Joseph Ithel Jehu Davies (1894 - 1916) – RWF - WW1 soldier poet

 With thanks to Nick Lock, Trustee and Chair of the Management Committee of the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum in Wales, who came across a reference to a poem written by Joseph Ithel Jehu Davies, a Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers. The poem was included in a new Great War exhibition at the Welshpool Museum. 

Joseph Ithel Jehu Davies was born on 10th August 1894 in Ty Coch, Welshpool, Wales. . His parents were Joseph Henry Davies and his wife, Sarah E. Davies, nee Morris.  He studied at Armstrong College, Newcastle University. 

When war broke out, Joseph was  commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 16th December 1914 into the 11th Bn of the Royal Welsh Fudiliers* and was was attached to the 12th Bn for a period. He was gazetted (27/5/16) - 2/Lt transferred to the 8th Bn, then attached to the 1st Bn in France. 

During the battle for Guillemont, Joseph was killed in the attack on Ginchy on 3rd September 1916 at the age of 22. At the time of his death, Joseph held the rank of Lieutenant and was in command of “E” Company of the First Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.  He was buried in Delville Wood Cemy, Longueval, France and is also remembered on Welshpool’s War Memorial in St. Mary’s churchyard. 

Joseph Ithel Jehu Davies is also remembered on a marble plaque originally on display in the Presbyterian Church, Mount Street, now housed in New Street United Church.

“Les Heros”

On the battle-scared plains of north France,

Are our heroes who never knew fear

Their spirits buoyed up by the chance,

That the end of the conflict is near.

Their strong faith in their tryst ne’er grows dim,

Through the strife has been fierce and long

For they know in the end they must win

In the battle of Right against Wrong.

And often the tale has been told

Of deeds that are noble and brave,

How many a hero lies cold

Through trying a comrade to save.

Their deeds through the empire shall ring,

Long after the struggle shall cease,

And we of their glory will sing,

And think how their last rest is – Peace.

* The Royal Welch Fusiliers (In Welsh: Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, founded in 1689 shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated a fusilier regiment and became The Welch Regiment of Fusiliers; the prefix "Royal" was added in 1713, then confirmed in 1714 when George I named it The Prince of Wales's Own Royal Regiment of Welsh Fusiliers. After the 1751 reforms that standardised the naming and numbering of regiments, it became the 23rd Foot (Royal Welsh Fuzileers).

The Regiment retained the archaic spelling of Welch, instead of Welsh, and Fuzileers for Fusiliers; these were engraved on swords carried by regimental officers during the Napoleonic Wars. After the 1881 Childers Reforms, its official title was The Royal Welsh Fusiliers, but "Welch" continued to be used informally until restored in 1920 by Army Order No.56.

From Jonathon Riley: http://generalship.org/military-history-articles/llewellyn-wyn-griffith.html

NOTE from Nick Lock - The cap badge shown is that of The Royal Welsh which is the successor regiment to the RWF. The Royal Welsh were formed in 2006 from an amalgamation of the Royal Welch Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Wales. The new regiment observes many of the customs and traditions of the RWF such as the white hackle and Flash worn on the back of the uniform collar. The Royal Welsh are also rightly proud of the literary record of their antecedent regiment.

The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, a historic regiment of the British Army. The museum is located within Caernarfon Castle in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, North Wales. Admission is included with entry to the castle.

Caernarfon Castle,Castle Ditch, Caernarfon LL55 2AY

Other Sources:  Find my Past and

https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead

https://www.christchurchwelshpool.co.uk/remembering-the-fallen-of-the-great-war-joseph-ithel-jehu-davies/

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-university-students-uncover-stories-8051668

http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=8245

http://www.universitiesatwar.org.uk/explore/davies-joseph-ithel-jehu