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Remembered Today:

DW Davies (RWF) Bryneglwys/Corwen and Istanbul


Trebrys

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Dear all,

 

It has been some time since I've been on the website, but I thought some of you might be interested in this.

 

I was in Istanbul a few months ago when I visited the British War Cemetery on the Asian side of the city. It is an immaculately kept place, but with many graves from the Crimean War and WW2 as well. Florence Nightingale's...and Dilys Cadwalader's Scutari hospital...now a Turkish military base...was about half a mile away. I was drawn towards a grave there and found that it was for a D. W. Davies 92213 RWF, who had died 22 August 1919. The date was unusual, unless the 'Flu had got hold of him. A quick peek on my phone to the War Graves Commission site had him named as David William Davies, the son of John Davies, and the late Miriam, of Bryneglwys...and the husband of Ellen Davies, Hill Street, Corwen. I have been to Bryneglwys and see that he is listed on the local war memorial, but his date of death is one day later, the 23 August 1919...David William Davies, Pentre-Bach, aged 30.

 

Would anyone know why he was in Istanbul then and how he died?

 

Any help would be gratefully received.

 

Diolch yn fawr.

Edited by Trebrys
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Thank you very much, Heid the Ba...I know what he was doing now...but is there any way of finding how he passed away?

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Would he not have a UK death certificate, or are they only issued for deaths that actually occur in the UK?

 

Regards,

JMB

Edited by JMB1943
Typo
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The effects register shows he died at 82nd Gen Hospital, Constantinople. No cause of death given.

 

Craig

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"Yr Adsain", a local Welsh medium newspaper of the period states that he died as a "result of a compound fracture of the feet" on August 21. It also states that he was 27 and that he left a wife, Lizzie E. Davies and a son..

 

How did this accident occur, I wonder?

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  • 1 month later...

His RWF number denotes a call up in June 1918. I cannot see him in the Medal Indexes which denotes he went overseas after armistice.

 

Also of Pentre Bach, Bryneglwys is John Evan Davies 141561 RGA (brother?)

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The war gratuity he was paid was for 12 months or less service - it would indicate enlistment in the month from 28 Aug 18 or later.

 

Craig

 

 

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Hi I've had a look on the 1901 and 1911 census and yes I think its a good chance that the above John Evan Davies was David's brother.  At least the 1901 census says that he had a brother named John Evan.  There isn't enough information on the IWM website to totally connect the two but I am assuming that Hywyn above has seen something a little more concrete. 

 

Thanks again, its another extra bit to add to the biography. 

 

Laura 

Edited by Amgueddfa Corwen Museum
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8 minutes ago, Amgueddfa Corwen Museum said:

 but I am assuming that Hwyn above has seen something a little more concrete. 

 

Thanks again, its another extra bit to add to the biography. 

 

Laura 

They are both in the Absent Voters list to Pentre Bach, Bryn Eglwys. I queried whether brothers as I'm not familiar with the area (only to drive through) so don't know if there is more than one Pentre Bach.

Hywyn

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Transcript 1901 Census Pentre Bach, Bryneglwys

 

Head: John Davies born 1862 Llangwm Farm Labourer

Wife: Miriam Davies born 1871 Capel Garmon

Son: David W Davies born 1890 Bryneglwys

Son: John E Davies born 1893 Bryneglwys

 

Laura

 

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