Archibald Jack Davy

Lance Corporal - Service No. 13668 - 8th Battalion Norfolk Regiment

Archibald Jack Davy, the son of Herbert Alfred Davy and his wife Ellen (Whitwood), was born 15th May 1895 in Swardeston, Norfolk. He was the youngest of five children, Ernest (born Ernest Whitwood in 1888), Selina (1890), Herbert (1891) and James (1894). Sadly Selina and James both died in infancy at less than 1 month old. Herbert and Ellen had married in Norwich in early 1890, when Ellen's son Ernest was about 15 months old, and moved to Swardeston where their remaining four children were born. Herbert was a carpenter by trade. Herbert Alfred Davy was the 2nd of the 13 children of Walter James Davy (1843-1904) and his wife Emily (Hubbard).

In 1927 Archibald married Elizabeth Bradfield Pope from Dorking, Surrey. Elizabeth was the illegitimate daughter of Ellen Elizabeth Pope and evidence points to her father's surname being Bradfield.

Archibald and Elizabeth lived in Swardeston where Archibald worked as a carter. They had a daughter Audrey (1929) and a son Herbert (1930). Archibald Jack Davy died, in Norwich, on 26th July 1968 at the age of 86 while his widow, Elizabeth, lived to be 93, dying on 27th September 1993.

Archibald joined the 8th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment on 3rd September 1914 with the rank of private and left for France with the British Expeditionary Force on 25th July 1915. He was in France for over two years, not returning to England until 20th August 1917 having been wounded in the neck and right arm. During his time in France he appears to have been promoted, in the field, to unpaid, then acting-paid and finally paid lance-corporal on 16th March 1917. Recovered from his wounds he returned to France on 19th March 1918 where he remained for almost 13 months until 14th May 1919. During this second tour of duty in France he was wounded and hospitalised twice with shell wounds to his face, right hand and neck, in May and September 1918. Archibald was finally demobilised and transferred to the army reserves on 16th June 1919. His army records survive and we know he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

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