John Henry Davies, Age 44

Corporal, 15715, 11th (Service) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment.

John had been born in Wellington, but for a number of years lived at Dawley with his wife Florence.

They moved to Burnley (18 Lutner Street) in about 1909 where John first found work at the loom works of Messrs. Pemberton & Co and later on became a watchmaker, It was while still working as a watchmaker that he enlisted into the army soon after the war broke out.

John joined the 11th East Lancashire which has gone down into history as the now famous Accrington Pals, He first served overseas in Egypt before coming to the western front in March 1916 and a few months later the battalion went over the top on July 1st 1916 (The First day of the battle of the Somme).

Florence received word from the War Office that John had been killed in action on July 1st or 2nd 1916 and with his body never been recovered he is remembered on the Thiepval memorial Pier and Face 6c.

John left behind a widow and 7 children, 4 of whom were quite young. John and/or Florence must have still had ties with Dawley as a memorial service was held for John at the Dawley Parish Church on the 29th August 1916 and his name is on the Dawley memorial in the rest rooms. It might be that Florence had returned to live in Dawley on the death of her Husband.

Corporal, John Henry Davies

Commonwealth War Graves
commemorated Thiepval Memorial

Battles Of The Somme - Attack On Serre - 01/07/1916
Location: Serre Les Puisieux. Serre was one of the strongly fortified villages held by the Germans at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme. The village marked the most northern point of the main attack on the 1st of July 1916 (although there was a subsidiary attack at Gommecourt, a mile or so further north) and was the objective of 31st Division in VIII Corps, Fourth Army.

The attack was conducted by 94th Infantry Brigade on the left, 12th York and Lancaster Regiment and 11th East Lancashire Regiment the lead battalions, 13th York and Lancaster Regiment and 14th York and Lancaster Regiment in support. 93rd Infantry Brigade on the right on a single battalion front, 15th West Yorkshire Regiment the lead battalion, followed by 16th West Yorkshire Regiment and 18th West Yorkshire Regiment, 18th Durham Light Infantry in reserve.

Serre was defended by the German 169th (8th Baden) Infantry Regiment. As the preliminary artillery bombardment lifted at 07.30am, the leading waves of the attacking battalions rose from their advance positions and walked in line across No Man's Land towards the German trenches.

Where they were met by a hail of machine-gun and rifle fire and mown down, like 'swathes of cut corn at harvest time'. Small parties of 11th East Lancashire Regiment, 12th York & Lancaster Regiment and 13th York & Lancaster Regiment did manage to make it into the German front lines, some from 11th East Lancashire Regiment and 12th York and Lancaster Regiment even making their way into Serre village.

However the support units suffered even heavier machine-gun and artillery fire to their advance and failed to make it across No Man's Land. These small advance parties being isolated and forced to withdraw, the attack on Serre was effectively over by 08.00am.

31st Division suffering 3600 casualties in it's first major action.

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Victory Medal	British War Medal