Royal Navy: Tribute paid to sailor who trained in Gosport and became face of the force who died aged 90

Commander Anthony “Tony” Rowland Davidson, who went through his training at HMS St Vincent in Gosport in 1950, died on August 20 at the age of 90. The then Junior Seaman was the public face of the Royal Navy during the 1950s being picked out from hundreds of teenagers.

Tony was selected to be painted by A R Thompson of the Royal Academy – a prolific and versatile artist who produced work for the war effort, railway companies, Hollywood and portraits. The designer is famous for producing Alec Guinness’ The Man in the White Suit.

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Mr Thompson’s stylised poster of Tony was used in a series of Senior Service recruiting campaigns under several slogans. These included “Make the Royal Navy your career”, “A man’s life in the Royal Navy” and “Join the Navy and feel a man”.

A version of the poster featured on the cover of Plymouth Navy Days’ brochure 1959. It most recently appeared on the cover of Kevin Brown’s study of RN fitness and morale in WW2, Fittest of the Fleet.

Tony was born on June 10, 1933. He joined the Royal Navy as a Junior Seaman on TS Mercury in 1949. While serving at HMS Excellent in 1952 he was selected to be part of the gun carriage team pulling King George VI’s coffin at Windsor.

This was considered one of his proudest moments, for which he was awarded the Royal Victorian Medal by a young Queen Elizabeth II. He served in Britain’s last battleship, HMS Vanguard, frigates Ulysses and Murray, and Ton-class minesweepers Stubbington and Yarnton.

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While in command of HMS Yarnton, he completed the first circumnavigation of Bahrain. After a spell with HMS Jaguar training gun crews and controlling her armaments, he ended his 22-year Royal Navy career as a commander and staff gunnery officer to the senior RN command in the Gulf.

In civilian life – when not being fascinated by cricket and rugby – Tony worked in the financial industry for 22 years and became an actor and extra in films after relocating to Vancouver. He appeared in Stargate and The X Files.

Tony spent his final years in Cumbria.