Jean Davies

Commandant Dame Jean Lancaster, (née Davies; 11 August 1909 – 29 August 1996) was a senior British Royal Navy officer. From 1961-64, she served as Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS).

Early life
Davies was born on 11 August 1909 to Richard C. Davies. She was educated at Merchant Taylors' Girls' School, an all-girls selective independent school in Great Crosby, Merseyside.

After leaving school, she worked as a secretary to the headmaster of Merchant Taylors' Boys' School in Crosby.

Second World War
In December 1939, with the Second World War having broken out, Davies joined the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS). In May 1940, she was granted the rank of third officer (equivalent to sub-lieutenant) with seniority from 6 December 1939.

From 1940-42, she was a member of the staff of Flag Officer Liverpool; her tasked included encoding and decoding messages concerning the Royal Navy's fight against the U-Boats. In February 1941, she was promoted to second officer (equivalent to lieutenant) with seniority from 2 December 1940.

In 1942, she was selected for signals officer training; this was usually reserved for men and she was one of the first six WRNS officers to qualify. She then worked at the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches in Liverpool.

In August 1943, Davies was selected to be part of the delegation accompanying Winston Churchill, the then British Prime Minister, to the Quebec Conference. She worked in the cypher room aboard the RMS Queen Mary ocean liner during the voyage to Canada. After the conference, she was posted to Washington D.C. where she undertook signal work for the British Embassy; the results of the conference had overloaded the permanent staff there. She returned to the United Kingdom with the rest of the British delegation aboard the HMS Renown; unusually for a woman, she was "actually established as a member of the ship's company" during the voyage.

In November 1943, Davies was made an acting first officer (equivalent to lieutenant commander) with seniority from 26 October 1943. She was then part of the Churchill's entourage to the Cairo Conference (22 to 26 November 1943) and the Tehran Conference (28 November to 1 December 1943).

Churchill's 69th birthday occurred during the latter conference, and she attended his birthday party which was held at the British Embassy in Tehran. It was also attended by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Soviet Marshal Josef Stalin.

She then returned to the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches, where she worked until the end of the war. In May 1944, her promotion to first officer was confirmed and she was granted seniority in that rank from 26 October 1943.

Later career
After the end of the Second World War, Davies remained in the military but transferred to the Administrative Branch. She then worked in a number of staff posts and also in personnel management. In 1958, she was promoted to superintendent (equivalent to captain) and appointed commanding officer of the WRNS personnel serving in the Fleet Air Arm.

In October 1960, it was announced that Davies would succeed Elizabeth Hoyer-Millar as the next Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service.

On 17 May 1961, she took up the appointment and was promoted to commandant (equivalent to commodore). She retired from the military in 1964.

Later life
On 28 March 1967, Davies married Roy Cavander Lancaster at the Chapel of Gray's Inn. He died in 1981, predeceasing her.

In her final years, Davies lived at Warren Park Nursing Home in Blundellsands, Merseyside. She died on 29 August 1996, aged 87.

Honours


In the 1944 King's Birthday Honours, Davies was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). In 1958, she was promoted to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

On 17 May 1961, she was appointed Honorary Aide-de-Camp to Queen Elizabeth II.

In the 1963 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). She also was awarded the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939–1945, and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.