CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'Adieu dear son till we meet again'
St Giles, Ollerton, ROH: listed as serving with the Sherwood Foresters.
Probate: Administration Nottingham 22 May 1917 to William Gore Davison [father] retired miner. Effects £155.17s.4d.
Listed in Nottinghamshire County Council register of employees who served (Nottinghamshire Archives ref CC CL 2/12/1/1).
Ollerton (Girls) School Log 1865-1932 (Nottinghamshire Archives SL128 1/2):
Dec 2nd 1912 – Mr E H Davison ‘cert’ commenced work 11.30am vice Mr Wood [temporary assistant, absent sick from 20 November]
April 2nd 1913 – Mr E H Davison absent ill today
April 8th - Mr E H Davison away today with Ollerton Choral Society
May 6th 1914 – Mr E H Davison left work at 2pm with permission
May 14th 1915 – Mr E H Davison absent through illness today
Nov 3rd 1915 – E H Davison absent today for medical examination. The above teacher resigns school duties in order to enlist
Dec 5th 1917 – It is with deep regret that we received the sad news of the death of Mr E H Davison, a cert. asst. in our school, who was killed while serving his country in France.
Ollerton National School minute book, 12 January 1916 (Nottinghamshire Archives SBX 317/2): 'The Correspondent reported that the following increase of salary had been granted by the (a) Nottinghamshire Education Committee as from 1 October 1915 … Mr E H Davidson £5 per year. (b) Mr E H Davidson had enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters in November and since that date the work of the school had been rearranged and carried on with reduced staff. 15 January 1918: On the motion of the Reverend LJ Hudson, the Correspondent was desired to write to the parents of the late Sergeant E H Davison, Assistant Master, who enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters in November 1915 and had recently died from wounds in France, and convey to them the managers’ sincere sympathy in their great loss. Signed chairman.'
Nottinghamshire County Council minutes of Education Committee Elementary, 29 January 1918, Item 11 Teacher Killed in Action: 'The Committee regret to report the death in France ... on November 24th 1917 of Mr E H Davison, Sherwood Foresters, a certificated teacher on the staff of Ollerton Church School.'
Mansfield Reporter, 21 December 1917: ‘Ollerton. Roll of Honour. Though not a native of Ollerton, much sympathy is expressed with the relatives and friends of Sergt. EH Davison, whom it was announced about a week ago, had died in France from wounds received in action. Prior to his enlistment in 1915 he had filled the post of assistant master at the Ollerton National School for over two years, and made himself very popular in the village. Of fine physique, he was a good athlete, and as a member of the Ollerton cricket team proved himself a sound and reliable bat, and a very useful bowler. He was very musical, and acted as accompanist to the Ollerton Choral Society, and was a member of the Ollerton Church choir. Before going to France on transfer to the MGC, Sergeant Davison was drill instructor at Belton Park Camp, near Grantham, and his promotion to the rank of sergeant was very rapid.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Retford Times 11th January 1918:
'Sergt E. H. Davison. Died of Wounds. This gallant young soldier, who died of wounds in the 21st Casualty Clearing Station in France on Nov 24th, was prior to enlistment in 1915 assistant master at Ollerton National School, a position which he filled for over two years. He was a fine athlete, and made himself very popular in the village. He was also of a musical turn of mind and acted as accompanist to the Ollerton Choral Society, and was a member of the church choir. Before going to France he was a drill instructor at Belton Park Camp near Grantham.'
Ernest Harold Davison - Photograph first published in the Retford Times following Ernest's death.
Ernest Harold Davison - Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone marking his grave at Rocquigny-Equancourt Road, British Cemetery. Photograph courtesy of Murray Biddle.