Walter Davison
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Walter was born in 1890 in Retford was the son of Arthur a carter and Mary Dennis Davison (nee Barnes) of 12, Hospital Rd., Retford. In the 1901 census the family was living at 12 Rectory Place, Retford. George was 7 years of age and living with his parents and two older brothers, Arthur 12 years and Walter 10 years of age. By the time of the 1911 census his father Arthur had died and his widow Maryshown was living at 12 Hospital Road, Retford with her three unmarried sons, Arthur 22 years a trimmer in a dye works, Walter 20 years working on the railway as a platform porter and George 17 years an apprentice blacksmith. No doubt Mary was full of pride when all three sons enlisted into the army. However, during the course of the war she would see that pride turn to grief as tragically first Walter was killed on 28th August 1915 serving with the Sherwood Foresters then Arthur, also serving in the Sherwood Foresters, was taken prisoner on 4th April 1917 and finally George was killed on 6th November 1918 serving with the Yorkshire Regiment.
Walter enlisted in Retford and served with the 10th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys Regiment). His medal card states he first saw service in France on 14th July 1915. He died of wounds on 28th August 1915 about six weeks after his arrival on the Western Front. He was buried in Lissenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium (grave ref. III.C.33). Walter qualified for the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of Lissenthoek Military Cemetery (extract): The cemetery is about 12km from the town of Ieper (Ypres). 'During the First World War, the village of Lijssenthoek was situated on the main communication line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the Ypres battlefields. Close to the Front, but out of the extreme range of most German field artillery, it became a natural place to establish casualty clearing stations. The cemetery was first used by the French 15th Hopital D'Evacuation and in June 1915, it began to be used by casualty clearing stations of the Commonwealth forces. From April to August 1918, the casualty clearing stations fell back before the German advance and field ambulances (including a French ambulance) took their places.' (www.cwgc.org)
Walter's brother George (13016 Sergeant) served with the 1st Battalion, Alexandra Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment), and was killed in action in France on 6 November 1918. (See record on this Roll of Honour). CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'Thy will be done' Retford Times, 3 September 1915: 'Pte W Davison' 'Pte ‘Tiny’ Davison was in the 10th Sherwood Foresters, one of the Battalions of Lord Kitchener’s Army. His mother who resides in Rectory Road, received the sad information of his death on Tuesday, just a year to the day after the brave lad enlisted. 'The Rev M Buchanan, Church of England Chaplain at the No. 10 Casualty Clearing Station, wrote “I am very sorry to have to tell you that your son, Pte Davison of the 10th Sherwood Foresters, was bought into this hospital last night very severely wounded in the head and died shortly after. I saw him before he died and said some prayers for him, but he was quite unconscious. I buried him today in the soldiers graveyard in Belgium and a cross will be placed on the grave. With sincerest sympathy”. 'Captain J W Fisher, writing on Monday says, “I very much regret that it is my duty to tell you that your son, Pte W Davison was wounded in the trenches on the 27th and has died of his wounds. At the time he was attending to another wounded man. I must express to you how sorry I am to have lost him. He always did his work well.” 'Pte Davison who was a stretcher bearer, had been in France about eight weeks and in the trenches nearly a fortnight. Many well known Retford lads are in the 10th Battalion. He was formerly employed at the station as a railway porter and is second Retford railway man to be killed, the other being Private Herbert Grant of the (-) Sherwood Foresters. He was 21 years of age. 'In his last letter home, Pte Davison said “I am writing from the trenches this time. We are having a rough time of it. We are not in the fire trenches but in the reserves. There is a chateau just like the old English hall against us and the Germans dropped about 20 shells on it yesterday only 30 to 50 yards away from our dugout. They blew dirt and bricks about 40 feet into the air. Bullets are always flying about. We cannot see them coming, only hear them whistle past our ear. We have to trust to luck whether we are hit or not. We have not had many – only one poor lad was killed yesterday. I had to carry him out. It is the snipers who do all the damage. It is very hard work carrying the wounded out of the trenches. We have to be very careful and it doesn’t half make us sweat and blow. I got a shirt and two pair of socks from Mrs Bradshaw the day previous to coming here”. 'Mrs Davison has another soldier son. He is Pte Geo. Davison of the Princess of Wales’ Own Yorkshire Regt., stationed at Whitley.' Note: Captain John Wilfred Fisher, 10th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, was killed on 8 July 1916 age 23. Buried Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L’Abbe, France. (See record on this Roll of Honour) A similar report to the above was published in the Retford and Worksop Herald and North Notts Advertiser on 7 September 1915. Retford & Worksop Herald and North Notts Advertiser, 21 September 1915: ‘Corpl White of the 10th Sherwood Foresters, writes: We are again under fire after having three days’ rest. We are in the wood where Sergt. Phillipson [see record on this Roll of Honour] and two or three more Retford lads are buried. I pass their graves every morning. There is a very nice cross on Sergt. Phillipson’s grave. I expect you have heard of Pte W Davison being killed. He had just been helping to take a wounded man to the hospital. He came back to have a chat with me, and then said, ‘I must be going, they might want me.’ Shortly afterwards they brought him past me, nearly dead. He was hit in the head with a piece of a shell. He was the only mate I had out here, so I miss him very much. He was liked by all his comrades.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
