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198th Battalion CEF, 38th Battalion CEF, Camp Seaford, Dorothy Leighton Davies, Ernest Joseph Bedford, Florence Isabelle Davies, Florence Showell, George McBean Davies, John Leighton Davies, Louisa Jennie Boyes, Victoria Jane Davies
In March this year, I saw a post in the Canadian Military Photos Lost and Found Facebook group that intrigued me. David Grant from Cornwall, Ontario shared a photograph of an item that he’d found in his grandfather’s WWI items … a compass that belonged to Lance Corporal John Leighton Davies, 198th Battalion CEF. He has no idea how it ended up in his grandfather’s belongings and had not been able to track down anyone in John L Davies’ family.
photo courtesy of David Grant
I logged into Ancestry, started a research tree for John Leighton Davies and quite quickly found an Ancestry member who had this fellow on her tree. She sent a message to one of her Davies’ cousins who I then put in touch with David Grant. The compass is now on its way to Sandy (Davies) Wheeler, John Leighton Davies’ great niece, who lives in Calgary, Alberta.
John Leighton Davies Jr was born 26 Jun 1889 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to parents John Leighton Davies (1860-1943) and Louisa Jennie Boyes (1866-1899). He was the oldest of three children and had a brother, George McBean Davies (1891-1981), and a sister Victoria Jane Davies (1897-1898). Following the death of his mother when he was 10 years old, his father remarried to Florence Showell (1876-1937) and two half siblings were born: Florence Isabelle Davies (1906-?) and Dorothy Leighton Davies (1907-1996).
John’s WWI service file notes that he passed away 10-11-1956 (or possibly 1954). When he attested for service on 13 Mar 1916, he was a single telegrapher living at #205 Simcoe St, Apt #4 in Toronto. He gave his father, John L Davies at RR No 1, Straffordville, Ontario as his next of kin. He was 5’ 7 ½ inches tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes, fair hair and two operation scars on his abdomen. His regimental # was 916325, and he served as a sapper with the 1st Cdn Division Signal Company. He served in England and France and was discharged from service on 17 May 1919. Following his discharge, he lived at 82 Dawes Rd in Toronto. His medal card then indicates an address of c/o News Stand, Queens Hotel (12 Dec 1922).
David Grant’s grandfather was Ernest Joseph Bedford (1896-1964). Lieutenant Bedford served in Bermuda, France and England with the 38th Battalion CEF.
I compared Ernest’s service record with that of J L Davies and discovered that they were both stationed at Camp Seaford, East Sussex. Ernest Bedford was there from 13-5-18 to demob on 23-6-19. John Leighton Davies was at the camp from 27-9-18 to 15-1-19 when he was sent into the field. This is perhaps how the compass came to be in Ernest Bedford’s possession. Maybe John lost it in a card game!
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