Arthur “Aird”Mercer Davies
Aird was born 5.3.1888. in Woolston, a suburb of Southampton. His father, Arthur Mercer Davies was then Assistant Professor of Hygiene at Netley Military Hospital. Situated on the East Bank of Southampton Water, this hospital had been commissioned by Queen Victoria for the care of the wounded of the Crimean war. With the exception of its chapel it has now been completely demolished, but not before it played a significant role in both World Wars. During the Second World War it was taken over by the Unites States Army.
He was educated initially at Winton House School in Winchester, which he entered in the Summer term of 1899.
This was a Preparatory School about a mile from the centre of the city, and quite small. He left the school at the end of the Easter Term of 1902, aged 13, for the Westminster School in London. Later entering University College Oxford, Westminster Hospital and RAMC in 1912.
Aird spent much of his military service up till the start of the Second World War in India
Aird and Pearl married in Benares India, on 17thNovember 1917:she was the second daughter of Dr A Venis CIE. Pearl subsequently returned to Abingdon in England, possibly for the birth of Sheila, who was born on 15thAugust 1918, She never returned to India permanently if at all . A brother was killed in the First World War.
Aird retired from the RAMC in 1946 with the rank of Colonel, honorary Brigadier for much of the war. Following retirement from the Army he lived and worked in the Leasowe Hospital in the Wirral, Cheshire, until 1962 caring for its young patients many of whom had TB. As this disease was brought under control so the need for a specific TB Hospital for children diminished and he finally retired aged 74. The hospital was demolished in 2000.
In his full retirement he lived with Pearl , first in Stanley Mansions, Chelsea and then at 100 Hambalt Road, Clapham.
Aird died in his sleep at Clapham on 8thJune 1967 and was cremated in Roehampton. Subsequently a memorial service was held at St Bride’s , fleet Street.
Pearl died in 1970, and Sheila continued to live in 100 Hambalt Road until her own death at St Thomas’s Hospital on 18thDecember 2000.
Evelyn Mary Mercer Davies “Molly”
Molly was born 18.8.1899.
She married Richard Ashmur Blair Young in 1923 . He died 25/10/1929.
There are a number of papers relating to the Young family in my possession
Ashmur had a first wife (details unknown). His daughter lived Perth, W Australia – her name was Peggy Wanless O’Gowan.
Molly died in 31.12.1958 after a road traffic accident with a refuse cart.
Richard Francis Mercer Davies “Dick”
Dick was born in Landour , India on 24thSeptember 1895.
He attended Winton House School in Winchester, entering in the Easter Term of 1906 and leaving at the end of the Summer Term of 1908, to take up a Royal Naval Cadetship.
Naval Records up until about 1922 are difficult to research-many were lost during the Great War and soon after. The details that follow have been gathered from the Navy Lists at the time and the details of Dick’s short second career in the Royal Navy when he reenlisted in 1939.
RANK APPOINTMENTS:
Cadet 1908
Midshipman 15.5.1913
Sub lieutenant 15.11.1915
Lieutenant 15.5.1917 and 1918
Retired 7/7/1920
Lieutenant Commander (retired list) 7.7.1926.
We have his warrant of commissioning as a Sub Lieutenant.
He lost one year’s seniority as a Lieutenant following the sentence of Court Martial almost certainly early in 1918, though no details of the charges have been recorded. He retired in 1920 at his own request, aged less than 25 and with slightly less than 5 years commissioned service.
SHIP APPOINTMENTS:
HMS Centurion as midshipman 15.5.1913
HMS Canada early 1916
HMSS Alecto , Lucia, Titania, Thames all related to submarine warfare, late 1916 till late 1919
HMS Undaunted. Light cruiser , late 1919 till early 1920.
His last entry in the Navy List appears in the issue of July 1920.
We have very little information on his activity between the wars but we do know that he married Beatrice Seabrook on 9.5.1924. We also have a letter from Dick to Aird from the Mkoe Plantations in Tanganyika dated 18.11.1929.
Dick reenlisted at the outbreak of the Second World War and quoted his address as 47 Victoria Road, Deal, Kent.
His second Naval Record was:
HMS Fervent : CCB Ramsgate for prize crews (?), 15.9.1939. Appointment terminated (insobriety), 19.9.1939
HNS Pembroke Royal Naval Barracks Chatham 28.10.1939.
Armed Guards: 17.4.1940.
Admitted to RN Hospital Chatham 4thJune discharged 17thJune 1940
Appointment terminated 17.6.1940.
Reverts to retired list 18.6.1840.
Invalided to medical discharge, because of alcoholism.
Dick died 19.12.1945. Buried Meliden 21.12.1945
Dick had been staying with sister Molly in Prestatyn, Wales on his own for some weeks when he died of TB.
Henry Aird Mercer Davies “Harry”.
Harry was born 8.8.1900 in Simla, India.
Naval career.
It may be presumed that he was a Special Entry cadet as both and William Eames Wilson were appointed Midshipmen on the same day. His career record has been provided by Naval Records.
Rank Appointments:
Cadet 1918
Midshipman 25.4.1920
Sub Lieutenant 15.5.1921
Lieutenant –never appointed
Resigned 30.4.1924.
Ship appointments:
HMS Warspite as Midshipman 12.6.1920
Courses at Portsmouth and Greenwich February 1922 till June 1923
HMS Triad , Ceylon, July til December 1923.
It is almost certain that Harry introduced William Eames Wilson to Alice Elizabeth Mercer Davies whilst they were both at Greenwich.
His record of service concludes:
Discharged to Columbo to await passage to England, owing to misconduct.
Logged for gross negligence when in charge of mess funds.
It would appear that he spent the last few months of his Naval career in Chatham. No reason or details of the misappropriation were recorded but he certainly was not cashiered.
Military career:
Harry subsequently enlisted in the Army four years later and the following details have been supplied by Army Records:
Royal Fusiliers: Enlisted 14.11.1928 , rising to rank of Lance Corporal
Royal Engineers: Transferred 11.9.1931, rising to acting Sergeant.
Royal Army Reserve : Released to the reserve on 17.1.1936, reverting to Lance Corporal.
Overseas service : Transjordan Frontier Force, 2ndFebruary till 8thJune 1934.
He died 3.4.1940 , having taken his own life near Jerusalem.
Alice Elizabeth Mercer Davies "Ma' or 'Betty"
28.12.1902-14.5.1969
Some notes from Susan Elizabeth Wilson.
Ma was educated at The Godolphin School, Salisbury
She played badminton to match standard.
She had a good singing voice and played the piano.
She married William Eames Wilson
All her children were born at Stepney Towers Nursing Home , Southsea.
Apart from Anne, who was born at St Mary’s Hospital London.
1937-1939 was the only time during his naval career that William Eames Wilson had a shore job and was at home. In 1939 the war broke out and he went to sea again.
So Ma brought up her family largely on her own.
After the war William (“Pop”) had some naval duties in Germany, before retiring from the Navy in 1946/7 and moving to Springdale Cottage , Runcton.
He took some time to find the right job-including training students at Gordonstoun School , Scotland-as a sailing officer training the students, living on a barge on the Thames.
Eventually he took up picture restoring-to just about make ends meet. “Too decent to charge a proper price for his expertise”-according to Ma.
Ma died after a pulmonary Embolism, after a hysterectomy that she had specifically chosen to have so she could be fit enough or Anne’s wedding in May 1969
“Ma’s nature” according to Susan Elizabeth Wilson.:
Self-effacing, generous ,kind , loyal ,long-suffering and suffered in silence. Stoic in adverse conditions and never complained.
Very proud of her “menfolk” i.e. her family.
Ingenious in dealing with wartime rationing, restrictions, feeding her family. Making do and mending.
Ma’s “warwork”, as she called it:
She was unable to work in the factories, as she had to bring up her family.
She took in lodgers-service personnel who were allowed to live away from shore establishment including:
A naval musician , who asked Ma if she would mind if he brought his radiogram, he was allowed to do this , but also turned up with a grand piano!They played duets, he on his grand piano and Ma on the family “upright”.
An army colonel, by the name of Dixon-Spain.
He was a well known architect who built the Rock Hotel in Gibraltar, among others-and had been enlisted in the Army as a fine arts advisor-at the onset of the war.
Ma’s musical abilities-hearing her play at the piano and Pop on the flute,
playing duets when we retired to bed-in particular La Cygne by Debussy.
