# Jonathan Davidson

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jonathan_Davidson
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jonathan_Davidson.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Davidson
> Source revision: 1353075326
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|British civil engineer and army officer}}
{{For|the American government official|Jonathan Davidson (lawyer)}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox engineer
|image                = Jonathan Davidson in 1948.jpg
|image_width          = 
|caption              = Davidson in 1948
|honorific_prefix     = [Sir](/source/Sir)
|name                 = Jonathan Davidson
|honorific_suffix     = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CMG|TD|MICE}}
|birth_name           = Jonathan Roberts Davidson
|birth_date           = 29 May 1874 
|birth_place          = [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool), England
|death_date           = 21 June 1961 (aged 87)
|death_place          = [Uckfield](/source/Uckfield), [Sussex](/source/Sussex), England<ref>''England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007''</ref>
|education            = 
|spouse               = 
|parents              = 
|children             = 
|discipline           = [Civil](/source/Civil_engineering),
|institutions         = [Institution of Civil Engineers](/source/Institution_of_Civil_Engineers) (president), [Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers](/source/Smeatonian_Society_of_Civil_Engineers) (president)
|practice_name        = 
|significant_projects = 
|significant_design   = 
|significant_advance  = 
|significant_awards   = 
}}

[Colonel](/source/Colonel_(United_Kingdom)) '''Sir Jonathan Roberts Davidson''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CMG|TD|MICE}} (29 May 1874 – 21 June 1961) was a British civil engineer and [army officer](/source/army_officer).<ref name="npg">[http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp80284 Entry at National Portrait Gallery]</ref> Davidson pursued a professional career as an engineer which resulted in him being elected president of both the [Institution of Civil Engineers](/source/Institution_of_Civil_Engineers) and of the [Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers](/source/Smeatonian_Society_of_Civil_Engineers).  He also served as an officer in the [Territorial Force](/source/Territorial_Force) where he saw combat as a battalion commander in the [First World War](/source/First_World_War) with the [Liverpool Scottish](/source/Liverpool_Scottish) and was twice wounded in action.<ref name="times">{{cite news |title= Obituary: Col. Sir Jonathan Davidson |work=[The Times](/source/The_Times) |date= 28 June 1961|page=15 }}</ref>

== Early life ==
Davidson was born in 1874 at [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool) in [Merseyside](/source/Merseyside).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ice.org.uk/downloads/Presidents%20address%20from%20CE%20with%20Appendices(2).pdf |title=Gordon Masterton's presidential address |access-date=12 September 2008 |archive-date=23 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923042309/http://www.ice.org.uk/downloads/Presidents%20address%20from%20CE%20with%20Appendices%282%29.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Although an engineer by profession, Davidson also served as an [officer](/source/army_officer) in the [British Army](/source/British_Army)'s [Volunteer Force](/source/Volunteer_Force_(Great_Britain)).  His was first [commissioned](/source/Commissioned_officer) as a [second lieutenant](/source/second_lieutenant) in the 8th (Scottish) Volunteer Battalion of the [King's Regiment (Liverpool)](/source/King's_Regiment_(Liverpool)) on 6 February 1901.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27289|page=1421|date=26 February 1901}}</ref> He received promotion to Lieutenant on 22 November of the same year.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27383|page=8646|date=6 December 1901}}</ref> Davidson was promoted to [captain](/source/Captain_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines)) on 7 March 1903.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27532|page=1507|date=6 March 1903}}</ref>

== First World War ==
[[File:Davidson trench low.JPG|thumb|left|Davidson (far right) fires a [rifle grenade](/source/rifle_grenade) from a trench at Ypres, March 1915]]
When the Volunteer Force was reorganised into the [Territorial Force](/source/Territorial_Force) on 1 April 1908, Davidson remained with the [Liverpool Scottish](/source/Liverpool_Scottish), now numbered the "10th", whilst retaining his rank and precedence.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28193|page=8037|date=6 November 1908}}</ref> He was promoted to [major](/source/Major_(rank)) and subsequently held the temporary rank of [lieutenant-colonel](/source/lieutenant-colonel) and command of the battalion from 1914 to 1917. During this time, the battalion was called up for regular service in the First World War during August 1914, leaving Britain for Belgium on 1 November 1914.<ref>[http://www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk/trenchwinter1914a1.htm Regimental Museum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203221500/http://www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk/trenchwinter1914a1.htm |date= 3 December 2010 }}</ref> Davidson and the Liverpool Scottish spent much of 1914 and 1915 in trenches in the [Ypres](/source/Ypres) area.<ref name="hist">[http://www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk/history.htm Brief History of the Liverpool Scottish] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203194623/http://www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk/history.htm |date= 3 December 2010 }}</ref> During the spring of 1915, whilst at Zillebeeke, Davidson used his civil engineering expertise to significantly improve his battalion's trenches.<ref>[http://www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk/trenchwinter1914b.htm The Liverpool Scottish – Trench Life Through the Great War] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217231146/http://www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk/trenchwinter1914b.htm |date=17 February 2008 }}</ref> Davidson was himself injured during the attack on Bellewaarde Farm on 24–25 May 1915 in the [Second Battle of Ypres](/source/Second_Battle_of_Ypres).<ref name ="hist"/>

During this period, Davidson was appointed a [Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George](/source/Companion_of_the_Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George) and his temporary rank was confirmed as substantive on 29 May 1916 with precedence of 19 June 1915.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29598|page=5308|date=26 May 1916|supp=y}}</ref> Whilst personally rallying the battalion during the [Battle of Guillemont](/source/Battle_of_Guillemont) in the [Somme](/source/Somme_(department)) area in 1916, Davidson was once again wounded in action.<ref>{{Harvnb|McGilchrist|2005|p=76}}.</ref> The battalion's [medical officer](/source/Physician), [Noel Chavasse](/source/Noel_Chavasse), was also wounded during the battle whilst rescuing injured soldiers and in doing so won the unit's first [Victoria Cross](/source/Victoria_Cross) (VC).<ref name="chavasse">[http://www.chavasse.u-net.com/chavasse.html Chavasse biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080508041211/http://www.chavasse.u-net.com/chavasse.html |date= 8 May 2008 }}</ref> Chavasse would subsequently win their second and last VC at the [Third Battle of Ypres](/source/Third_Battle_of_Ypres) in 1917.<ref name="chavasse"/> Davidson spent the remainder of the year [convalescing](/source/convalescence) and returned to the battalion in 1917.<ref name="gil6">{{Harvnb|McGilchrist|2005|p=6}}.</ref> Later that year, he left the unit and returned to Liverpool where he became that city's Chief Engineer.<ref name="gil6"/>

Davidson temporarily held command of a battalion of the [Norfolk Regiment](/source/Norfolk_Regiment) from 14 November 1917.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30420|page=12903|date=7 December 1917|supp=y}}</ref> He then transferred back to the Territorial Force Reserves on 9 March 1918, retaining his rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30600|page=3840|supp=y|date=27 March 1918}}</ref> He relinquished his army commission during [demobilisation](/source/demobilisation) on 30 September 1921, retaining his rank and being entitled to continue to wear his uniform.<ref name="demob">{{London Gazette|issue=32599|page=10577|supp=y|date=23 December 1921}}</ref> After the war, he was also awarded the [Territorial Decoration](/source/Territorial_Decoration) for his service.<ref name="demob"/>

== Post-war ==
After the war, Davidson joined the [Engineer and Railway Staff Corps](/source/Engineer_and_Railway_Staff_Corps), an unpaid volunteer unit providing engineering expertise to the British army.  He was promoted to [colonel](/source/colonel) of that corps on 10 August 1938.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=32559|page=5119|date=23 December 1921}}</ref> Davidson was knighted by [King George VI](/source/King_George_VI) on 10 February 1942.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35455|page=714|date=13 February 1942}}</ref> He was elected president of the [Institution of Civil Engineers](/source/Institution_of_Civil_Engineers), the highest authority in his profession, for the November 1948 to November 1949 session.<ref name="Civils">{{Harvnb|Watson|1988|p=253}}</ref> He was also a member of the [Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers](/source/Smeatonian_Society_of_Civil_Engineers) from 1937 and was elected their president in 1955.<ref name="smeatonian">{{Harvnb|Watson|1989|p=171}}</ref> Davidson died in 1961.<ref name="npg"/> The [National Portrait Gallery](/source/National_Portrait_Gallery_(London)) holds five photographic portraits of Davidson in their archives.<ref name="npg"/>
The [William Girling Reservoir](/source/William_Girling_Reservoir) in [Chingford](/source/Chingford) was built to a design by Davidson.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=4TA262F55asC&pg=PA70&dq=william+girling+reservoir&ei=2yMsSdKkD4XCywTrgY1F William Girling reservoir] Retrieved 26 November 2008</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
*{{Citation| last =McGilchrist| first = Archibald M| title = Liverpool Scottish 1900–1919| publisher = Naval & Military Press Ltd| year = 2005| isbn =1-84574-093-9 }}
*{{citation  | last = Watson  | first = Garth | title = The Civils | publisher = Thomas Telford Ltd | year = 1988  | isbn = 0-7277-0392-7}}
*{{citation  | last = Watson  | first = Garth  | title = The Smeatonians: The Society of Civil Engineers  | publisher = Thomas Telford Ltd  | year = 1989  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ybXHDw8u_VcC  | isbn = 0-7277-1526-7}}

        {{s-start}}
        {{s-npo|pro}}
        {{s-bef|before=[Roger Gaskell Hetherington](/source/Roger_Gaskell_Hetherington)}}
        {{s-ttl|title=[President](/source/List_of_Presidents_of_the_Institution_of_Civil_Engineers) of the [Institution of Civil Engineers](/source/Institution_of_Civil_Engineers)
        |years=November 1948 – November 1949}}
        {{s-aft|after=[Vernon Robertson](/source/Vernon_Robertson)}}
        {{end}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Jonathan}}
Category:1874 births
Category:1961 deaths
Category:British Army colonels
Category:British civil engineers
Category:Presidents of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Category:Presidents of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers
Category:British Army personnel of World War I
Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
Category:Liverpool Scottish officers
Category:Royal Norfolk Regiment officers
Category:Knights Bachelor
Category:Engineer and Railway Staff Corps officers
Category:Military personnel from Liverpool
Category:Territorial Force officers
Category:Volunteer Force officers

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jonathan Davidson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Davidson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Davidson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.