The Papers of Admiral Sir William Wellclose Davis
Scope and Contents
Davis' memoirs, recording his long naval career and the ships he served on
Dates
- 1976-08 - 1977-08
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The papers are open for consultation by researchers using Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge.
Conditions Governing Use
Researchers wishing to publish excerpts from the papers must obtain prior permission from the copyright holders and should seek advice from Archives Centre staff.
Biographical / Historical
William Davis born in Simla, Punjab, India, in October 1901, the elder son of Walter Stewart Davis, of the Indian political service. He was educated at Summer Fields School, Oxford, and then Royal Naval College at Osborne, Isle of Wight, and Dartmouth College.
He first served as a midshipman on "HMS Neptune" (September 1917-February 1919), and was promoted at various stages of his career before being made Commander in 1935. He served in the Tactical Staff Division at the Admiralty, 1936-37, then became Fleet Torpedo Officer and Staff Officer, Plans, to the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, in 1938 before being appointed second in command and Executive Officer of HMS Hood in January 1939. He served on "Hood" until August 1940.
Promoted captain in December 1940, Davis returned to the Admiralty as Deputy Director of Plans, 1940-42. He was for a time seconded to the staff of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes, director of combined operations. From March 1943 to September 1944 he was given command of the cruiser "Mauritius", before returning to the Admiralty.
After World War Two Davis was appointed Director of the Admiralty's Underwater Weapons Division and then he became Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet (1948–9). He was promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1950 and served as Naval Secretary to the Admiralty. From 1952 to 1954 he was flag officer, second in command, Mediterranean Fleet, when the first Earl Mountbatten of Burma was commander-in-chief. He was appointed as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff in 1954 and (as a full Admiral) served as Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, and NATO Commander-in-Chief in the eastern Atlantic from 1958-60
He was appointed CB in 1952, KCB in 1956, and GCB in 1959.
He retired in 1960 and died in October 1987.
Extent
2 archive box(es)
Language of Materials
English
Other Finding Aids
A copy of this finding aid is available for consultation at Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge, and the National Register of Archives, London. A fuller description of individual folders is also available in an original catalogue at Churchill Archives Centre.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The memoirs were presented to Churchill Archives Centre by Admiral Davis between 1976 and 1981.
General
This collection level (fonds) description and summary catalogue were prepared by Andrew Riley of Churchill Archives Centre in June 2005, using information from Davis' entry in Who Was Who (A and C Black).
Originator(s)
Davis, Sir William Wellclose, 1901-1987, Knight, Admiral
- Date
- 2005-06-29 14:34:58+00:00
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Churchill Archives Centre Repository
Churchill Archives Centre
Churchill College
Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0DS United Kingdom
+44 (0)1223 336087
archives@chu.cam.ac.uk