Windsor Davies dead: It Ain't Half Hot Mum star dies age 88 four months after wife's death

Windsor Davies, who famously starred alongside Don Estelle in It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, died on Thursday, his family have said. The actor was best known for playing the sergeant major in the TV series, which ran between 1974 and 1981. The late 88-year-old’s daughter Jane Davies said her parents left a large family “who will all remember them with love, laughter and gratitude”. He appeared for many years alongside Gunner ‘Lofty’ Sugden’s Don, who died back in 2003, and Melvyn Hayes, who played Bombardier ‘Gloria’ Beaumont.

Windsor’s wife of 62 years, Eluned, passed away in September.

The couple, who had five children, retired to France prior to her death last year.

Before his move away from the spotlight, he appeared in 56 episodes of It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, a comedy set in Burma at the end of the Second World War.

He had more than one catchphrase thanks to the comedy, including, “Shut Up!” and: “Oh dear, how sad, never mind”.

Windsor and Don went on to have a number one hit in the UK with a version of Whispering Grass.

Born in Canning Town, the small screen favourite returned to his parents’ native Nant-y-Moel when the war began in 1939.

Windsor Davies dead: How did he die? What was It Ain’t Half Hot Mum star cause of death?

As well as working as a coal miner and a teacher, he did his national service in Libya and Egypt.

His most recent role was 15 years ago in comedy My Family, where he appeared in just one episode.

Prior to that he had credits in the likes of Casualty and 2point4 Children, as well as Sean’s Show and Gormenghast.

Windsor played sailor Taffy in the first of the BBC series The Onedin Line (1971) and antiques dealer Oliver Smallbridge in Never the Twain with Donald Sinden.

He also popped up in the 1967 Doctor Who story The Evil of the Daleks as Toby.

Thanks to It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, Windsor also had a successful career as a voiceover artist and worked with the likes of Cadbury and Heinz.

Blackadder star Sir Tony Robinson was among the first to pay tribute to him on Twitter, quoting lyrics from his song.

He wrote: “‘Whispering grass don’t tell them who kissed there long ago. Why tell them all your secrets, the trees don’t have to know.’

“Whispering Grass. UK No1 with Don Estelle 1975. RIP Windsor Davies # #itainthalfhotmum #windsordavies.”

Actor Paul Putner went on to say he was a “gifted actor” and “one of most generous, lovely blokes you could ever wish to meet”.

source: express.co.uk