11; and Gwen, 5, who both attended school, whilst Frank was 2 years old.

In the 1921 Census, David, 52, and C. J., 47 years have been crossed out as living at 58 Woodfields Street.  The head of the family is Susie, 21, who has her account as a Dressmaker.  Her siblings are also residing at the property. Gwen, 16 is a Milliner; Frank, 12, and J. Donald S., 9, who both attend school.

1921 Census

By 1939 at the time of the Register, Frank, is now married, having married Jane.  They are living at 138 Rodney Street.  Frank’s occupation is recorded as Coxswain Weekly Boat Architect Trinity House.

1939 Register 

Frank lost his life at Plymouth.  Plymouth suffered 8 months and 5 days (6^th July 1940 – 30^th April 1941), from German bombing.

The bombing raid of the 20^th – 21^st March 1941, was a devastating raid carried out by the Luftwaffe. 

At just after 8.30pm the alert was sounded and at 8.39 the attack started.  First came a group of Heinkel III bombers flying at between 9,900 and 11,500 feet.  Included in the load of bombs that they dropped were 34 delayed action high-explosive ones.  The Pathfinder force, who should have arrived first and dropped flares to light the target, arrived at 8.41 pm, flying at an altitude of 19,000 feet.  Their shower of flares was followed by 12,500 incendiaries and other high-explosive bombs.

Once they had turned away to go back home to their airfields in France, two further squadrons dropped their bomb loads, which included 17 blockbusters, each weighing a ton.  To add further hell to that which was raining down on the City, a squadron that had been sent to bomb the Westland Aircraft factory at Yeovil, diverted to direct their bombs on Plymouth when bad weather prevented them from finding their original target.

To quote Gerald Wasley: 'There was no running away for those caught in this air raid, there was no escape, perhaps worst of all there was no way of retaliating'.

During this raid, the premises of Messrs Spooner and Company Limited, directly across from Saint Andrew’s Church, were the first to suffer.  It so quickly spread that it became obvious within a very short space of time that Plymouth's own Fire Brigade could not cope.  At 8.55 pm the first and second stages of a Regional Reinforcement Scheme were put into operation and additional water pumps from Plympton, Saltash, Torpoint, Kingsbridge, Tavistock, Launcedston, Bodmin, Wadebridge, Fowey, Liskeard, Lostwithiel, Yelverton, Looe, Torquay, Exeter, Bridgewater, Barnstaple and Yeovil had arrived in the City by 11 pm.  Between 9.20 pm and 11.47 pm 21 pumps from the various naval and military establishments in the area were also at the Fire Service's disposal.

Soon numbers 1 to 13 Bedford Street were engulfed in flames, which then spread to the Municipal Offices, the Guildhall, and the General Post Office on Westwell Street.  Properties in Union Street, The Octagon, East Stonehouse, and Millbay also suffered.

The raid lasted until 12.20 am in the early hours of March 21st.  The centre of Plymouth was aflame.  When the other fire brigades did arrive in Plymouth - their sole navigational aid being the bright orange glow in the night sky which indicated where Plymouth was - they found they could not assist in putting out the fires because their equipment was not compatible with that used in the City.   Many of the fires were left to simply burn themselves out.

At 4.35 am on Friday morning the fires were declared to be under control.  A total of 796 firemen, using 158 appliances, were then on duty.