-H.M.S. Hood Crew Information-
H.M.S. Crew List

It is estimated that as many as 18,000 men served aboard the 'Mighty Hood' during the operational portion of her 21 year career. Unfortunately, there is no surviving official single listing of ALL men who served in her. Here you will find our attempt at creating such a listing. We are using the few, fragmentary crew lists known to exist, Navy Lists, various official reports, public records, and most importantly of all, inputs from the families of former crew.

Chainbar divider


William Wellclose Davis

Photo of
Date of birth: 10th November 1901
Place of birth: Simla, Punjab, India
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Commander
Joined Hood: January 1939
Left Hood: 18th September 1940









Biographical Information: William Wellclose Davis was the eldest child of William and Georgina Davis. He was educated at Summer Fields, Oxford and RN Colleges, Osborne and Dartmouth (1914-1917).

His RN service details are as follows: HMS Neptune (battleship) (09.1917-02.1919) promoted Lt. (15.10.1922) torpedo course, HMS Vernon (25.09.1924-1927) Torpedo Officer, HMS Enterprise (cruiser) (East Indies) (01.09.1927-1929) HMS Vernon (torpdeo school, Portsmouth) (19.12.1929-10.1930) promoted Lt.Cdr. (15.10.1930) HMS Courageous (aircraft carrier) as Squadron Torpedo Officer, Aircraft Carriers (30.12.1931-06.1933) Torpedo Officer, HMS Kent (cruiser) as Fleet Torpedo Officer, China Station (03.04.1934-07.1935) promoted Cdr. (30.06.1935) Tactical Division, Admiralty (13.01.1936-07.1937) Fleet Torpedo Officer and Staff Officer, Plans, Home Fleet, HMS Nelson (battleship) (02.1938-10.1938)

Executive Officer, HMS Hood (battlecruiser) (30.01.1939-18.09.1940)

Plans Division, Admiralty (27.09.1940-02.1941) promoted Capt. (31.12.1940) Deputy Director of Operations Division (Foreign), Admiralty (24.03.1941-27.01.1942) Assistant Director of Plans Division, Admiralty (03.02.1942-28.09.1942) Deputy Director of Plans Division, Admiralty (29.09.1942-12.1942) Commanding Officer, HMS Mauritius (cruiser) (12.1942-22.10.1944) DSO and bar. Director of Torpedoes and Mining Department, Admiralty (29.11.1944-09.09.1945) Director of Underwater Weapons Department, Admiralty (01.02.1946-04.1946) Imperial Defence College (1947) Chief of Staff to Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, HMS Duke of York (battleship) (11.02.1948- 05.1949) promoted R.Adm. (07.01.1950) Naval Secretary to First Lord, Admiralty (03.04.1950-1952) CB (01.01.1952) Flag Officer (Air) Mediterranean and Flag Officer 2nd in Command Mediterranean Station [HMS Falcon] (17.12.1952-1954) promoted V.Adm. (15.09.1953) Vice-Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiralty (04.1954-01.1957) KCB (02.01.1956) promoted!Adm. (22.10.1956) Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet [HMS Tyne], and Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces, Eastern Atlantic Area, NATO (06.01.1958- 01.1960) GCB (13.06.1959) First and Principal Naval ADC to the Queen (30.04.1959-17.08.1960) retired.

William Davis and his wife Gertrude were married in 1934 and together they had four children. He died on 29 Oct 1987.


Additional Photographs
None at this time.


Memorials
No known memorials


Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
'Register of Deaths of Naval Ratings' (data extracted by Director of Naval Personnel (Disclosure Cell), Navy Command HQ, 2009)
Cerificate of Service, courtesy of Daniel James
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