William Evan Davies – Canadian Infantry, C.E.F., 10th Battalion attached Royal Flying Corps
Lieutenant William Evan Davies – Canadian Infantry, C.E.F., 10th Battalion attached Royal Flying Corps
Birth and Family Background
William Evan Davies was born in 1893 in Swansea.
He was the son of William Davies and Marian Ellis Davies.William Evan Davies
There appear to be no surviving official census records
for William in Britain. At some point during his youth, William and his
mother emigrated to Canada, settling in Calgary, Alberta.
Military Service
William enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force,
serving with the Canadian Infantry, C.E.F., 10th Battalion. During his
service, he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps and was commissioned
with the rank of Lieutenant, serving as an observer—a role
involving reconnaissance, navigation, artillery spotting, and reporting enemy
positions from the air.
He was attached to No. 7 Squadron, one of the Royal
Flying Corps units operating over the Western Front in 1917.
Death in an Air Incident
On the evening of 11th May 1917, Lieutenant
William Evan Davies departed from the aerodrome as an observer with No.
7 Squadron, undertaking an operational flight over northern France. While
flying near Pontru, the aircraft came under enemy anti-aircraft fire.
The hostile fire forced the aircraft to turn back and
descend to approximately 1,000 feet. During the return, the aircraft suddenly
burst into flames and entered a steep nose-dive. At a height of
approximately 600 feet, William jumped from the burning aircraft
in an attempt to escape. He was killed in the fall, marking a tragic end
to his service.
Burial and Commemoration
William Evan Davies is buried at Roisel Communal Cemetery
Extension, Somme, France.William Evan Davies
Roisel Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France
credit - findagrave
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