Donald Brodie was born in Kensington in London on 1 April 1888, the son of Captain Edgar Waldegrave Brodie and Nora Kathleen Brodie (née O’Callaghan). He joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet and was promoted to Midshipman on 30 March 1905 and to Sub Lieutenant on 30 May 1908. He was  promoted to Lieutenant on 31 December 1910. On 2 April 1911 he was listed as serving in the battleship HMS SWIFTSURE in Grand Harbour, Malta.

He joined submarines when he was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS ARROGANT on 4 January 1912 and, after qualifying as a submariner, Lieutenant Brodie was appointed to HMS THAMES ‘for Submarines’ on 1 May 1912.

He was appointed to HMS D5 on 25 March 1914. D5 was lost on 3 November 1914 after German battle cruisers had bombarded Lowestoft with high explosive shells. HMS D5 and two other submarines (D3 and E10) were dispatched to intercept. D5 was leading on the surface when a mine was struck. There were five survivors of the accident who were rescued by local fishing vessels – Donald Brodie was not one of the survivors.

Donald Brodie‘s parents were listed as his next of kin. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval War Memorial on Panel No. 1.