In The News

Founding father of the Special Boat Service passes away

Founding father of the Special Boat Service passes away

THE DEATH has taken place of Lieutnant-Colonel “Pug” Davis who was regarded as the founding father of the Special Boat Service. He was 87.

Peter George Davis had been awarded a D.S.C. in 1944 after rescuing a wounded Royal Marine officer, who had been ambushed with his men during an action on the Yogoslav island of Brac. 

Mr. Davis had been in charge of landing craft and when survivors from the action had reached the beach he quickly organised a search party and led them back towards the German positions. 

The search party recovered a number of heavy weapons which were taken back to the beach, but Mr. Davis continued with his search alone and after two hours found the wounded officer, who had been left for dead by the enemy. He carried the officer back to the redezvous point from where he was evacuated to safety.

After the War Mr. Davis was involved in a number of Royal Marine units which eventually became known as the Combined Operations Beach and Boat Section (COBBS), before being renamed the Small Raids Wing.

But at this time some of the military hierarchy were still to be convinced of the usefulness of such special units. Mr. Davis and his men were able to demonstrate their potential in 1951 when they successful held up an “advance” during a major military exercise near London.

Mr. Davis and his men used two-man canoes to paddle up the Thames and place a sign saying “Wot no bridge” on a bridge which was to be used by the troops. Umpires ruled that for the purposes of the exercise the bridge at Pangbourne should be considered to have been blown-up.

Eventually the Small Raids Wing became the Special Boat Service with Mr. Davis a major influence in the way the SBS was formed and trained in the years to follow. 

Doubt was always cast as to the origin of the nickname “Pug”, with some believing it derived from his initials but, as some of his men well knew, Mr. Davis was an accomplished boxer.

He retired from the Corp is 1971.

In retirement Lt. Col. Davis was chairman of the Royal Marines’ Association and was also vice-chairman of the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen.

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

 

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