Captain Hector Leighton Davies Collection

Personal papers 1894-1970; material relating to the University College of Swansea 1920-1970; material relating to the Tinplate Conference and Joint Industrial Council 1915-1966; material relating to concentration and redundancy within the tinplate industry 1938-1943; material relating to post-war modernisation 1943-1947; material relating to the metal-scrap industry 1957-1963; material relating to employment 1957-1962; addresses and speeches given by H.L Davies 1950-1971; miscellaneous papers 1936-1969; special occasional publications c1935-1969; periodicals: 'The British Steelmaker' October 1951, 'Metal Bulletin' October 1961, 'Man and Metal' October 1964 and 'Sheet Metal Industries' April 1977.

Captain Hector Leighton Davies was born in 1894. He became an apprentice at Baldwins, Landore 1910-1913 and in 1914 went to Germany to study. In 1914 he joined the 14th (Swansea) Battalion, The Welch Regiment where he was made 2nd Lieutenant and then Captain, the title he kept both before and after leaving the regular Army Reserve in 1946. He was invalided out of the regiment in 1915 and seconded to the Ministry of Munitions. In 1917 Captain Hector Leighton Davies was sent to Baldwins Limited, Gowerton to supervise extensions and in 1921 was appointed General Manager and a director of Baldwins Limited, South Wales, Steel and Tinplate. Between 1923 and 1924 Davies was also General Manager of Margam Iron and Steelworks, Port Talbot. In 1927 he resigned from Baldwins Limited but later that year was appointed General Manager, Baldwins Limited, South Wales and Monmouthshire Branches. In 1933 he resigned from the Monmouth Branch, Baldwins Limited and in 1939 was re-elected Director of Baldwins limited. In 1944 Baldwins Limited amalgamated with Richard Thomas and Company Limited. During the period 1945-1947 Captain Hector Leighton Davies was a director of Baldwins (Holdings) Limited and in 1947 he was appointed General Manager of Richard Thomas and Company Limited (West Wales Section). He was Director of Richard Thomas and Baldwins Limited 1952-1955. Between 1947 and 1960 he was General Manager (Tinplate Division) - The Steel Company of Wales Limited. Captain Hector Leighton Davies was a Justice of the Peace for Glamorgan and was made Commander of the British Empire (C.B.E) in 1941. During 1956-1957 he was Deputy Lieutenant of Glamorgan and High Sheriff of Carmarthenshire. He was Chairman of the Swansea Pilotage Authority and was also President of the Council of Iron and Steel Institute 1952-1953.

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