Harold Victor Davis
1939 - he was a slater and fitter.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Harold Victor was the son of Douglas John and Harriett Davis (née Poole-Burley).
His father Douglas was born in Cardiff in 1882, the son of Samuel Davis, and his mother Harriett in Nottingham in 1887, the daughter of John Poole Burley.
Douglas, a bill poster, of 324 Alfred Street, and Harriet of 156 Mansfield Road, were married at Nottingham St Andrew on 25 December 1905. They had at least eight children, Harriet Elizabeth b. October 1906 Nottingham, Douglas John b. October 1908 Rotherham and Alfred b. Dec. 1910 birth reg. 1911 (JFM), Leslie b. April 1912, Harold Victor b. 19 July 1915 (reg. 1915 JAS) and Doris (later Griffiths) b. February 1917 who were born in Doncaster, and Kenneth b. February 1922 and a daughter b. December 1933 who were born in Nottingham. The latter was included on the 1939 England & Wales Register but her first name is unclear, possibly 'Joan' (birth registration not identified). The family's details on the Register also included one closed record.
Douglas snr, a bill poster, his wife and their three children, Harriet (4), Douglas (2) and Alfred (3m), were living at 19 Beckett Road, Doncaster, in 1911. Their third son, Leslie, was born In Doncaster the following year, then Harold in 1915 and Doris in 1917.
The family had returned to Nottingham by 1921 and living at 27 Festus Street. Douglas snr. was a clerk with the Labour Corps Record Office, Wheeler Gate, and his wife and eldest daughter Harriett were waitresses at the Savoy cafe, 33 Wheeler Gate. Their sons Douglas, Alfred, Leslie (9) and Harold (5) were school age and the youngest child, Doris, was three years old. Their fifth son, Kenneth, was born the following year.
Harriet married Harry Start, an engineer, at Nottingham St Andrew in January 1924. The marriage certificate gave the address of both as 156 Mansfield Road. Harry, a commercial motor van driver, and Harriet were recorded on the 1939 Register living on Woodborough Road, Nottingham, with their son and daughter. A second daughter had died in infancy and they probably had a third daughter in 1940. Harriet Elizabeth died in 1958 aged 51.
Alfred married Lucy Ethel Barker at Nottingham St Andrew in September 1933; they were both living at 16 Kilbourne Street, Nottingham, at the time of their marriage. They have not yet been traced after this date.
Douglas John jnr. married Ethel M Beardsley in 1936 and in 1939 they were living on Pierrepont Road, West Bridgford, probably in the home of his wife's widowed mother. Douglas was employed as a collector for the Provident Trading Supply Co. Ltd. He died in 1970 (reg. Gainsborough).
Douglas snr., now working as a 'trenchman', and Harriet were living at 24 St Ann's Well Road n 1939. Also in the household were five of their children: Leslie, described on the Register as 'incapacitated', Harold a slater and fitter, Doris a tobacco stripper, Kenneth a tobacco worker and a daughter (b. 1933 later 'Pinder') who was school age. The record of one other member of the household remains closed.
Doris married Wyndham P Griffiths in 1941.
Douglas and Harriet were living at 19 Colville Street, Nottingham, when their son Harold was killed in April 1942.
Douglas John snr. died in 1956 (reg. JFM) and his widow Harriet in 1966 (reg. JFM).
Harold served in HMS Dorsetshire.
HMS Dorsetshire was a County-class heavy cruiser. At the outbreak of the Second World War she was transferred from the China Station to the South Atlantic. She reinforced the search for the German heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee and then in late May 1941 Dorsetshire took part in the final engagement with the Bismarck with Dorsetshire ordered to close and torpedo the crippled German battleship. She joined searches for the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper in August and the auxiliary cruiser Atlantis in November.
In March 1942, HMS Dorsetshire (Captain Augustus Willington Shelton Agar, VC) was transferred to the Eastern Fleet to support British forces in the recently opened Pacific Theatre of the war.
At the end of the month a Japanese fast carrier task force launched the 'Indian Ocean raid' and on 5 April Japanese aircraft identified Dorsetshire and her sister ship Cornwall in a convoy to Trincomalee, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), onward destination Australia, with two transport ships and HMS Hermes, an aircraft carrier, which was going to Trincomalee for repairs.
The convoy was attacked by dive bombers from three Japanese aircraft carriers and HMS Cornwall, hit by nine bombs, sank within 15 minutes, and HMS Dorsetshire was hit six minutes later by 10, 250-550 pound bombs. The ship's HA magazine exploded and she sank within about eight minutes.
HMS Cornwall lost 190 killed/missing and HMS Dorsetshire 234 killed/missing. The 1,122 survivors of 1,546 were not rescued until 30 hours later during which time they had been machine gunned by Japanese aircraft (www.wrecksite.eu/wreck and others)
1st Class Stoker Harold Davis was among those lost from HMS Dorsetshire. His body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial (62,1).
CWGC Additional information: Son of Douglas John and Harriett Davis, of Nottingham.
Note. The CWGC record gives his age as 24. However, his birth was registered in 1915 (JAS, Doncaster) and the 1939 England & Wales Register recorded his date of birth as 15 July 1915, so he was 26 years old.
Nottingham Evening Post, 11 May 1942, report with photograph: ‘Nottm. Naval Casualties. First-class Stoker Harold Davis who was reported missing in April last, has now been presumed killed. He was the fourth son of Mr and Mrs Davis, of 19, Colville-street, Nottingham.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
The same edition of the Nottingham Evening Post reported the death of AB. Frank Sibert, HMS Dorsetshire. (See record on this Roll of Honour, Frank Francis Sibert)
Photo of Harold Victor Davis
Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial (www.cwgc.org)
Photo of Harold Victor Davis
Photograph published in the Nottingham Evening Post, 11 May 1942 (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)