LIEUTENANT GERALD LOUIS DAVIDSON, MC
DORSETSHIRE REGIMENT
11TH JULY 1916 AGE 30
BURIED: HEILLY STATION CEMETERY, MERICOURT-L'ABBE, FRANCE
"For conspicuous gallantry in action. He led an attack across the open in daylight to take a strongly fortified 'stop'. His attack was successful and enabled the whole trench to be seized and consolidated. He was twice wounded."
Award of Military Cross to Lieutenant GL Davidson
London Gazette 25 August 1916
The above action took place on 9 July 1916 during an attack on the Quadrangle Support between Mametz Wood and Contalmaison. The British held the trenches but Lieutenant Davidson's wounds were serious and he died two days later at the Casualty Clearing Station in Heilly, Mericourt-L'Abbe.
Gerald's sister, Helen, signed the form confirming his inscription. It's not clear whether their parents were still alive or were still living out of the country. FG Davison, the father, was an agent for P & O and before working in Suez he had been in Singaore where it appears that all the children were born. Before the war Gerald and another brother, Francis, worked in Manila for Messrs Smith, Bell & Co, shipping agents. Their eldest brother, Robert, worked for Messrs Boustead & Co in Singapore. Robert served with the Devonshire Regiment and was killed in action on the first day of the battle of the Somme, just ten days before Gerald succumbed to his wounds. Sister Helen chose Robert's inscription too:
Late of the Malay States
Elder son
Of Gerald Davidson
Suez, Egypt.
NB The spelling of Phillipine in the inscription is as it was signed for on the form.