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John Cecil Wright Davies (12 December 1916 – 25 July 1997) was a New Zealand swimmer who represented his country at the 1938 British Empire Games.

Early life and family

Born in Hāwera 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, where he was a prefect, and went on to study dentistry at the University of Otago, graduating BDS in 1939.

Swimming

In 1937, Davies won the 220 yards breaststroke title at the inter-university Easter Tournament in Christchurch, breaking the existing record by 11 seconds, and was awarded a New Zealand University swimming blue. 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 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney, 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, 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, Davies practised as a dental surgeon in Hamilton, 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

1. ^ Anson, T.V. (1960). The New Zealand Dental Services. Wellington: Historical Publications Branch. p. 73. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
2. "Birth index: registration number 1916/17109". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
3. "School institutions". The Taranakian. 23 (1). New Plymouth Boys' High School. May 1934. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
4. "NZ university graduates 1870–1938: Da–Do". Shadows of Time. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
5. "University successes". The Taranakian. 26 (1). New Plymouth Boys' High School: 82. May 1937. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
6. "Auckland". The Taranakian. 27 (1). New Plymouth Boys' High School: 68. June 1938. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
7. "Surf club". The Taranakian. 27 (1). New Plymouth Boys' High School: 72. June 1938. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
8. "Student athletes". Otago Daily Times. 10 April 1939. p. 6. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
9. "University activities". Otago Daily Times. 8 July 1939. p. 11. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
10. McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Swimming – national championships". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Wellington: Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
11. "Swimming team selected". Northern Advocate. 13 January 1938. p. 14. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
12. "Dominion team: Empire Games events". New Zealand Herald. 9 February 1938. p. 24. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
13. "New Zealand, World War II appointments, promotions, transfers and resignations, 1939–1945". Ancestry.com Operations. 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
14. "Executive roll of honour". Waikato Bay of Plenty branch New Zealand Dental Association. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
15. "Cemetery search". Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 23 March 2018.

• 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
• 20th-century New Zealand sportsmen