Lt Commander Francis Douglas-Watson
Lt Commander Francis Douglas-Watson was born in Glasgow on 3rd June
1896, the son of Francis Douglas-Watson, a telephone company
superintendent, and his wife, Elizabeth Cunningham.
He
joined the Royal Navy on 15th May 1911, and held, amongst others,
the following appointments:
07.11.1927 - (06.)1928 HMS Hood (battlecruiser)
(Atlantic Fleet)
12.09.1928 - (02.)1931 Commanding Officer, HMS
Witherington (destroyer) (Mediterranean)
11.08.1931 - (01.1932)
Commanding Officer, HMS Vortigern (destroyer) (Atlantic Fleet)
03.1933 - (06.)1933 Commanding Officer, HMS Vivacious (destroyer)
23.10.1933 - (07.)1935 HMS Cardiff (cruiser) (Reserve Fleet, the
Nore)
30.11.1935 - (07.)1937 HMS Cardiff (cruiser) (Reserve
Fleet, the Nore) (for minesweepers in reserve)
19.07.1937 -
31.10.1938 Commanding Officer, HMS Pangbourne (twin-screw
minesweeper) (Mediterranean)
01.11.1938 - (04.1939) HMS St Angelo
(RN base, Malta) (for command of minesweepers in reserve [probably
HMS Pangbourne as command vessel])
(08.1939) - (06.1940)
Commanding Officer, HMS Pangbourne (twin-screw minesweeper)
16.10.1940 - (02.)1941 Executive Officer, HMS Miranda (minesweeping
base, Great Yarmouth)
in April 1941, he was serving at HMS
Nile (RN base, Alexandria, Egypt), but on 7th April, he was ashore
in the Greek harbour of Piraeus when the British steamer Clan Fraser
(7529grt), of convoy ANF .24, was damaged by German bombing and set
afire. At 0330hrs on the 7th, the explosion of her TNT cargo sank
the steamer and wrecked the harbour, killing Cdr. Douglas-Watson.
He had married in Glasgow on 13th September 1922, Mary Fedora St
Ledger (1899-1977). They had one son, S.Lt. Francis Douglas-Watson,
RNVR.
Any contributions to this item will be
gratefully accepted
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