Davison Raymond Pte 4457144
Personnel Entry
Name Davison Raymond
Army number 4457144
Rank Pte
Decorations
Date of birth Born Sunderland 1918/19.
Age 21
Unit Joined The Durham Light Infantry, T, no enlistment date, but probably Autumn 1939. Posted ? 8th Bn DLI. Posted 11th Bn DLI. DIED between 10/5/40 and 26/4/41. Date of death now shown as 10/5/40 by CWGC.
Company/Battery
Platoon or other sub-unit
Task or role
Joined Brigade Possibly 1/9/1939.
Promotions
Wounded
Prisoner of War
Died/Killed in action 10-May-40 (but see below).
Home address Resident of Sunderland. Son of John and Dora Davison, Ryhope. Buried Grave 4, Chelers Communal Cemetery.
Source table 11DLI
It may well be significant that Pte Davison is buried alongside 2/Lt Moscrop - also of 11th Battalion. It is possible that Davison was Lt Moscrop's driver - though this remains to be investigated - or at least was travelling with him - and they may have been killed together after having visited 23rd Divisional HQ seeking transport to rescue a group from the Battalion taking cover near FICHEUX after the disaster on 20th May. It appears that Pte Davison's remains may not have been discovered until April 1941, and there would have been no evidence of his date of death. It could just as easily have been 21st May as 10th May - and even more likely that this was the case, given the location. More information on this incident is required.
The DLI Roll of Honour shows his date of death as 26/4/1941, but this is highly unlikely. The War Office casualty list shows only 1941.
