Early life

James Alfred Davidson was born in Portsmouth, England on 22 March 1922,^[2] and was educated at Portsmouth Grammar School and Christ's Hospital, then at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. His first posting, as a midshipman, was to HMS Hawkins (D86), but in 1942 he was transferred to the destroyer HMS Inconstant (H49).^[3] In 1943 he was appointed first lieutenant of the frigate HMS Calder (K349). A year later, in February 1944, at the age of just 21, Davidson took temporary command of the ship.^[3] Davidson joined HMS Rocket (H92) a few months later, an Eastern Fleet destroyer which took part in the Battle of Penang. He trained to be a pilot and later served as executive officer and first lieutenant on HMS Childers (R91).

Diplomatic career

In 1951 he was posted as naval liaison officer to the Chinese Nationalist Government. He married his wife Daphne Merritt in 1955. He joined the Commonwealth Relations Office (CRO) in 1960. His first assignment was as first secretary in the newly independent Trinidad. In 1969, he was posted to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he witnessed the overthrow of Prince Sihanouk. He continued to serve until the Khmer Rouge fully took over the country.^[3]

Davidson wrote a book on the region in 1979: Indo-China: Signposts in the Storm.^[4] He was appointed OBE in 1971. After the India-Pakistan war, he become deputy high commissioner in East Pakistan, which was soon to become Bangladesh. In this position, Davidson took part in negotiations on Indira Gandhi's visit to Bangladesh in March 1972.^[3] His next two appointments were to Brunei as High Commissioner and as Governor of the British Virgin Islands.^[3]

Davidson participated in discussions for a new Brunei-UK Treaty, which was eventually signed on 7 January 1979, after he had departed Bandar Seri Begawan. He also wrote on the sultanate in pieces such as "Postal Services in Brunei's Water Town" (Brunei Museum Journal 1976) and "Brunei Coinage" (BMJ 1977).^[1]

Later life

Davidson retired from the Diplomatic Service in 1981.^[5] He continued to take up several other positions including as a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics he decided to do a pupillage at the Admiralty Bar. He was a member of the inquiry into the sinking of the MS European Gateway. He worked as a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics' Centre for International Studies (1982-1984) and as Chairman of the Pensions Appeals Tribunals (1984-1995). He died on 8 May 2004, at the age of 82. His widow (Daphne), four children (Duncan, Gavin, Caroline, and Emma), and a slew of grandkids survive him.^[1]