William Gladney Davies 1897-1964- 3 times Army Boxing Champion of the Rhine WW1

[jim1]

I don't want to go too far off topic but there are one or two things that don't add up.
Officer training didn't take long for NCO's so he would have completed it well before the end of the war.
Also the Officer bit got me confused as Officers didn't box although they did take part in other sports.
The 2nd. Welsh entered Germany on Dec. 21st. 1918 so a very short stay if he was demobbed the following month.
So I think he was demobbed as an NCO & may be the W.G. Davies from above as it wasn't unusual for men to be posted to other Batts. particularly after the war.

[roycymru]

Thank you. Do you have any more on this W.G. Davies

[roycymru]

Searched through my stuff and found a couple of more pictures of him. Told the badge on his hat is a Royal Welsh one? For second "boxing" picture says Winner East Anglian Tournament which is even more confusing!

[roycymru]

Googling found reference to " Army Boxing Championships published in the Times" during this period. Does anyone have access to these records

[MaxD]

The white band and his officers style uniform indicate he was an officer cadet when the photo was taken.  East Anglia is not confusing really, as an example the 18th Battalion came back from France in May 1918 to be reconstituted after losses and was stationed in North Walsham in Norfolk before going back to France in June that year.  Check out all the Welsh Regt battalions here  http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/welsh-regiment/
and you'll find more than one stationed in East Anglia at different times.

MaxD

[MaxD]

May have missed one or two  - these Welsh Regt battalions were in East Anglia at one time or another
2/7th, 18th, 23rd, 25th, 51st, 52nd.

East Anglian Tournament has the ring of an inter battalion competition within those elements
of the regiment in E Anglia (guesswork).

MaxD

[jim1]

I don't think Sgt. Wm. G Davies 31568 19/Batt. is your man although he was demobbed Jan. 1919.
There's no indication of postings to other Batts. & the 19th. were not part of the Army of Occupation.

[roycymru]

Thanks for all your feedback, things are making more sense now. So it does look like he was in "a" Welsh Regiment, in his own hand on the application for the AFC he states "2nd battalion Welsh" so I have no real reason to doubt this, though from what your are saying it doesn't quite fit the facts available?

Am I right in assuming that the statement "commissioned in 1917" can't be right and that it was more likely he just joined up in 1917 rather than being commissioned?

Do you think there has also been some licence/loss of understanding overtime regarding "three time Army boxing champion of the Rhine", as my understanding is that the Army Of The Rhine was not formed until 1919 but he was demobbed in Jan 1919, or is the army of The Rhine a completely separate thing and he still could have been "champion of the Rhine"

I have previously looked at all possible variations of William Gladney Davies in the Medal Rolls index and all seemed to lead to a dead end. My assumption is that any records of his relating to WW1 were destroyed in the bombing in WW2, which is why the Army Personnel Centre can't find anything either. This is why I am perusing the boxing angle in case some Army "boxing/tournament" records exist on that might give more information on his Army career.

I am afraid you will have to bear with me on my lack of understanding on how the regiments etc. Worked

[jim1]

The 1st. photo shows him in a pre-economy tunic (1916) so although the photo may have been taken after 1916 it does show he was a serving soldier prior to that date.
What we don't know is if he was a serving soldier before the war or a pre-war Territorial.
Whichever there should be a medal card for him including the 14 Star medal as the 2nd. Batt. went to France  Aug. 1914. The medal card will have a qualifying date of 13/8/14 on it.
This would mean searching the MIC's for a WG/W/G Davies Sgt.