This is not an official biography, but rather a compilation of his eldest daughter’s memories. Because the family’s shipment of personal belongings never arrived in Canada during the World War, it is presumed they are buried at the bottom of the ocean, so there are no records of most of the China years.

Leslie was born in England on August 4, 1900, the youngest and only son of Mr. and Mrs. Josiah Davies. His three older sisters claim he was terribly spoiled! While the children were still young, their father brought the family to Toronto, Canada. From there they moved to Oshawa so the children could attend school at Oshawa Missionary College. It was at the college that Leslie met and married Sarah Jane Elizabeth Best, known to her friends as Bessie.

As Leslie had graduated before the wedding, the young couple joined Elder H. M. S. Richards in an evangelistic campaign for the summer. That fall they moved to St. John’s, Newfoundland, where Leslie became the principal of the academy.

In 1925 China called and the little family, for by now a baby girl had joined them, sailed for Shanghai. Language study at Peking kept them busy for several months before another move to Tsinan. For the next seven years Leslie was the principle of the school there. One of his duties was being in charge of the industrial department. So the students could earn part of their expenses while at the school, he developed an industry of weaving towels: building looms and selling the finished product to hotels, hospitals, etc.

During this time, he often had to travel around the country with the president of the mission, Elder W. J. Harris. The two men had motorcycles which they drove on top of the dirt banks separating the rice paddies. When Leslie returned from longer trips, perhaps from Peking or Shanghai, he often brought gifts for the family. At least three times he arrived home with a German Sheppard puppy, much to the delight of the children. One puppy which had been named King grew too protective and bit everyone who came into the compound, friend and foe alike, making it necessary to sell him. On at least one occasion, while traveling by boat to Shanghai, his ship was fired on by rebel soldiers. At another time fighting came so close to the school that at the mission compound shooting could be heard and the flash of the guns firing was visible. School was closed and everyone evacuated to a safer location, the overseas people going to Tsingtao, except for Leslie Davies. He stayed until he had done all that was possible for the workers’ safety. When word was received at Tsingtao that a foreigner at Tsinan had been killed and it was feared the victim was Leslie, no one mentioned the rumor to his wife while they waited for confirmation. Their caution was shown to be wise, for shortly after, Leslie joined the group. He had managed to board the last train leaving the city.

In 1933 the family, which now numbered five with the births of a son and another daughter, left for Canada on furlough. It was during the depression and furloughs were cut short, but Leslie felt he should return even sooner and three months later the family was on its way back, much to the sorrow of Bessie. She felt badly about leaving her mother after so short a time and, indeed, it was the last time she saw her. Shortly after arriving back in Peking, she received word that he mother had suffered a heart attack and had passed away.

A new school was being opened at Fengtai, not far from Peking, and Leslie was asked to become principal. However, he did not stay long as the China Division was building a new hospital and school in Lanchow, Kansu, in the northwest section of China. Leslie was asked to be the treasurer of the Northwest China Union and to oversee the building of the hospital and three homes, one for the president, one for the doctor, and one for himself. Until the hospital was finished, the family lived in the school dining room. Then they moved to a ward in the hospital while waiting for their home to be built.

The president of the mission was George Appel and Dr. Vinkel ran the hospital. While in Lanchow, the last member of the Davies family was born, a son.

In the course of their work, Elders Appel and Davies often traveled together. On one of these journeys Elder C. C. Crisler joined them. Before they returned, Elder Crisler sickened and died. He lies buried in the mission compound at Lanchow.

After the war between Japan and China broke out, the China Division officials ordered the missionaries in the interior to evacuate to Hankow.  Later the workers from Lanchow were returned for short period. As the war worsened they were again evacuated. This time Leslie sent his wife and two youngest children out by plane while he stayed to finished up the treasury work and take care of the mission business commitments. The two older children had been sent to Canada from Shanghai where they had been attending the Far Eastern Academy. After completing his work in Lanchow, Leslie took passage on a truck for the first leg of his trip out of the country, for he had been told that since it was time for his second furlough, he should return to Canada. The truck was heavily loaded and the passengers had to ride on top of the baggage, holding onto the ropes which tied the load to the back of the truck. At one point during the trip, robbers tried to stop them by shooting. Many of the passengers ducked behind pieces of baggage, but Leslie was a tall man and could find no place to hide. He and a Chinese gentleman were sitting so close to each other that their sleeves were touching. One bullet went between their sleeves and killed the man across the truck from them. His guardian angel surely protected him that day.

When Leslie and Bessie sailed for Canada in 1941 they asked for permanent return. Except for the one brief furlough they had lived in China for fifteen years, and Leslie’s health was not the best. After a period of rest, he began working for the Canadian Union, first as a pastor and then as conference treasurer in several conferences. By the time he retired, he had worked in every conference in the Canadian Union.

Bessie predeceased him in 1968, shortly after their retirement and he later married a lady he had known during his school days. For several years Leslie kept himself busy auditing church books for the Ontario Conference until failing health required him to quit.

He died September 7, 1991.