William Harold Davies

His daughter, Rose recalls; "Dad wasn't 'called up' as he did what they called 'work of national importance'. Our family ran a pig and poultry farming business and Dad had his own grocery store. He had been through an apprenticeship with the Indian and China Tea Company. The pigs and poultry were supplied to the Cwmgors Cooperative company and since it was deemed to be important for the war effort he did not have to join the regular army.

He didn't speak much about what he called 'the Home Guard'. It was not particularly strange to see a young man not called up in our village as we lived in a mining community so most of my friends' fathers were not called up either.

Unfortunately my Dad was a man of few words so that's the extent of all I know. He joined the Royal Observers later in later years and became the unit leader. He was a very quiet man but if he spoke, you listened.

He always wore a lapel badge (which unfortunately I have lost) it was shield shaped, half red half navy blue and I think had silver numbers on it. He was very proud of the badge but never told me why.

He  carried on as a grocer for the rest of his life until he had to give up through ill health. At 71 years old he died, very suddenly, from heart related problems".