Television Davies' best known role was as Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the
British sitcom ''
It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1981), Another phrase was "Oh dear, how sad, never mind", delivered in a dry, ironic manner, and used when others around him had problems. Journalist Neil Clark, contributing to The Times'' in 2005, described his performance as the "definitive portrayal of a bullying and uneducated sergeant-major" and reported
Spike Milligan was of the opinion that Davies' role was "the funniest comic performance he had ever" watched. Davies and co-star
Don Estelle had a number-one hit in the UK with a semi-comic version of "
Whispering Grass" in 1975. In the field of science fiction television, Davies appeared in the 1967
Doctor Who story "
The Evil of the Daleks" as Toby; and was the voice of Sergeant Major Zero (a spherical robotic soldier in charge of 100 other spherical robotic soldiers) in the 1983 Gerry Anderson–Christopher Burr production
Terrahawks. In September–October 1985, Davies played the lead role of George Vance, a museum custodian elevated to the peerage, in the six-part
BBC Two comedy series
The New Statesman. This was based on the play by
Douglas Watkinson and is not to be confused with
the later sitcom of the same name. (
Colin Blakely played the role of Vance in a pilot episode transmitted on BBC2 in December 1984.) Davies also featured in the BBC comedy sitcom
Oh, Doctor Beeching!, written by
David Croft and
Richard Spendlove, as the Lord Mayor in an episode broadcast in 1997. He also featured in an episode of
2 Point 4 Children in 1999, as Ben's long-lost Uncle Ion.
Films In the cinema, Davies played major roles in two
Carry On films,
Behind (1975) and
England (1976), in the latter again as a sergeant major. He played Mog in the Welsh rugby film
Grand Slam (1978), and was a sergeant in the Highland Regiment in
Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1973) with
Jim Dale and Spike Milligan.
Voice work Davies' distinctive voice was heard in commercials for New Zealand's Pink Batts house insulations and confectionery ads for
Cadbury's
Wispa and for Heinz Curried (baked) Beans. He also appeared alongside New Zealand
rugby union coach
Alex Wyllie in New Zealand advertisements for
Mitre 10 hardware stores in the early 1990s. Davies and Wyllie had worked together previously on the rugby-themed film
Old Scores in 1991. He sang and voiced many characters in the
Paul McCartney film
Rupert and the Frog Song in 1984, and appeared in that year's children's film
Gabrielle and the Doodleman as three different characters (the Ringmaster, the Black Knight, and an Ugly Sister). In 1984, he auditioned to be the voice of the UK's
speaking clock. ==Personal life==