Pilot Officer, RAF
Born: July 21st 1915
Died: August 14th 1941
Age at Death: 26
Killed on active service, August 14th 1941
One of the most intriguing cases in this book is that of Ernest Davis, born on 21 July 1915 in Antofagasta, Chile, to Luz Davis (née Alexander) and Christian Davis (né Kucheler).
When war came he enlisted in the RAF, despite being a citizen of Peru and coming from a family arguably more German than British – his paternal grandfather had been born a German and his wife, Helga Braasch, was a Peruvian of German descent. One reason for his decision to fight for the Allies may have been his love of Brighton College, which he entered in 1929. He was somewhat late for term, for the fully understandable reason that it took many days to travel by boat from South America. A few months after Davis’ death, his wife wrote to the bursar to inform the school about it. In her correspondence with the school, she wrote:
Knowing how happy he was there, and proud of Brighton College, I feel it would please him very much if his name would figure in your Roll of Honour.
After going back to Peru, he returned to the UK in March 1940 and trained as a pilot officer in 83 Squadron of Bomber Command, based at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. It was during this training that he crashed in Worcestershire while practising night flying in his Hampden bomber. His grave can be found in the churchyard of St John the Baptist, close to his airbase.