More about Albert Davie

Albert Davie   CZ/1860 Drake Bn

Enlisted 29/10/14 ; 3/4/15 Did remain absent without leave & making a false statement on telegram, 7 days cells & 16 days pay stopped ; Benbow Bn. D/70 5/3/15-3/6/15 BW left shoulder, Invalided to UK 17/7/15 ; Draft for MEF (Signaller) 16/2/16, joined Base Depot Mudros 28/2/16 ; Awarded 30 days detention 24/3/16 for stealing a razor the property of K.W/523 AB George Davies (KIA Drake Bn. 14/11/16), joined Drake Bn. 15/5/16-13/11/16 DD.

DUNDEE R.N.D. MAN KILLED IN ACTION.

Mr and Mrs Davie, 34 Dudhope Street, Dundee, have received official intimation of the death in action on 13^th November of their son, A.B., Albert Davie, of the Royal Naval Division.

A.B. Davie, who was only seventeen years of age, joined the Royal Naval Division on the outbreak of war.  He took part in the fighting at the Dardanelles and was wounded in June, 1915.

Dundee Courier 23rd  December 1916

Albert Davie was the son of Mr Peter and Mrs Margaret Davie of 34 Dudhope Street, Dundee but his parents’ address on joining was 257 Clepington Road, Dundee and he gave his occupation as a Bottler. In October 1914 he volunteered to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve onboard HMS Unicorn for service in the Royal Naval Division. After initial Naval Training at the Crystal Palace in South London he was sent to Blandford Camp in Dorset for advanced military training. On completion he was drafted to the Benbow Battalion and was with them when it sailed for Gallipoli in May 1915. Either before or just after the Third Battle of Krithia he received a severe gunshot wound to his shoulder and was hospitalised in Alexandria in Egypt. From here he was transferred by Hospital Ship to the Haslar Royal Naval Hospital in Gosport, Hampshire for further treatment. On recovery he returned to Blandford for recuperation. In August 1915 he received leave from which he returned two days late. Still in Blandford he had been transferred to the Anson Battalion after the Benbow was disbanded on 8 June and the men moved to other Battalions to replace losses. However, before he left he was redirected to the Drake Battalion as a Signaller, arriving back in Mudros in April 1916 before he finally joined the Drake Battalion in May 1916 just before they sailed for France and the Western Front. After training in Army tactics the Drakes began to experience the war on the Western Front and was being prepared to join in the Somme battle. One of the first day’s objectives of the British attack on 1 July 1916 was the capture of the village of Beaucourt just to the west of the River Ancre. It was finally taken on 14 November by the men of the RND. This was the first major operation by the RND in France and established a reputation for being a “Can Do” Division. However, the casualty list was very long and over 30 local men were killed and countless more wounded. This was the worst ever day for Dundee’s Naval forces in the First World War and Albert Davie was listed as killed in action. His body was recovered and is buried in the Ancre Military Cemetery, Northern France.

Iain Stewart and Iain Birnie