Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the 3rd and youngest son of Arthur Lancelot Davis of Derby and Hinckley, Leicestershire, and his wife Agnes Anne who was the daughter of Thomas Worthington Clarke of Hinckley, Leicestershire. William was educated at Temple Grove, East Sheen, Bedford Grammar School and at Neuchatel, Switzerland where he was studying languages. He was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant, Sherwood Foresters on the 18th November 1914, promoted Lieutenant on the 8th July 1916, and Captain on the 3rd April 1917. He served with the Expeditionary Force in France from November 1915, he was wounded before Ypres in February 1916, and was killed in action on the 23rd April 1917 during an attack on the Germans beyond Monchy-le-Preux, being buried near where he fell. William was unmarried.