Charles Davy was born in Bradford. His parents were Isaac Davy (born Bradford) and Elizabeth Butterfield Davy nee Wood (born Bradford).

The 1891 Census records show Charles Davy living with his parents Isaac (45) Occupation – Wool Top Worker and Elizabeth B (45), and his sister Maria (12) at 166, Ripon Street, Bradford. He was aged 15 and was employed as an Office Boy.

The 1901 Census sees Charles (25) Occupation – Wool sorter, still living at the same address with his mother Elizabeth B (55) Widow, and his sister Maria (22) Occupation – Milliner.

The 1911 Census records Charles (35) living with his widowed mother Eliz. B Davy (65) Widow, at 360, Hatfield Terrace, Undercliffe, Bradford. He is working as a Clerk in a Wool Warehouse.

Charles, still living at Hatfield Terrace, enlisted in June 1915 into the 18th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment, better known as the ‘2nd Bradford Pals'. Following the recruitment of the 16th Bn. (‘1st Bradford Pals') in September 1914, the Lord Mayor had authorised the raising of a second ‘Pals’ battalion in January 1915. Again, recruitment was brisk and the growing battalion was based in Bowling Park in the city.

By May 1915, the 2nd Bradford Pals were ‘full’ and had moved to Colsterdale Camp, near Masham, to join both the 1st Bradford Pals and Leeds Pals.

However, there was a slow but steady flow of Pals leaving these battalions as those with pre-war specialisms and potential officer candidates were transferred out. This now left room for new recruits…

…Charles Davy was one of these. It is likely he may have travelled from Bradford to Colsterdale to try and enlist. He was successful, being given the number 18/1496…one of the last recruits to the 2nd Pals.

In August 1915, orders were received for the Pals battalions to move to the south of England for final training before going overseas. At this stage, each Pals battalion was ‘over complement’, as a result the battalions were reduced to approximately 1000 men. This enabled those men who were deemed ‘not suitable’ (older men, latest recruits etc.) to be removed to form a ‘Depot Company’, then amalgamated with others to form the 20th Bn. West Yorkshire Regt. of (Bradford Reserve Bn.). These would remain at Colsterdale, with the potential to form parties of replacements when the need arose.

This is what happened to Charles Davy. The 20th Bn. Remained at Colsterdale until near Christmas 1915 when conditions on the exposed moors became so bad, the battalion was forced to move to Clipstone Camp early in 1916.

By this time the Pals battalions were in Egypt, but would return to France in March 1916, when parties of replacements from the 20th Bn. would join them. However, this would not include Charles Davy.

He would be sent to France in a party of replacements in early 1916, but not to the Pals – but the 10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment, that had been formed in York in September 1914 and had gone out to France in July 1915. Charles would be one of many ‘Bradford Pals’ to join this battalion. They might not have been with their fellow Bradford Pals at Serre on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme…but they would share their destruction in a single day…

The 10th Bn. West Yorkshire formed part of 50th Brigade of 17th (Northern) Division. They too would attack at 7.30 am on the morning of 1st July 1916 – their objective would be the village of Fricourt at the southern corner of the attacking front. Known to be a very difficult objective, the fortified village was not attacked directly, but in a ‘pincer movement’ from both flanks. The 10th West Yorks, would attack on the northern flank…

The initial advance by two companies of the 10th went well and in a matter of minutes were past the German front line and making their way to the second objective. However…

…they had passed the German front line, and in their haste to go forwards, had advanced without consolidating that front line. The Germans came out of their dugouts, overwhelmed what British troops had been left and set up their machine-guns…

…The remaining two companies of the 10th West Yorks, in support now made their advance – only now to be machine-gunned down in swathes…they would be practically annihilated, none got to the re-manned German front line.

The first two companies now found themselves in front of a well-fortified German second line – behind them was now the refortified German first line…they were trapped…Isolated, and now subjected to repeated German counter-attacks, their numbers dwindled and their ammunition started to run out…Only, at nightfall did a few survivors manage to trickle back to their starting positions.

The attack of the 10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regt. at Fricourt on 1st July 1916, cost the lives of the battalion CO, his second-in-command and adjutant. In total the casualties amounted to 22 officers and 750 ‘other ranks’, practically all of them…one of the highest casualty figures on the day.

Charles Davy was one of these, his body was never identified…When the letters to relatives of the casualties of the fallen to the Bradford Pals battalions at Serre and the Bradford Territorials at Thiepval as the month of July 1916 progressed…there would be other letters to Bradford families of the smaller number of Braford Pals who had been sent as replacements to the 10th Bn. West Yorks – including Mrs Elizabeth Davy of Hatfield Terrace informing her, that her son Charles had been killed…

The records for Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 1914 - 1921 show that Charles Davy is the son of Elizabeth Butterfield Davy now living at 2, Hilton Avenue, Frizinghall, Bradford.

Private Charles Davy, 10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own) has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier & Face 2A 2C & 2D).

He is also remembered on the family headstone at Undercliffe Cemetery, Bradford: ALSO OF CHARLES DAVY, SON OF THE ABOVE, KILLED IN ACTION ON THE SOMME JULY 1ST 1916, IN HIS 41ST. YEAR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This story was put together by the members of the ‘Bus to Bradford’ – WW1 Group and the Undercliffe Cemetery volunteers of Bradford, in memory of our city’s WW1 soldiers…