Harold Francis Davis

A Deck Hand with H.M. Drifter Supporter, Harold died on 18th of November 1915 at the age of 26. 

Harold was born at Kessingland on 26 July 1889, a son of Francis George and Selina Davis. He was baptised at Saint Edmund’s Church, Kessingland, on 24 November 1889. A note in the baptism register records that Harold ‘Drowned Dardanelles in the Great War.’ In 1891 his family lived at Beach Road, Kessingland, and this was still their address in 1901. By 1911 they were living at The Drive, Belvedere Place, Kessingland, and Harold was a fisherman.

Harold joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 11 August 1915. Initially he served on H.M. Trawler Ocean Plough and on 4 June 1915 he joined H.M. Trawler Supporter. 

The Supporter was a requisitioned Lowestoft trawler, LT 119. In late 1915 the Supporter was in the Dardanelles as part of the Allied operations on Gallipoli. Royal Navy records show that Harold was reported missing at sea on 18 November 1915. No other details of what happened to Harold are known. The Supporter was not sunk and it is not known if his loss was due to enemy action or an accident.