Born in Aberystwyth, Davies was a conscientious objector during World War I.
[1][2] He joined the Labour Party, and stood unsuccessfully for it in the University of Wales seat at the 1935 United Kingdom general election.
[3] During World War II, Davies and D. N. Pritt worked together to obtain the release of T. E. Nicholas, a conscientious objector who had been falsely accused of being a fascist.
[4] After the war, Davies became active in the Welsh nationalist movement.
He became the leading figure in the Welsh Republican Movement, a split from Plaid Cymru, and stood for it in Ogmore at the 1950 United Kingdom general election, taking only 1.3% of the vote.