Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Archie Davis was born on 3 May 1888 at Waimate, the sixth son of John and Ann (née Morgan) Davis, and a brother of Philip John Davis. John and Ann married in 1870 in Oxfordshire, England. In June 1874, John and Ann and their first-born Ann, arrived at Timaru by the “Peeress”. Also among the immigrants were Samuel and Eliza and family – James, Rose, Sylvia and William, Arthur Morgan and wife Mary. Samuel and Eliza were the parents of Ann Emily Davis; Arthur, James, Rosa, Sylvia and William her brothers and sisters. Sadly, little Ann died in August 1874, aged 11 months, in the Waimate district where the family settled and where eight more children were born. Archie, along with several of his siblings, attended Waihao Native School, Waimate, three older brothers having transferred there in May 1893. Archie left school for home at the end of 1900. In the early 1900s the family moved to Hunter. A clearing sale was held at Morven in April 1902, Mr John Davis’s lease having expired. He took up the lease of a farm at Orari in 1909, when he held a clearing sale at his farm at Hunter. Probably he transferred the Orari lease in 1911. Ann Emily Davis died on 22 July 1915 at the Belfield residence of her son-in-law and was buried at Geraldine.

Archie Davis was a labourer for his brother, Ernest Henry Davis, at Hinds, Ashburton, when he enlisted on 12 June 1915 at Trentham. Single and of Church of England affiliation, he named his brother as next-of-kin – E. H. Davis, Hinds Canterbury. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighed 150 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 35-38½ inches. His complexion was fair, his eyes blue, and his hair brown. While the sight in his left eye was not so good, as it had been damaged 20 years ago, his right eye was fine. His hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal, his limbs and chest well formed. His teeth were only fair, and he had no right lower molar. He would be accepted only subject to getting a satisfactory denture. He was free from hernia, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, inveterate or contagious skin disease, but had very slight varicocele. He was vaccinated and in good bodily and mental health.

Private A. Davis embarked with the Canterbury Infantry Battalion of the 7th Reinforcements, departing from Wellington on 9 October 1915 and disembarking at Suez, Egypt, on 18 January 1916. Having joined his battalion on 9 February 1916 at Ismailia, he embarked at Port Said for France per the “Franconia” on 6 April 1916. Less than three weeks later, at Armentière, he was appointed Lance Corporal. Wounded in action on 16 September 1916, he was admitted to the No. 1 New Zealand Field Ambulance, then to the No. 4 Convalescent Depot at Havre on 18 September. He had suffered a gunshot wound to his left arm. Embarking for England on 22 September, he was admitted to the 1st New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst on 23 September and transferred to the New Zealand Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch on 29 September. Taken on Strength at Codford a month later, he was admitted to the Venereal Section there on 25 November 1916, being discharged to the Convalescent Depot on 18 July 1917. His name appeared in the casualty list issued on 17 September 1917. On 1 September 1917, Archie had been admitted to No. 3 New Zealand General Hospital at Codford, attached to the Venereal Section. Leaving Codford for Sling on 7 December, he was detached to the 4th Reserve Canterbury Regiment on 1 February 1918. Leaving for France again on 14 April 1918, he joined his battalion at Etaples a few days later then rejoined in the Field on 26 April. He was evacuated on 11 July 1918 as a result of injury in the field. No disciplinary action was to be taken. Admitted to the Field Ambulance on 18 August 1918, he was discharged to his unit from the Field Ambulance on 18 August and rejoined his battalion in the field.

Davis went to Hospital from the Field on 2 September 1918, sick, and was admitted to No. 29 Casualty Clearing Station and admitted to No. 47 General Hospital the next day. On 3 September 1918 he had been wounded for a second time – gunshot wound to the elbow. He embarked per Hospital Ship for England on 11 September. There he was admitted to the No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst on 13 September and transferred from Brockenhurst to the Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch on 4 October. His name appeared in the casualty list issued on 17 September 1917. Leaving Hornchurch on 9 November 1918, he was to report at Codford on 25 November. Attached to the Dept in October, he marched out to Sling in December 1918.

Lance Corporal Archie Davis arrived back in New Zealand in January 1919 per the “Briton”, having embarked at Plymouth on 24 December 1918. A Provisional Medical Board assembled on the troopship on 29 January 1919 recommended demobilization. He was discharged on 26 February 1919, on the termination of his period of engagement. He had served for over three years in Egypt and France, and was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. When the 1914-1915 Star was issued it was returned unclaimed on 17 October 1920, though it may have been claimed at an amended address.

Archie Davis married Amy Dellow in 1920. Their only child, Donald Graham Davis, was born that same year. Archie and Ammy live for many years at Ashburton. Archie’s father, John Davis, died suddenly on 25 November 1927 at Ashburton, and was buried there. John who had lived at Westerfield in retirement, collapsed and died while walking on the lawn in East Street, having spent the night before with Archie at his Ashburton residence. In the 1930s they moved to Geraldine where Archie took up boot repairing. Their son, Donald Graham Davis, married Jane Pamela Bragg in 1941. He was a postmaster at various locations in the south, including Halfmoon Bay.

Archie Davis died on 16 July 1971 at Timaru (late of Geraldine), aged 83 years. His next-of-kin at death was Mrs P. Davis, 26 Lithgow Street, Invercargill – his daughter-in-law. Predeceased by his wife (Amy) and son (Don), Archie was survived by his daughter-in-law (Pamela), granddaughter (Gloria) and grandson (Peter). After a service at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Geraldine, he was buried at Geraldine Cemetery where Geraldine R.S.A. members paid tribute. Archie Davis shares a plot in the Services Section of Geraldine Cemetery with Alexander Keefe. Amy had been buried in the General Section when she died in 1959. By his simple Will, dated 25 April 1971, Archie Davis, boot repairer, Geraldine, appointed his daughter-in-law – Jane Pamela Davis, Invercargill, widow – as his trustee and bequeathed the whole of his estate to her absolutely. Donald Graham Davis who served as a signalman in World War Two (71849), died in 1967 and was buried at Bluff; Pamela lived on till 2009. Archie’s brother, Charles Edward Davis of Fairlie, was drawn in the Ballot in December 1917. Having three children, he claimed to be in Class D, and his claim was allowed. His next-of-kin brother, Ernest Henry Davis, was listed on the Reserve Rolls, a farm manager at Hinds with three children. His brother, Philip John Davis, did serve in World War One, he too naming his brother Ernest as next-of-kin. Five cousins of Archie and Philip lost their lives in World War One – James Matthew Morgan was killed in action in France in 1918; William Stanley Morgan was also killed in action in France in 1918; Archie Morgan was killed in action in Belgium n 1917; William George Loomes was killed in action in Belgium in 1917; Wilhelm (William) Seyb was killed in action in France in 1916. Other cousins who are known to have served were Robert Loomes, Harold Loomes and Archie Morgan Loomes; Bernhardt (Bernard) Seyb and Henry Michael Seyb; Cyril Barton Morgan.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [11 September 2016]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5537 0032353) [06 October 2016]; Geraldine Cemetery headstone images (Timaru District Council) [14 April 2014; 13 July 2023]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [11 September 2016]; School Admission records (Waimate Branch NZSG) [11 September 2016]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [11 September 2016; 07 October 2016]; Timaru Herald, 17 & 19 July 1971 (Timaru District Library) [12 September 2016]; Timaru Herald, 19 June 1874, 23 July 1915, 2 October 1916, 4 December 1917, 23 January 1918, 26 July 1924, Otago Daily Times, 2 October 1916, 18 September 1918, NZ Times, 2 October 1916, NZ Herald, 2 October 1916, 18 September 1918, Ashburton Guardian, 18 September 1918, 26 November 1927 [x 2], Lyttelton Times, 18 September 1918, Sun, 18 September 1918, Press, 18 September 1918, 9 November 1959, 17 & 19 July 1971, Otago Witness, 25 September 1918 (Papers Past) [13 July 2023]; Probate record (Archives NZ Collections – Record number TU284/1971) [17 July 2023]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

TS