Windsor Davies

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Windsor Davies (born 28 August 1930, Canning Town, West Ham, London) is an English-born Welsh actor, well known for playing the part of Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the 1970s British sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum.

Early life and career

Davies was born to Welsh parents, and he returned to his parents' native Nant-y-Moel when the Second World War began in 1939. He attended Ogmore Grammar School and Bangor Teacher Training College. He then worked as a teacher and did national service before going into acting.

He became well known for playing the part of Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the British sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974-81). One of his catchphrases was "Shut Up!" delivered with an ear drum shattering military scream. The other was the phrase "Oh Dear, how sad, never mind", delivered in a dry, ironic manner, and used when others around him had problems. As a spin-off from the series, Davies and co-star, Don Estelle had a number one hit in the UK with a semi-comic version of "Whispering Grass". He played major roles in two later Carry On films, Behind in 1975 and England in 1976. He later re-established himself as a sitcom actor with the role of antique dealer Oliver Smallbridge in Never the Twain, with Donald Sinden.

He played Mog in the classic Welsh film Grand Slam and played the role of sailor Taffy in the first of the BBC-series The Onedin Line (1971).

He is also known for providing the voice of Sergeant Major Zero in the Terrahawks television series; and appeared in the Doctor Who story The Evil of the Daleks as Toby in 1967. He auditioned to be the voice of the UK's speaking clock in 1985 but lost out to fellow actor Brian Cobby.

Davies has never been short of voice-over work, with high-spots including confectionery ads for Cadbury's Wispa. In the 1970s, Davies read an edition of Radio Four's Morning Story programme.

Carry On films

Windsor Davies starred in two Carry On films, Carry On Behind (1975), playing the part of Butcher Fred Ramsden and then in Carry On England (1976), playing Sergeant Major 'Tiger' Bloomer.

Filmography

• The Pot Carriers (1962)
• Murder Most Foul (1964)
• The Alphabet Murders (1965)
• Arabesque (1965)
• The Family Way (1966)
• Drop Dead Darling (1966)
• Hammerhead (1968)
• Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)
• Clinic Exclusive (1971)
• Endless Night (1972)
• Soft Beds, Hard Battles (1974)
• The Old Curiosity Shop (1975)
• Carry on Behind (1975)
• Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976)
• Not Now, Comrade (1976)
• Carry on England (1976)
• The Playbirds (1978)
• Gabrielle and the Doodleman (1984)
• Rupert and the Frog Song (1985)
• Old Scores (1991)
• Mosley (1997)

External links

• Windsor Davies at the Internet Movie Database