DAVEY Charles Leonard

Acting-Captain, Machine Gun Corps.
Born March 16th, 1880. Killed in Action, October 17th, 1918.
Charles Leonard Davey was the second son of the late Mr. H. Davey, Editor of the Worcester Journal. He entered the school as a day boy under the Reverend W. E. Bolland in May, 1891, and left at Easter, 1895, to enter the service of Berwick’s Old Bank, late Capital and Counties, in which he served for many years at Malvern, Tewkesbury and Godalming. Shortly after the outbreak of the war he joined the Public School Corps at the age of 35 and was selected for a commission and went with that Corps to France. On the break-up of the Public Schools battalion he joined the Machine Gun Corps, in which he was appointed Instructor. After repeated applications to go to the front he went out again on September 20th, and was killed in the recent advance. A loyal O.V. and frequent attendant at O.V. Club dinners, he was great lover of all sports, and was prominent in hockey and cricket. He frequently figured in O.V. teams and played hockey for both Gloucestershire and for the Western Counties Team.
W. H. C.

Source for additional information: The Vigornian, November 1918, No.93, Vol. IX.

The following report appears in the Upton News, 21st October 1918:
Lieut. C.L. Davey Killed
An official intimation has been received from the War Office of the death – killed in action on October 17th – of Lieut. C.L. Davey, Machine Gun Corps. Lieut. Davey, who was the second son of the late Mr H. Davey, Editor of Berrow’s Worcester Journal and allied papers, was in the service of the Capital and Counties Bank, at Malvern, Tewkesbury and Godalming, successively. He joined the Public Schools Corps, at the age of 35; was selected for a commission, and went with the Corps to France. On the break-up of the Public Schools Battalions he joined the Machine-Gun Corps, and was appointed an Instructor with the rank of Acting Captain. He went to France on September 9th. A great lover of manly games, Lieut. Davey was formerly prominent in hockey and cricket circles in the district, and played hockey for Gloucestershire and the Western Counties. He played for the Upton-on-Severn Hockey Club in several matches, and was well known in this district.

A photograph of Lieutenant C.L. Davey of Worcester can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 26th October 1918, available at Worcestershire Archives.

Charles Davey worked at the Godalming branch of Lloyds Bank. His name appears on the Lloyds Bank War Memorial unveiled at the Head Office on 8th February 1921 and in the company’s Memorial Album 1914 1918