Captain Ernest Edgar Davies (18 March 1890 – 23 January 1962) was an Australian

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

credited with seven aerial victories.

Early life and background

Davies was born in

Kerang Kerang is a rural town on the Loddon River in northern Victoria in Australia. It is the commercial centre to an irrigation district based on livestock, horticulture, lucerne and grain. It is located north-west of Melbourne on the Murray V ...

, Victoria, the son of John Herbert Davies. He graduated

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...

from

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

, and was admitted as a solicitor of the state in June 1914.

World War I

In November 1915 Davies enlisted into the 4th Light Horse Regiment at

Seymour Seymour may refer to: Places Australia *Seymour, Victoria, a township *Electoral district of Seymour, a former electoral district in Victoria *Rural City of Seymour, a former local government area in Victoria *Seymour, Tasmania, a locality ...

. He later transferred to the Australian Flying Corps and after flight training at RAAF Laverton, was commissioned as a lieutenant in May 1917. Davies sailed for England in June 1917, and was appointed a flying officer in the British Royal Flying Corps in December. He served with No. 2 Squadron AFC in France from early 1918. Flying a S.E.5a single-seat fighter Davies accounted for seven enemy aircraft between 27 August and 4 November, sharing two with Captain

Eric Douglas Cummings Captain Eric Douglas Cummings (13 April 1896 – 27 October 1979) was an Australian World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories while flying for the Australian Flying Corps. Postwar, he was an integral part of fund-raising camp ...

. On 3 June 1919 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross "in recognition of distinguished services rendered during the war".

List of aerial victories

Post-war life

Davies returned to Australia in late 1919 and returned to his legal practice, initially based at Swan Hill, and then from

Bank Place, Melbourne Bank Place is a street in Melbourne, Australia. It is a laneway running roughly north-south between Collins Street and Little Collins Street in the central business district. Located in the heart of the financial sector, Bank Place features ...

from the 1930s. He continued to fly, but suffered the embarrassment of being fined £50 in August 1932 for flying after having allowed his aircraft registration and flying licence to expire. On 23 January 1962 fishing equipment was found on the banks of the

Mitchell River Mitchell River may refer to: Australia *Mitchell River (Queensland) *Mitchell River (Victoria) *Mitchell River (Western Australia) Canada *Mitchell River (Cross River) *Mitchell River (Quesnel River tributary) United States *Mitchell River (Mass ...

at Bairnsdale. After a search the bodies of Davies and his secretary Mrs. Grace Stewart were discovered in the river. It was assumed that both drowned after one fell into the water and the other attempted a rescue.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Ernest 1890 births 1962 deaths People from Kerang Melbourne Law School alumni Australian Army soldiers Australian Flying Corps officers Australian World War I flying aces Australian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Deaths by drowning in Australia