Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Births Dec 1893 John Joseph Davies Narberth 11a 1071

Joseph was born at Broomhill, Minwear, Narberth in 1893, the son of David and Catherine Ann John. The family later resided at Tenby, where Joseph was educated, and at Amberley House, Pembroke. Joseph had migrated to Australia with his cousins in 1910, aged only 17, and enlisted at Perth, NSW on 12 March 1915 into the 28th Battalion, Australian Infantry, who were attached to 7 Brigade, 2nd Australian Division. Joseph landed on Gallipoli on 5 September 1915 and was wounded in the thigh two weeks later, which required him to be evacuated and sent to Egypt for treatment. On 15 January 1916 Joseph returned to his unit, and on 16 March 1916 the Battalion embarked at Alexandria to France, disembarking at Marseilles on 21 March. In France, the Australian Imperial Force were posted to the line near Fleurbaix, where they were initiated into the rigours of trench warfare on the Western Front. In mid July, the ANZACS were sent to the Somme, where they were to take the formidable German positions at Pozieres Ridge. The first attack was carried out successfully by the First Division, and on 27 July 1916, the Second Division replaced them at Pozieres. Joseph was posted as missing during the continued fighting at Pozieres, and was finally certified as Killed in Action on 29 July 1916. He was 22 years old, and is remembered on the Villers-Brettoneux Memorial, France.

He is one of two Australian casualties of the Great War commemorated on the Tenby (Greenhill School) War Memorial-the other being Gunner, Griffith Hugh Davies John, 3123, Australian Artillery.