{{Short description|British Victoria Cross recipient (1889–1976)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox military person |name=Joseph John Davies |honorific_suffix = VC |birth_date=28 April 1889 |death_date= {{Death date and age|df=yes|1976|02|16|1889|04|28}} |birth_place= [[Tipton]], Staffordshire, England |death_place= [[Bournemouth]], Dorset, England |burial_place= |image= Joseph John Davies (1889–1976).png |image_size= |caption= |nickname= |allegiance={{flag|United Kingdom}} |service_years= |rank=[[Staff sergeant|Staff-Sergeant]] |branch={{army|United Kingdom}} |commands= |unit=[[Royal Welch Fusiliers]]<br>[[Herefordshire Light Infantry|Herefordshire Regiment]] |battles= [[World War I|First World War]] |awards= [[File:UK Victoria Cross ribbon bar.svg|30px]] [[Victoria Cross]]<br>[[Order of Saint George (Russia)|Order of St. George]] (Russia) |other_work= }} [[Staff sergeant|Staff-Sergeant]] '''Joseph John Davies''' {{post-nominals|VC}} (28 April 1889 − 16 February 1976) was a [[British Army]] soldier and a British recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]] (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.
==Biography== [[File:Joseph Davies VC.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Memorial to Joseph Davies, Delville Wood]]
Joseph John Davies was born in [[Tipton]] on 28 April 1889.<ref name=VCandDSO>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UIosmy8NRwQC&pg=PA220 |title=The V.C. and D.S.O. |volume=I |editor1-first=O'Moore |editor1-last=Creagh |editor1-link=O'Moore Creagh |editor2-first=E. M. |editor2-last=Humphris |publisher=The Standard Art Book Company |place=London |page=220 |date=1924 |access-date=2025-03-26 |via=Google Books}}</ref>
He was 27 years old, and a [[corporal]] in the 10th Battalion, [[Royal Welch Fusiliers|Royal Welsh Fusiliers]], [[British Army]] during the [[World War I|First World War]] when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 20 July 1916 at [[Delville Wood]], France, prior to an attack on the enemy, Corporal Davies and eight men became separated from the rest of the company. When the enemy delivered their second counterattack, the party was completely surrounded, but Corporal Davies got his men into a shell hole and by throwing bombs and opening rapid fire he succeeded in routing the attackers, and even followed and bayoneted them in their retreat.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=29765|date=26 September 1916 |page=9418|supp=y }}</ref>
He later achieved the rank of [[Staff-Sergeant|staff-sergeant]]. After demobilisation from the Regular Army he joined the 1st Battalion, [[Herefordshire Light Infantry|The Herefordshire Regiment]], [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] (TA) regiment, until the mid 1920s.
He died on 16 February 1976.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS288718425/TTDA |title=Mr Joseph Davies, VC |newspaper=[[The Times]] |publication-place=London |issue=59637 |page=17 |date=1976-02-25 |access-date=2025-03-26 |via=The Times Digital Archive}}</ref>
His VC is displayed at the [[Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum]] in [[Caernarfon Castle]], Gwynedd, Wales.
==References== {{reflist}}
==Bibliography== *{{cite book|last=Gliddon|first=Gerald|series=[[VCs of the First World War]]|title=Somme 1916|year=2011|orig-year=1991|publisher=[[The History Press]]|isbn=978-0-7524-6303-2}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20041027213327/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/dorset.htm Location of grave and VC medal] (Dorset)
{{Royal Welsh}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Joseph John}} [[Category:1889 births]] [[Category:1976 deaths]] [[Category:Military personnel from the West Midlands (county)]] [[Category:Herefordshire Light Infantry soldiers]] [[Category:British Battle of the Somme recipients of the Victoria Cross]] [[Category:Royal Welch Fusiliers soldiers]] [[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]] [[Category:People from Tipton]] [[Category:Recipients of the Order of St. George]] [[Category:Welch Regiment soldiers]] [[Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross]]