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| 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles Robert Frederick Nott Davis - Regimental # 114155 |
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| 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles |
His parents are Florence Amelia Nott and George Robert Davis - both born in Bristol England.
According to the census in England his father worked as an antiques dealer and their mom as a schoolmistress, it seems the family lived on the school grounds at Chekendon School in Oxfordshire.
The year after his birth, a little sister came along named Winnifreth Councel(our grandmother). Sometime after this birth the family moved to Somerset where their younger sister Gwynie was born4 years later.
At 17 years old Robert boarded a ship named the Royal Edward bound for Canada and arrived into Quebec City in August.
The ship was named after King Edward who was the next in line to the English throne.
He travelled without any other family members and listed himself as working as a "groom". With intentions to travel to Saskatchewan for work and possibly where his mother was now residing as she had arrived through St John Harbour in 1911 (with two small children ages 4 and 5).
His younger sister Winnifreth (our grandmother) booked passage on a ship a year later.
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| Lapel pin |
Less than 6 months after travelling the great Atlantic expanse to arrive in Canada. He then turned around and on Dec 26th 1914 signed up to the 1st Regiment Canadian Mounted Rifles. He trained in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan where there was a large army training facility.and moved up from Trooper to Private before shipping overseas - back to England arriving just before Christams 1915. and were promptly folded into the 8th Infantry Brigade and then on to the front in Belgium(as foot soldiers).
Robert must have hurt himself during training exercises as he is recorded in the hospital twice.
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| Marching song |
His pay of $15 per month was delivered to his mom Florence Amelia Davis in Perdue Saskatchewan. (Our great grandmother). His younger sister Winnifreth Florence Davis (our paternal grandmother is listed as a resident in the household.
His new brigade headed for France in February
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| Menin Gate circa 1915 |
On Feb 2 1916 he left for the front, passing through the town of Ypres and the Menin Gate, joining the already fighting unit at Sanctuary Wood (Hill 62) 2 miles south east of Ypres.
They were caught behind enemy lines. 8,430 men were killed including Robert, just 1 week before his 20th birthday.
These are the facts as recorded in his military documents.
Reported taken Feb 21 1916
Reported Missing in action between June 2nd and 5th 1916.
Reported Presumed dead Mar 21 1917
OFFICIAL REPORT April 5 1917 Officially reported killed in action
Interned at Santuary Wood, Ypres Belgium
Having lost the high ground on the first day of the attack, the Canadians put up a determined fight to recapture the ground, which they did for the most part after 13 days of fighting.
Casualties on both sides were heavy. The Canadians suffered just under 8,500 casualties; of those 1,000 men were killed and another 1,900 were missing. Many Canadians killed in this battle are buried in the nearby cemeteries of Hooge Crater Cemetery and Maple Copse Cemetery. Those who are missing in action and whose discovered remains cannot be identified are commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres.
Robert Frederick Nott Davis is Commemorated at
Between Oct 1914 and September 1918 hundreds of thousands of servicemen of the British Empire marched through the town of Ypres's Menin gate on their way to the battlefields. The memorial now stands as a reminder of those who died who have no known grave.Location: West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Menin Gate Memorial - current
Number of casualties: 54614Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 30, 32.
This gate bears the name of more than 54,000 soldiers who dies before August 1917 and have no know.
Rest in Peace Robert - you are not forgotten
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