Windsor Davies facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Windsor Davies
Davies during filming of Never the Twain
Born	28 August 1930 Canning Town, Essex (now London), England
Died	17 January 2019(2019-01-17) (aged 88) France
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1961–2004
Spouse(s)	Eluned Evans ​ ​ (m. 1957; died 2018)​
Children	5

Windsor Davies (born August 28, 1930 – died January 17, 2019) was a famous British actor. Many people remember him for his role as Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the TV show It Ain't Half Hot Mum. This comedy show ran from 1974 to 1981.

Thanks to the show's popularity, Windsor Davies and his co-star Don Estelle had a number-one hit song. They sang a version of "Whispering Grass" in 1975. Later, Davies also starred in another popular show called Never the Twain (1981–1991) with Donald Sinden. You might also recognize his deep voice with a Welsh accent from many TV commercials.

Early Life and Education

Windsor Davies was born on August 28, 1930, in Canning Town, which is in East London. His parents were from Wales. In 1940, his family moved back to their home village of Nant-y-moel in Bridgend, Wales.

Davies went to Ogmore Grammar School. After school, he worked as a coal miner for a while. He also served in the military, which was called National Service. He was in Libya and Egypt with the East Surrey Regiment from 1950 to 1952.

After his military service, he trained to be a teacher at Bangor Teacher Training College. He then taught English and Math in Leek, Staffordshire, and at a school in south London.

Becoming an Actor

While teaching, Windsor Davies enjoyed acting in amateur plays. He was part of groups like the Bromley Little Theatre. He also took a short acting course. At 31 years old, he decided to become a professional actor. His first professional acting job was at the Cheltenham repertory theatre in 1961.

Acting Career Highlights

Famous TV Roles

Windsor Davies' most famous role was Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the British comedy show It Ain't Half Hot Mum. He based this character on real soldiers he met during his own military service. His character was known for shouting "Shut Up!!" very loudly. Another famous phrase he used was "Oh dear, how sad, never mind," which he said in a funny, sarcastic way when others had problems.

As mentioned, Davies and his co-star Don Estelle had a number-one song with "Whispering Grass" in 1975. A journalist once said that Davies' acting as the sergeant-major was "the funniest comic performance" he had ever seen.

Davies also appeared in other TV shows. He played a sailor named Taffy in The Onedin Line (1971). He was also an antique dealer named Oliver Smallbridge in Never the Twain (1981–1991). For science fiction fans, he was in the 1967 Doctor Who story "The Evil of the Daleks". He also voiced Sergeant Major Zero, a robot soldier, in the 1983 show Terrahawks.

In 1976, he was the special guest on the TV show This Is Your Life, where he was surprised by the host. He also played the main role of George Vance in the 1985 comedy series The New Statesman. Later, he appeared in another BBC comedy called Oh, Doctor Beeching! in 1997.

Film Appearances

Windsor Davies also acted in several movies. He had important roles in two Carry On comedies: Behind (1975) and England (1976). In Carry On England, he played a sergeant major again.

He played Mog in the Welsh rugby film Grand Slam (1978). He was also a sergeant in the film Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1973). In 1989, he played Sergeant Major Williams again for a special Royal Air Force training film.

Pantomime and Voice Work

Davies also performed in pantomimes, which are popular stage shows, especially around Christmas. He played Baron Hardup in Cinderella in Bournemouth, UK, from December 1992 to January 1993.

His unique voice was used in many commercials. You might have heard him in ads for house insulation or for sweets like Cadbury's Wispa chocolate. He also narrated the audiobook for the Ladybird children's classic Treasure Island. In 1984, he sang and voiced several characters in the Paul McCartney film Rupert and the Frog Song. He also appeared in the children's film Gabrielle and the Doodleman that same year, playing three different characters.

Personal Life

In 1957, Windsor Davies married Eluned Lynne Evans. They had five children together: four daughters and one son. Eluned passed away in September 2018.

Windsor Davies lived in the south of France and loved watching birds. He also enjoyed playing the organ as a hobby. He sometimes played at a Welsh chapel in London.

Windsor Davies died on January 17, 2019, when he was 88 years old. This was about four months after his wife passed away.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Windsor Davies para niños