Canada, CEF. A Memorial Group to the Davenport Brothers; KIA at Vimy

A Memorial Group to the Davenport Brothers; KIA at Vimy - Private Alfred Riley Davenport, 31st Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force: 1914-15 Star (80130 Pte A. DAVENPORT. 31/CAN:INF:); and British War Medal (80130 PTE. A. DAVENPORT. 31-CAN.INF.). Naming is officially impressed. Un-mounted, original ribbons, dark patina on the BWM, extremely fine. Accompanied by his Memorial Cross, GVR (80130. Pte A. DAVENPORT); and Memorial Plaque (ALFRED DAVENPORT). Naming on the MC is officially engraved, the naming on the MP is raised lettering. Private Albert Victor Davenport, 38th Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force: Victory Medal (541 PTE. A.V. DAVENPORT. 38-BN. A.I.F.). Naming is officially impressed. Original ribbon, extremely fine. Accompanied by a duotang folder with copies of Private Alfred Riley Davenport's CEF Attestation Paper and the War Diary (dated April 8 to 10, 1917), Private Albert Victor Davenport's AIF Attestation Paper, Casualty Form, Death Report Field Service Card, Will and letters from the Australian Red Cross Society, along with assorted research papers on all three soldiers. Footnote: Alfred Riley Davenport was born on June 10, 1876 in Manchester, England, the son of William and Mary Ann Davenport, of Hawthorn Villa, Prestwich, Manchester, England. He had two younger brothers, Albert VictorDavenport and Stanley Mowbray Davenport. He signed his CEF Attestation Paper as a Private (80130) with the 31st Infantry Battalion "Alberta Regiment", on February 2, 1915 in Calgary, Alberta, at the age of 38, naming his next-of-kin as Mrs. William Davenport of Midnapore, Alberta, stating that he had two years' previous military service with the South African Police, that he was not married and that his trade was that of Farmer. During his medical examination, it was noted that he had tattoo marks on both forearms: a figure of a woman on the right one and a coiled snake on the left one. The Battalion sailed from Quebec City, May 17th aboard the RMS Carpathia, used during wartime to transfer Canadian and American troops to Europe, with a strength of 36 officers and 1,033 other ranks, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel A.H. Bell. The Battalion served in France and Belgium with the 6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division. One year later, he was wounded while in action at the Battle of Mount Sorrel on June 13, 1916, recovered from his wounds and returned to his unit. Private Alfred Riley Davenport, 31st Infantry Battalion CEF was Killed in Action on the first day of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 9, 1917, at the age of 40. One of the other soldiers discovered his body: he described him as "another old timer" who was "found in a reclining position in a shell hole with his head resting on his arm. He was thought to be asleep, but instead he was stone dead with a bullet through his heart." Private Alfred Riley Davenport is remembered with honour at the Vimy Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France. At the base of the memorial, these words appear in French and in English: "TO THE VALOUR OF THEIR COUNTRYMEN IN THE GREAT WAR AND IN MEMORY OF THEIR SIXTY THOUSAND DEAD THIS MONUMENT IS RAISED BY THE PEOPLE OF CANADA." Inscribed on the ramparts of the Vimy Memorial are the names of over 11,000 Canadian soldiers who were posted as "'missing, presumed dead" in France. He is commemorated on page 225 of the First World War Book of Remembrance. Albert Victor Davenport signed his AIF Attestation Paper as a Private (541) with 'B' Company, 38th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, on February 1, 1916, officially enlisting on March 28, 1916, naming his next-of-kin as Mrs. William Davenport of Prestwich, England, stating that he had three years' previous service with the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Manchester Regiment, that he had been previously rejected for military service due to the condition of his teeth, that he was not married and that his trade was that of Fruit Grower. He embarked Melbourne, Victoria, Australia aboard HMAT Runic on June 20, 1916, arriving in Plymouth, England on August 10th. Three weeks after arriving in England, he was admitted to hospital with knee issues on the 31st and after almost four weeks, was discharged from hospital on September 25th. He disembarked Southampton and proceeded overseas to France on November 22, 1916. Albert Victor Davenport, 38th Infantry Battalion, AIF was wounded in action on January 28, 1917. He was initially assessed at No. 10 Australian Field Ambulance with a gun shot wound to his abdomen, then transferred to the 1st Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, before being admitted to No. 14 General Hospital at Wimereux on February 2, 1917 "with a gunshot wound to his back". He died from his wounds at 5:00 pm on February 16, 1917, at the age of 34, and was buried on the 17th in Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Grave Reference: II. D. 13A. In his Will, dated August 17, 1916, he appointed his mother, Mary Ann Davenport as his Executrix. Stanley Mowbray Davenport was a Rifleman (B/3165) with the 8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. He was Killed in Action near Hooge Crater during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, on July 30, 1915, at the age of 23, and is remembered with honour on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Panel: 46 - 48 and 50.