Davies, David Claud Graham

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David Claud(e) Graham Davies

2nd Lieutenant, 1st Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
Died of wounds, 15 May 1915, aged 23
Buried at Béthune Town Cemetery, France

CWGC registered (Born at Llanrwst, Denbighshire. Son of Thomas John and Annie Louisa Davies, of “Awelon,” 15, Holbrook Avenue, Rugby)

AT REST

David Claud Graham Davies was the son of Dr Thomas John Davies and Mrs Annie Louisa Davies (née Graham). Although his birth in Llanrwst in 1892 is recorded as “David Claud Graham Davies”, it appears that this officer was usually known as “Claude” (written with a “e”). Thomas Davies died in 1897; the family was then living in Chorlton-upon-Medlock, Manchester. The 1901 Census for England records the widowed Mrs Davies and two sons David C G Davies (9) and James R Davies (8) living in Chorlton; boarding with them was a Bohemian, Hynek Zaloudek. Five days later on 6 April 1901, Annie Davies married her lodger at Chorlton and their son Robert Zaloudek was born in 1902. The family moved to Llandudno, living at 72 Mostyn Street. Her new husband traded as H Zaloudek & Co: “the leading ladies’ tailor and dressmakers.” David’s second half brother, Herbert Zaloudek was born in 1905.

Claude attended John Bright County School in Llandudno and was a member of Llandudno Town FC. He went on to study engineering at the University of Wales, Bangor where he joined the Officer Training Corps. He became a charge-hand at the electrical laboratory of British Thompson-Houston in Coventry. In the Census for 1911, he was recorded as a border, living at 23 Charlotte Street, Rugby. The same census recorded David’s mother and her three other sons living in Mostyn Street, Llandudno. It was around this time that Hynek Zaloudek married Emma Eugenie Hewitt at West Bromwich. Clearly the situation was complicated and from 1912, Annie Zaloudek was recorded in directories as living at 29 Manor Road, Rugby though from 1915, she had reverted to being named Annie Davies.

Because of his membership of the OTC at University, Claude was commissioned into the Royal Garrison Artillery on the outbreak of war and was attached to the 1st Siege Battery, 1st Army. The battery went out to the Western Front on 19 September 1914 disembarking at St. Nazaire. He was directing fire when he received shrapnel wounds. He died at the 24th Field Hospital, Béthune on 15 May 1915, aged 23. The Probate Record indicates that Claude’s address was 29 Manor Road, Rugby and that he left his estate of £559 18s 2d to his mother. The sum was equivalent to over £40,000 in today’s (2018) money.

Known memorials:

  • Llandudno Roll of Honour
  • Llandudno War Memorial
  • Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
  • Ysgol John Bright Roll of Honour
  • BTH War Memorial, Rugby

2 comments to Davies, David Claud Graham

  • admin

    Thank you for your comments Teresa. He must have been a very colourful character. Andy

  • Teresa Stokes

    I can add something about his mother’s marriage to Hynek Zaloudek, which was certainly complicated, in fact it was bigamous. On 1 May 1894 Zaloudek married his first wife Alice Lauener in Lausanne, Switzerland. He deserted her and took up with Annie Davies, his widowed landlady. Alice petitioned for divorce at the High Court of Justice on 24 May 1905 on the grounds of his desertion from Alice and his adultery and bigamy with Annie Davies. The divorce was of course granted and Zaloudek’s marriage to Annie became invalid, which might explain why Annie reverted back to the name Davies. I came across the divorce records in the course of my research on my great great uncle, Viscount Northcliffe. The connection to my family is that Zaloudek’s daughter with Emma Hewitt, Mina Zaloudek, was married to one of Lord Northcliffe’s illegitimate sons.

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