David Sidney DAVIES

1898 - 1967  (68 years)

• Name	David Sidney DAVIES
  Birth	21 Sep 1898	Cemaes Street, Cilgerran, Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1921	Minerva House, Camaes Street, Kilgerran, Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales   [3]
  Occupation	18 Mar 1925  [4]
  	Certificate of Competency issued as First Mate by The Board of Trade.
  Military	1943	Marlag und Milag Nord   [5]
  	Master at Arms, Merchant Navy. Captured and imprisoned after SS St Margaret was torpedoed. Taken to Camp Marlag und Milag Nord (Milag) no. Mil.N. in Poland. Prisoner Of War No. 1075.
  Occupation	1954  [6]
  	Master Mariner
  Residence	1967	Aelybryn, Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire, Wales   [7]
  Death	14 Jun 1967	The West Wales General Hospital, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales   [8]
  Probate	15 Aug 1967	At Carmarthen. To Iris Mary Davies widow. £3138.   [7]
  Person ID	I13181	GhentGoodFamilyTree
  Last Modified	25 Oct 2023

  
  

  Father	David DAVIES,   b. 19 Jun 1870, Mill Street, Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales d. Abt 1954 (Age 83 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Elizabeth Miriam JONES,   b. 1871, Llantwyd, Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire, Wales d. 1921, Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales (Age 50 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Marriage	18 Apr 1890	Bethanie Chapel, Loudoun Square, Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wales   [9, 10]
  Family ID	F858	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Maria THOMAS,   b. 20 Apr 1891, Manordeifi, Pembrokeshire, Wales d. 1967, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales (Age 75 years)
  Marriage	1923	Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales   [11]
  Children	+ 1. Griffith David Ceri DAVIES,   b. 13 Dec 1923, Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales d. 1980, Pembroke, Dyfed, Wales (Age 56 years)  [Father: Birth]   2. Elizabeth Margaret Lynda DAVIES,   b. 18 Jan 1926, Cardigan, Wales d. 1988, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales (Age 61 years)  [Father: Birth]
  Family ID	F854	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Jun 2023

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show

  
  

  Histories

  POW in Milag Nord nr. Bremen The SS St Margaret (Master: David Sidney Davies) left Liverpool as part of convoy ON-165 at 0800 Tuesday 2nd February 1943. The vessel, sailing to South American ports, was carrying machinery, whisky, stout, textiles, military stores for the Falklands Islands and Yardley’s products,. Among the passengers, on her way to join her husband in Buenos Aires, there was Octave Osten with her daughter Ruth Schaeffear and son in law Tony Schaeffear. They had managed to escape from Germany just before the war. Also on board was Matron Frances Gowans who was matron in charge at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands hospital. Having purchased her trousseau in England she was returning to be married. In addition, two Belgians and a Hungarian Jew were also travelling. Overall, there were fifty persons aboard, the seven passengers and forty-three officers and crew. At 13.55 19th Feb 1943 SS St Margaret was given orders to disperse from the convoy, and to continue her passage South to Pernambuco, Brazil for refuelling and subsequent delivery of supplies and passengers to their various destinations. At 09.42 on Saturday 27th February the St Margaret was, by now, in the middle of the Sargasso Sea, in the central North Atlantic, when a huge explosion occurred. This was the result of a torpedo from a U-Boat hitting the engine room on the port side. On investigation three men were missing. George Brady, a 21 year old Fireman, Patrick Edward Loughran, a 24 year old Donkeyman and Capt. Davies’s very good friend, John Bradford Meadley the Chief Engineer. Although severely damaged and stopped there was no immediate danger of the vessel sinking, so Captain Davies ordered everyone to abandon ship via the lifeboats. This was eventually achieved, after some struggles with the lifeboats, and eventually all survivors were away from the St Margaret. A little over an hour after being struck by the torpedo and as Capt. Davies had surmised, a further torpedo struck. 10 minutes later the St Margaret was gone. The U-Boat that brought about the destruction of SS St Margaet was U-66, commanded by Lieutenant Captain Friedrich Markworth. Markworth, knowing that the abandoned people in the lifeboats could not fight back, raised the U-Boat to the surface and approached the lifeboats. He than demanded that Captain Davies go aboard the U-Boat who was then taken as a Prisoner of War. At 0815 on 2nd March, the other survivors were eventually rescued by USS Hobson and taken to Bermuda. Meanwhile, Captain Davies had been transferred to another U-Boat. Around the 1st March 1943 he was transferred to U-460 commanded by Lieutenant Captain Ebe Schnoor, and taken to St. Nazaire. Four days later, on the 5th of March. Capt. Davies was sent to a merchant navy Prisoner of War camp, Milag Nord near Breman. This camp was liberated by the Welsh & Scots Guards at 10:30 pm on the 27th of April 1945 – they were a highly welcome sight to Davies, who was Welsh and spoke that language.

  
  

• Sources

  [S44044] England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915, 4th Qtr 1898, 11b, 7 (Reliability: 3). Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales [S03166] Birth Certificate (Reliability: 3). [S119] England Census 1921 (Reliability: 3). [S237] UK and Ireland, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927 (Reliability: 3). [S238] UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 (Reliability: 3). [S03169] Marriage Certificate (Reliability: 3). Of daughter Elizabeth Margaret Lynda Davies to Thomas Hywel Williams. [S46958] England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 (Reliability: 3). [S34971] England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007, 2nd Qtr 1967, 8a, 254 (Reliability: 3). Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales [S40943] England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005, 2nd Qtr 1890, 11a, 515 (Reliability: 3). Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wales [S03169] Marriage Certificate (Reliability: 3). [S34840] England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005, 2nd Qtr 1923, 11b, 11 (Reliability: 3). Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales