Basic Details
Surname
Davy
Forenames
Ernest Howard
Gender
Male
Information stated on memorial
Served or died
Died
Notes
The Bristol Grammar School website provides his service and death details and this biographical information: 'Son of Ernest Richard Davy, of 62 Ravenwood Road.
Davy was born on 15/07/1900, and attended the School from 1908-1915. He served as a Cadet in the Navy, with the Mercantile Marine. Davy sadly lost his life on 15/03/1917, as a result of the War.
Davy is buried in Greenlawn Memorial Park, Newport News, Virginia, USA. He is the only OB WW1 casualty to be buried in the USA. We believe this must have been the first place his ship docked following the submarine attack. As he was in the Mercantile Navy, Davy was not awarded a war grave, however we have chosen to retain him in our records of BGS WW1 casualties, as he would not have died in these circumstances if it were not for the War.​
The school Chronicle in December 1917 added that he "became a Cadet in the Merchant Service. On his first voyage, in the S.S. Rangatira, the vessel ran ashore on Robben Island in Table Bay (where there is a settlement of lepers and lunatics), and became a total wreck. He was then appointed to the S.S. Kia Ora, and while returning from New Zealand via the Panama Canal he was shot in the head during an attack by a submarine on March 15th. He was in his seventeenth year."'
Primary Service
Our References
Service (Primary - Our reference)
Rank / Title (Primary - Our reference)
Death and Burial details
Country of burial
United States
Town of burial
Newport News, Virginia
Cemetery
Greenlawn Memorial Park
Year of death
1917
Month of death
March
Day of death
15
Age at death
16
Manner of death reference
Killed in Action