John Cecil Wright Davies (12 December 1916 – 25 July 1997) was a New Zealand

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

who represented his country at the

1938 British Empire Games The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 ye ...

Early life and family

Born in

Hāwera Hāwera is the second-largest centre in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island, with a population of . It is near the coast of the South Taranaki Bight. The origins of the town lie in a government military base that was established i ...

on 12 December 1916, Davies was the son of Alfred Davies and Clara Bertha Davies (née Larsen). Davies was educated at

New Plymouth Boys' High School New Plymouth Boys' High School is a single-sex boys' state secondary school in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand. The school currently caters for approximately 1300 students, including 210 boarders, on its site. The school often collaborate ...

, where he was a

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

, and went on to study dentistry at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

, graduating BDS in 1939.

Swimming

In 1937, Davies won the 220 yards breaststroke title at the inter-university Easter Tournament in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, breaking the existing record by 11 seconds, and was awarded a

New Zealand University The University of New Zealand was New Zealand's sole degree-granting university from 1874 to 1961. It was a collegiate university embracing several constituent institutions at various locations around New Zealand. After it was dissolved in 196 ...

swimming

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...

. The following year, he won another New Zealand university swimming title and gained another swimming blue at Easter Tournament. At Easter Tournament in 1939, Davies again won the 220 yards breaststroke title, and equalled the national record of 3:00.2, and he was subsequently awarded another New Zealand University blue for swimming. Davies won two New Zealand national swimming titles: the 220 yards breaststroke in 1938 and 1939. He represented New Zealand in the men's 220 yards breaststroke at the

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, but finished fourth in his heat, recording a time of 3:10.4, and did not progress to the final.

Military service

In August 1940, Davies was commissioned as a lieutenant in the New Zealand Dental Corps (NZDC), and was appointed as the dental officer at the Mobilization Camp at Trentham. The following year, he was transferred to the

Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve The Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNZNVR) is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). History Early history The first Naval Volunteer units were formed in Auckland and Nelson in 1858. Over the rest of th ...

, resigning his commission with the NZDC and being recommissioned as a surgeon lieutenant (D) to serve in HMNZS ''Leander''.

Later life and death

Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Davies practised as a dental surgeon in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, and served as the vice president and then president of the Waikato Bay of Plenty branch of the New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) between 1948 and 1950, and the regional delegate on the board of the NZDA from 1954 to 1958. Davies died on 25 July 1997, and he was buried at Hamilton Park Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Jack 1916 births 1997 deaths Sportspeople from Hāwera People educated at New Plymouth Boys' High School University of Otago alumni New Zealand dentists New Zealand military personnel of World War II New Zealand male breaststroke swimmers Swimmers at the 1938 British Empire Games Commonwealth Games competitors for New Zealand Burials at Hamilton Park Cemetery 20th-century dentists