Remembering Today

[Jim Strawbridge]

Davis

Mildred Constance

Rank/Title/Service Number: Driver

Unit/Force: French Red Cross Society

Place/Date of Birth:

Place/Date of Death: France; Bouches-du-Rhone; Marseilles/8/10/18

Age: 25

Place of Burial/Memorial: France; Bouches-du-Rhone; Marseilles; Mazargues War Cemetery; III. A. 58

Remarks: Daughter of Rev. Edward Smith of Hazelbury-Bryan, Sturminster Newton, Dorset. Wife of the late Capt. Reginald Noel Davis (of Newcastle on Tyne) of the 2nd Battalion West Riding (Duke of Wellington’s) who was killed in action 12th October 1916. Mildred worked with the Croix Rouge Francaise as an ambulance driver. She died from pneumonia at Marseilles.

Mildred's headstone is one of only a handful that I still require from France so if anyone is passing nearby I would appreciate a picture.

[Malcolm]

If you check her husband's details you get some more information.

Name: DAVIS, REGINALD NOEL

Initials: R N

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Captain

Regiment: Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)

Unit Text: 3rd Bn. attd. 2nd Bn.

Age: 26

Date of Death: 12/10/1916

Additional information: Son of Frederick Blake Davis and Amy Eugeine Davis; husband of Mildred Constance Davis, who died of pneumonia, in 1918, while working with the French Red Cross at Marseilles. Native of Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: IX. AA. 5.

Cemetery: GUARDS' CEMETERY, LESBOEUFS

Aye

Malcolm

[swizz]

Jim

I was in the parish church at Haslebury Bryan yesterday and noticed this plaque to the Davises. I have a much larger and better quality version on the photo - I'll send if to you if you would be interested - send me a PM.

I only put Mildred Davis' name into the forum on the off-chance that there would be any reference to her - was very surprised to find a post dedicated to her!

Swizz

[swizz]

Sorry I meant to say that I took a photo of the window too.

Swizz

[Jim Strawbridge]

Thanks Swizz. I am contacting you direct with a view to getting full definition images. For the rest of you I still haven't got a photograph of Mildred Davis's grave. Does no-one go to Marseilles these days?

[Dolus]

Mildred's gravestone is next to those of two other women, Staff Nurse Goldsmith of the Territorial Nursing Service and Nurse Young of the VAD.

I took a photo of these three gravestones, at Mazargues, on 31 May this year, on a brilliantly sunny day and the detail, including a rosemary bush in flower behind and a red rose bush and what may be an aquilegia in full flower in front, is very good. Mildred's is the only gravestone, of the three, without a crest (I've seen other CWGC French Red Cross graves which do have the red Cross symbol), but the only one with a personal inscription - it reads "Wife of Capt. Noel Davis From Glory To Glory".

Happy to copy the picture to you, just tell me how you would like it.

[Jim Strawbridge]

Happy to copy the picture to you, just tell me how you would like it.

Thank you, Dolus. Generous offer. I am contacting you direct with my email address.