Next of Kin plaque: Private Albert Alfred Davies, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, AIF

Bronze next of kin plaque, showing on the obverse, Britannia holding a laurel wreath, the British lion, dolphins, a spray of oak leaves and the words 'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR' around the edge. Beneath the main figures, the British lion defeats the German eagle. The initials 'ECP', for the designer Edward Carter Preston appear above the lion's right forepaw. A raised rectangle above the lion's head bears the name 'ALBERT ALFRED DAVIES'. The plaque is contained in its original cardboard envelope.

Born in Adelaide Albert 'Bert' Alfred Davies, was working at Warnertown when he enlisted in the AIF on 25 August 1915. Aged 30 and engaged to Ruby Victoria Plenty, he was assigned a private, service number 1586, to the 12th Reinforcements for 3rd Light Horse Regiment. He embarked for overseas service at Adelaide aboard HMAT Geelong, on 12 November 1915.

After training in Egypt Davies took part in patrolling the Suez Canal and fought at the battles of Romani (August 1916), Magdhaba (December 1916) and Rafa (January 1917). On 20 April 1917 he was severely wounded near Abu Sitta, south of Gaza, receiving bullet wounds to both legs and a buttock, while a further bullet passed through his hip and pelvis. He was evacuated to the Anzac Receiving Station and then on to 54th (British) Casualty Clearing Station the same day, travelled by ambulance train the following day to 24th Stationary Hospital, and arrived at 14th Australian General Hospital at Abbassia, Egypt on 23 April. He died there at 6am on 25 April from peritonitis caused by the bullet wound to his pelvis and abdomen. He is buried in the British Cemetery in Cairo.

2455 Private Arthur Herbert Davies, Bert's younger brother, enlisted in Adelaide in January 1916, and was also assigned to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. He was wounded later on the same day as his brother when he was struck by shrapnel from a bomb dropped by an aircraft near Shellal, causing wounds to both his legs. He too was evacuated to 14th Australian General Hospital, arriving the day before Bert's death. It is not known whether he was aware that his brother was in the same hospital. Arthur Davies recovered from his wounds and rejoined his regiment three months later. He was again wounded in November 1917 and kept as a souvenir the large piece of shrapnel removed from his thigh. In 1918 he contracted malaria, a disease which plagued him for the rest of his life. He returned to Australia in February 1919. In 1922 he married his late brothers fiancee Ruby Plenty.

This memorial plaque was sent to Albert Davies' father, Alfred, in August 1922.