Davies, Elvin

5571 Private Elvin William Davies - 12th Field Ambulance

Elvin William Davies was born in Fremantle WA in 1894 to Arthur and Margaret Davies. He was the eldest of three siblings with Glyn (1895) and Hannah (1899).

The family lived in Solomon Street Fremantle and Elvin received his education at Fremantle Boys School.

Elvin enlisted early in the war but was knocked back due to his chest measurement not meeting the stringent early standards. On the 23rd June 1915 Elvin tried again and was this time accepted as fit for service. The medical examiner recorded the 21 years old Elvin's details as;

Height - 5 feet 6 inches;

Weight - 120lbs;

Chest Measurement - 33-36 inches;

Complexion - Light

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Light Brown;

Religious Denomination - Church of England.

After his successful enlistment Elvin was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.15 Training Depot. Elvin would have several weeks in this training group learning the basics of soldiering. On the 31st August 1915 he was attached to the 9th Reinforcements to the 2nd Stationary Hospital, which was a unit of the Australian Army Medical Corps. He only had two days with this group and was then transferred to the 10th Reinforcements to the 4th Field Ambulance.

He trained with this field ambulance group in WA for the next few weeks and on the 13th October 1915 boarded the HMAT Themistocles in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt. Prior to his leaving Fremantle, he and his brother Glyn had a photo taken together. (Below)

Elvin did not have a long time in Egypt as after arriving there in November , he and others from his reinforcement group were sent on to Gallipoli. Elvin was taken on strength of the 4th Field Ambulance at Anzac on the 7th December 1915. The 4th Field Ambulance was then situated at a place called Walden Grove. Elvin wrote of his first day there;

"Just after breakfast we were told to make ourselves dugouts, we were soon introduced to bullets and shells around us, on our way to the beach to get timbers for our dugout we nearly jumped out of our skins when a howitzer battery opened fire behind bushes unexpectedly as we didn’t even know we were near a soul."

Elvin and the 4th Field Ambulance were kept busy over the few weeks that they were at Gallipoli. However the decision had been made to evacuate the Gallipoli peninsula, so the men were kept on alert to move at a moments notice;

Elvin wrote at this time;

"On the morning parade we were warned to be ready to move off if necessary at any moment, packing up was then started with haste as we all expected that there was going to be an attack over Lone Pine way by us…that night as we were advised not to undress I spent a poor nights rest in my overcoat on an old sack."

By the third week of December the personnel of the 4th Field Ambulance had begun to be evacuated and on the 18th December 1915, Elvin arrived back in Egypt.

The unit began training again and also dealing with any sickness and injuries among the 4th Brigade troops. On the 29th February 1916 Elvin was transferred to the newly created 12th Field Ambulance. This unit was part of the 12th Brigade of the 4th Division AIF. Elvin wrote;

Held a full muster parade at 9.30am. Major Reiach made a speech and told us that starting from today we are now recognised as the 12^th Field Ambulance. C Section of the old 4^th F.A. becoming A section of 12^th F.Amb. and B section of 12^th being made up of C section of the old 6^th Fld Amb…During the day we shifted our camp a few yards away from 4^th F.A. In the evening I went to 2^nd Stn. Hosp and saw Reg Evans.

The next few months were to be spent in the Egyptian desert training heavily;

Orders came to us early in the morning so we were packing up all day, at 5pm we started on our four days march, we marched till 11pm. When we reached the end of the 1^st stage (15 miles) here we each had a cup of tea which had been prepared by our cooks who went ahead in carts; the going is very soft and most of our ‘freshness’ is now gone; we lay down and went to sleep anywhere we liked in the sand…We all got up at 3.30am and marched from 4am to 7.30 when we again caught up with our cooks and were given cup of tea and two slices of bacon after which we lay down in the open desert pestered with flies and panting with heat as there was no shelter for miles and miles, nothing but rotten desert. At 3pm we started off again and marched till 9pm, having covered 16 miles during the day, as there was no drinking water to be got we all went to bed without any food and very little water in our bottles.

On the 4th June 1916 the 12th Field Ambulance left Egypt and embarked for France, reaching Marseilles on the 11th June 1916. Elvin wrote;

The people are very enthusiastic about us arriving here…We had a glorious glimpse of the surrounding country. We were in a valley with a river most of the day, we stopped at Orange and had a little food. The country is great, nearly every inch of land is cultivated, there are a great many orchards and vineyards; on certain high peaks ruins of old castles can still be seen, many of their ancient walls are still in good conditions.

The Australians were sent north from Marseilles to the region around Armentieres. It was here that Elvin would have his first taste of trench life on the Western Front. From late June to early July 1916 the 4th Division stayed in this sector but their orders soon sent them to the Somme battlefield. While the 4th Division infantry entered the line on August 6th, the men of the Field Ambulance were sent up to the line much soon and were used to evacuate casualties from the 2nd Division. Elvin wrote;

5^th August Fritz started to shell our hill, saw miraculous escapes. I had to dive down a shell hole lively more than once. We are “parked” between two rows of wire entanglements. Towards midnight as the shells got too hot for us we all left Amb’s and got into trenches but when I reached these they were all full so I went back and slept in Amb but fell into wire on my way back as it was too dark to see properly.

Fortunately he got through the next six weeks at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm unscathed.

The 4th Division were then sent to rest at a quieter part of the front line at Ypres in Belgium. Elvin noted that; 

From the ruins it {Ypres} can easily be seen even now what a beautiful city it must have been in peace time, it isn’t leveled to the ground but the guns seem to have been fired at such close range that the shells went in one side of each building and out the others in many cases, most of the fittings of each house is left just as when the occupants evacuated.

Their time at Ypres proved short and by November 1916 Elvin and the 4th Division were back on the Somme battlefield. It was the coldest French winter in decades but their was constant offensive action which meant that Elvin and his Field Ambulance were kept very busy.

The 4th Field Ambulance were in this sector till February 1917.

More Fritz planes over than I’ve ever seen before, saw 3 of them shot down. In the evening 3 heavy armour piercing & 3 H.E. shrapnel shells lobbed right into us wounding 7 of our own men and four of other units of which 2 died while being dressed. All of us bar Ken Harrop and myself had to evacuate our position.

At 9pm we had a fair number of our wounded in our dugout and wanted to get some of them away but could not owing to the hellish barrage between us and our R.A.P. so we waited but by 10pm we could hardly turn around in our dugout for wounded and as still more were coming in we simply had to try and to get through the barrage, so I got my squad up top and got a patient onto a stretcher, while doing this three pellets of Shrapnel cut their way across my left legging. It stung my leg a bit but I could not wait as things were far too lively so we started off through the worst of the fire, stray bullets, flares, H.E., Shrapnel were flying over us, between us and all around. We had to carry on our shoulders owing to the ice and snow as everything was frozen and our carry was a mile or a little over. After a continuous miraculous escape we worked our way through to the R.A.P. where we had two minutes rest, left patient and returned to Chalk Cliff…As we were getting our third carry, something made me let go of my corner and as I did a piece of H.E. broke part of the handle of the stretcher I had been holding and I’m sure if I had not let go my arm would have been taken off below the elbow. On this carry we all just saved our skins by ducking and were only missed by a foot or so by dud shrapnel when we managed to reach R.A.P. On this carry all of us had sore shoulders…The carrying over the open and frozen ground under these awful conditions was heart breaking but we had to keep on as there were poor wounded lads to be got safely away. At about 3am Fritz’s barrage eased off, we could not see during the night what damage this fire had been doing all we knew was that we had to get to and from the R.A.P. for our wounded, of course we knew ice in large chunks & earth not to mention all the other stuff was continually about us, we kept on however although we were tired and sore.

Elvin survived the 4th Divisions actions at Bullecourt in April 1917 and was kept very busy in evacuating casualties from the battlefield. After this action they had a small period of rest in France and Elvin was given a fortnights leave in England;

25/4/17 - As it is Anzac Day all men out of line went to big sports meeting over in Henningcourt Wood, two men (1 of ours) got wounded owing to some officers shooting rabbits. Robby was dressed as a girl got 2^nd prize and Bill Dixon as Charlie Chaplin. Held a rare concert in evening in recreation hut which we had rigged up nicely to suit the occasion.

14^th May 1917: Marched to harbour and wharves, got on boat and left at 3-30 and waited outside harbour for two hospital boats, two others to join us then five destroyers surrounded us and we set off as hard as we could go, water was calm, some distance out two naval airships joined us escorted us right over, reached Folkestone at 5.30 and got on train, which was fine and fast so we arrived at Victoria Station at 7-30 where large crowd were there to see latest men from different fronts on leave. Marched about ¾ mile to “Aussy” H.Q. Horseferry Road, got our passes stamped but as it would have taken too long to get our pay then, Frank {Bateman} and I got a taxi and went out to Bangor Hotel, 18 Upper Holbourn Place in Russell Square and near Euston Station. Reached there got a good room with two beds, had a wash and clear up and had a real good dinner. The scenery coming up in train was beautiful and we both enjoyed it O.K.

15^th May 1917: After a good nights sleep in a decent clean bed, Frank and I got up, cleaned and had a very good breakfast after which we got a taxi. Frank going to Palace St to deliver one of his pals kits and I went to Aus H.Q. Got my pay and Frank joined me and he got pay also then we went out to Gamages in Holbourn where Frank got a lot of sporting material and had it sent to his unit, we then had a rare old walk around for some hours then had several lunches and had our photos taken then we got a taxi and went out to Paddington Station and found what was the best train to catch to Bristol then Frank went back to Hotel to get cleaned up while I got off at H.Q. got my pack and had a shave etc in the city then went out to Hotel. Frank and I had dinner and strolled around for awhile and sent telegrams respectively to Elsie and Mrs. Pearse after which we went around to Hotel again got our things caught a taxi and went out to Paddington and caught 2 min to 6 train and after a most enjoyable run which was very fast we arrived at Bristol at 9.30pm after passing through Bath which I believe is the main city on the way, we got out of our train and marched up to end of platform to see if anyone was waiting for us but decided that no one was there so started to cross overhead bridge so that we could catch a taxi and go our ways but halfway over bridge someone from behind us said “is that you Elvin” in a rather timid voice which was of course Elsie’s (she had missed us and was going home thinking we had missed our train when she saw our uniforms) I turned about (so did Frank) said my George it’s me alright so we kissed and I refreshed her memory about having met Frank when she was out in WA. We three then trotted off to tram and caught one which took us to centre of town, then we got into a taxi and went to Elsie’s, Frank going on to Mrs. Pearses. On arrival inside Elsie introduced me to Olive and Mrs. Read then they made me have supper which they had already for me after which we talked for several hours and then went to bed.

The break did not last long as in June 1917 Elvins 4th Division went up to Messines to support the 3rd Australian Division and New Zealand Division in the advance. They were to spend the next few months in this sector. Elvin left a few notes of this time;

7^th June 1917: Messines stunt came off successfully early this morning, 250 patients came in and everyone including the officers had to go for our lives. I was given two marquees to look after so had them made into G Ward and got 38 patients to look after...

AA Battery shot down a Taube at daybreak. At 2pm a Fokker came over and set 3 of our balloons on fire but missed a fourth one he dived at, then Bty opened as Fritz was making for home and their second shot burst in his engine and down came Fritz both pilot and observer being killed, in less than half an hour afterwards there was none of him left as RFC got the engine and our chaps tore the rest of him to pieces for souvenirs.

At 11pm last night, Gothas came over and dropped two aerial torpedoes in our camp the first one blowing the motorway to pieces, two E.P tents killing a orderly and three patients and badly wounding 14 others, we operated on most of the latter today and amputated many limbs; these enemy planes then bombed Steenwerck maiming several civilians and a dear little French girl aged about 8 years. We fixed her up but she will have to lose her left leg.

In September 1917 the 4th Division moved to Ypres and prepared to take part in the coming offensive. Elvin and his Field Ambulance would again be kept busy with the casualties that would come through.

Went to 28^th Battalion and had evening with Dave Simpson. Gothas at night. One aerial torpedo landed near Officers Mess 28^th Battalion which I had just left, killed Reg Gill, Col. and several other seniors, wounding Sid Flower & others.

11^th October 1917: Left Dickebusch at 9-15am, marched to Menin Road ADS through Ypres and got fair dugout, met Bob Barrett on the way up here, worked on wounded from 11am till 4-15pm then Dal Fordham[1] and I went over and saw Glyn, had nasty attack of influenza so we advised him to see an MO at once which he did.

12 October 1917: Miserable wet day, went over and saw Glyn in morning, were busy all day. Glyn came over in afternoon and met all the old boys and I got him evacuated to CCS.

Fine day, we were pretty busy all the time, where the gas got on me I broke out in large blisters the size of saucers and many little ones also. I had a most painful time but preferred to carry on but officers wanted to send me away.

Elvin had survived the Third Battle of Ypres and in November 1917 the 4th Division were sent to Peronne where they stayed for several weeks.

23^rd December 1917: Church parade in morning, went over to Canal Du Nord alongside as it is now frozen and has 18’ thick ice & is fine for skating, came a few “croppers” myself and saw many others in comical positions and falls, a couple of home made toboggans caused good fun, this canal was a very finely built affair but was wantonly destroyed completely by enemy when he held these positions. Gothas (2) flew over us early in evening and dropped 4 bombs on Peronne side of us.

25^th December 1917: Clear sunny morning, reveille ½ hour later this morning, after main fall in parade I went to Holy Communion in CA Hut. Dinner at 1 o’clock, issue consisted of boiled mutton and potatoes and tea, but we had bought a little pudding, there were no ACF boxes as last year, rations were as usual, most of the boys quiet, little falls of sleet once or twice in afternoon but fairly strong wind which clears sky now and then also stops sleet. Were each given a large portion of plum pudding and after tea most chaps looked uncomfy at the amount given each, were enough to make a bullock lop sided. Letters from Glyn. Couple of inches of snow before morning.

26^th December 1917: Short march in morning and heavy lot of snow, short march in afternoon, enemy aircraft (6) came over bombing well towards us at midday, each man was given nice little YMCA wallet of writing material, clear night.

Fine clear day, parades as usual 9.30am and 2pm, helmet inspection on formal parade. Saw a Rumpler biplane (scout) shot down and landed 1 mile from us, was burned by the occupants before any of us got near enough to stop them. One (the pilot) was the largest man I’ve ever seen go up in any plane. Was shot down by an “Aussy” pilot from a scout of ours.

In 1918 Elvin and the 4th Division returned to Ypres and helped hold the line between there and Messines. Shellfire was increasing from the Germans as they were expected to be making a large attack.

Ken McKenzie and I were talking on step of ’41 car when we heard an “indian rubber doll” (German shell) let fly and within two seconds an armour piercing brute of about 12’ caliber landed just on path at the end of our billet breaking 129 panes of glass, blowing down steps up to top storey, wounding AB Hart, several large bits went clean through wall at end of billet and made it bulge out. Shell went down about 6 feet, caused good lot of damage to building by causing cracks and breaking and loosening ceiling plates and covering our room with brick dust and soot from fire place. As it landed Ken got under car and I got in it then the bricks flew, were all a bit shaken.