Eryl Oliver Davies was a Welsh

Welsh people

The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...

 teacher and school inspector, and was Chief Inspector of Schools for Wales from 1972 until his death in 1982.

Life

Davies was born on 22 December 1922 in Merthyr Tydfil

Merthyr Tydfil

Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...

, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 and educated there before attending Jesus College, Oxford

Jesus College, Oxford

Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...

. He was an officer in the South Wales Borderers and the King's Shropshire Light Infantry during the Second World War, and was mentioned in dispatches

Mentioned in Dispatches

A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...

 when serving in Normandy. He ended the war as a major in the War Office

War Office

The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...

 Directorate of Infantry. After the war, he began teaching at Bradford Grammar School

Bradford Grammar School

Bradford Grammar School is a co-educational, independent school in Frizinghall, Bradford, West Yorkshire. Headmaster, Stephen Davidson is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference . The school was founded in 1548 and granted its Charter by King Charles II in 1662...

 before becoming a school inspector in Wales, becoming Chief Inspector of Schools (Wales) in 1972. He was also a member of the School Broadcasting Council, the Schools Council and the Open University

Open University

The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...

Advisory Committee for Wales. He died on 31 May 1982 at the age of 59.