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(2), 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.
"Writing all morning – but accomplished little. Walk after
lunch, with lecture notes. Very cold day – keen east wind. Fedora
(St Ledger) Douglas-Watson & her husband came to tea. I had not seen
her since she was about 7! We had interesting chats - & Barbara was
a bright attraction after tea!! Then we went to Alfred’s at
Hampstead to dinner – I by ‘bus, Molly by Alfred Jn’s car. We
“listened-in” to Melba night at Covent Garden. It was very
interesting indeed." Thomas Dunhill, was a composer. He met
Fedora as a young girl in around 1906 or 1908 when examining for the
Associated Board in Australia & New Zealand. He is impressed by her
work as a composer - at the age of 7!
Uncorrected text from the Melbourne Argus:
Relatives in Melbourne
have been advised of the death on active service of Commander
Francis Douglas-Watson, DSO, of the Royal Navy, who twice served in
Australia and was well known In naval circles here
Commander
Douglas-Watson was bom at Bearsden, Glasgow He first caine to
Australia in 1920 on exchange duty, serving at Garden Island, Sydnej,
and at Fundéis Naval Base Shortlj after leturning to England in 1922
he married at Pitlochry (Scotland) Mtss Fedora St Ledger, daughter
of the late ex Senator St Ledgei, of Oi rong Court Melbourne, to
whom he became engaged willie In Australia
His second visit
was from May 25. 1925 to January 9, 1927, when he came on exchange
duty as First Lieutenant of HMAS Penguin He was promoted to the rank
of Lieut-Commander in March, 1926
Commander Douglas-Watson
received his DSO for gallant service as captain of the mine-sweeper
H M S Panghornc during the evacuation of Dunkirk In his last letter
to his mother-in-law, Mrs M St Ledger, of Orrong rd, East St Kilda,
six weeks ago, he wrote from the former American destroy ci-tender
HMAS Melville
His wife has been doing service work recently at Alexandria Her cable message to her mother on Thursday night
telling of her husband's death was despatched from the British
Legation in Athens Mrs Douglas-Watson was a distinguished pianist
and composer, being highly regarded by the late Dame Nellie Melba
She published songs In Australia and England
Commander
Douglas-Watson leaves a son, Cinq who [is at present] doing his naval
training at the Imperial Service College, Windsor Several months ago
his astuteness led to the arrest of seveial spies While on guard
duty on two successive nights he saw a strange light which was being
employed to send a Morse signal to sea He took a note of the
messages, and, becoming suspicious informed the authorities As a
result several Italians were arrested for sending out information to
the enemy
Notes:
1. A photograph of Lieutenant Francis Douglas-Watson on
the starboard side of the upper deck of the salvaged V43 class
destroyer SMS V46 (1914) just abaft of the after searchlight
platform following the scuttling of the High Seas Fleet is held by
the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.
2. Francis Douglas-Watson (senior) was employed as one point
by the Constantinople Telephone Company.
Any contributions to this item will be
gratefully accepted
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