William Daysh

William Daysh M.B.E. joined the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm as an Artificer Apprentice and left as a Lieutenant A/E (Aircraft Engineer Officer). As well as working hard while in the RN he took advantage of all sports opportunities. His hobbies included golf; squash; competitive grass hockey; am-dram and SCUBA diving. He also flew on every available opportunity, sometimes over long distances in small military jets, and travelled the world occasionally in large aircraft carriers. Later, he qualified as a Ship's Diving Officer.

Throughout his time in the Fleet Air Arm he developed an urge to be an actor and/or a writer. But as he later held a Queen's commission in the navy - a binding contract from which he could not simply walk away - his aspiration to act professionally had to be more of a desire than an option. But writing he could do anywhere - and he did: enjoying it whenever possible. Having completed several creative writing correspondence courses (an excellent pastime while off duty at sea) he was ready to submit his first film script when he left the navy in 1971. However, he had a very practical bank manager at the time who persistently pointed out the "hit-and-miss" nature of writing and, in doing so, managed to torpedo William's hopes to become a writer for the second part of his life.
So instead of writing he joined IBM OP Sales in London, but was head-hunted a year later by Commercial Metals Ltd. (futures metal traders on the London Metal Exchange). He joined them as the UK Sales Manager but left after 6 months (still feeling unsettled in 'Civvy-Street' after all the excitement of the navy). He then joined a major life assurance company in London as a salesman and progressed to Branch Manager. He spent eleven years managing branches of several life companies then finally became an Independent Financial Adviser before semi-retiring in 2000.

Still playing hockey after leaving the navy, he played for the Wimbledon Hockey Club , he also played squash and continued to enjoy skiing holidays, carried on sub-aqua diving for several years and dived on the Mary Rose site when it was first discovered and also took part in other diving expeditions in the Scilly Isles and Channel Isles.