Navy hero 92, ‘ knifed to death in his home’
A WAR veteran found dead in his home may have been stabbed as he confronted an intruder, it emerged yesterday.
A murder inquiry was launched after the discovery of the body of William Davis, who only last week had marked his 92nd birthday.
The frail widower, who served with the Royal Navy in the Second World War was found dead at his terraced house in Willenhall, West Midlands.
Detectives were last night hunting his killer amid fears that the greatgrandfather – who used a walking frame – may have confronted an intruder at his home.
Mr Davis, who worked as a locksmith after leaving the Navy and was known as Bill, lost his wife Clara in 2006, three years after they marked their diamond wedding anniversary.
The couple had a son and a daughter as well as several grandchildren and great grandchildren who neighbours said visited regularly.
Paramedics were called to the house where he had lived alone early on Sunday evening but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Neighbours spoke of their shock at his death yesterday.
An employee at the local newsagent’s said Mr Davis had been going there to buy his paper every day for 60 years until difficulty walking meant he couldn’t manage it any more.
‘He would say hello to everybody in the street, he was a really kind bloke,’ he said. ‘You would look at him and think “He’s not 90, he’s about 70”.
‘The amount of stories he’s told me and the medals he has shown me – it was unreal.
‘What happened yesterday was a proper shock. It’s absolutely tragic.
‘We heard that somebody had broken in and stabbed him after he tried to challenge them but the police are not telling us anything.’
Pamela Griffin, 72, who lived opposite Mr Davis for more than 20 years, said: ‘William was a lovely man, very kind and generous and would talk to anyone. He would always talk about his time in the Navy. He was very proud of his war medals.
‘I last saw him on Saturday afternoon. He was pottering in his front garden and looked happy and cheerful.’ Police have refused to say how Mr Davis died or whether there were any signs of a break-in at his home. They described him as a ‘very wellregarded, nice elderly gentleman’.