Distinguished Service Order: Lieutenant Colonel Charles Herbert Davis, 38th Battalion, AIF

Gilt and enamel Distinguished Service Order. Unnamed as issued. Contained in original black leather covered case, supplied by Garrard, with gold lettering on lid, 'D.S.O.'.

Born at Kilmore, Victoria in 1872, Charles Herbert Davis was educated at Bendigo and the University of Melbourne and was admitted to practice law in 1895.

Davis was commissioned in the Victorian Volunteer Defence Forces in 1896, serving with the 4th Battalion of Infantry. He was promoted captain in 1900. In 1901 he commanded the guard of honour at the first opening on the Commonwealth parliament in Melbourne. In 1904 he was promoted major in the Australian Infantry Regiment, which in 1908 was split to form two battalions. Davis, now a lieutenant colonel, took command of the 2nd Battalion, based at Bendigo. A further reorganisation of the forces in 1912 saw Davis transferred to the command of the 67th (Bendigo) Infantry. He was placed on the unattached list the following year.

On the outbreak of war in 1914 Davis was appointed to official censorship duties in Melbourne before being transferred to the temporary command of 17th Infantry Brigade in February 1915. In 1916 he joined the AIF and was appointed commanding officer of the newly raised 38th Battalion, which arrived in England in August. After training there the battalion arrived in France in November, and first saw action in the Armentieres sector the following month. In recognition of his organisation and command of large raiding parties, including the most important ever undertaken by Australians, at Houplines on 27 February 1917, Davis was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. The recommendation for the award reads: 'ARMENTIERES - for conspicuous ability in command of his Battalion in the line during the months December 1916 to January 1917, and for his skill during the month of February 1917 in organising, training and commanding a composite Battalion of the [10th] Brigade, which carried out a most successful raid on three lines of the enemy's trenches.' The raid involved 800 men who successfully penetrated German defences over a 700 yard front for 35 minutes.

Davis's battalion also fought at Ploegsteert Wood, Messines, Ypres and Passchendaele in 1917 and in the Amiens sector in 1918, during which time Davis took temporary command of the 10th Brigade a number of times. He was mentioned in despatches three times.

In June 1918 Davis transferred as colonel to take charge of the Australian General Base Depot to implement the organisation and movement of almost 100,000 Australian troops to England for repatriation at the end of the war. He was also commandant of Australian Base Depots, France until January 1919, then Australian Base Depots (Le Havre), until this last Australian base was closed in June. For his service he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

After service in London Davis returned to Australia in October 1919. His AIF appointment was terminated in November. In 1920 Davis moved to Sydney as representative of a Victorian firm. He died there unexpectedly in 1923.