James Drummond was born in St Marylebone in London on 28 March 1918, the son of Vice Admiral the Honourable Edmund Rupert Drummond CB MVO DL and Lady Evelyn Frances Butler of Stornaway, Isle of Lewis.

James Drummond joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet, was promoted to Midshipman on 1 January 1936 and, on the same day appointed to the battleship HMS BARHAM in the Mediterranean Fleet. He was further promoted to Sub Lieutenant on 16 September 1938 and appointed to HMS DOLPHIN ‘for the Submarine Course‘ on 24 April 1939.

On 4 August 1939, he joined the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MEDWAY at Hong Kong ‘for Submarines’ and, on 11 January 1940, is recorded as serving in HMS PERSEUS as Third Hand. HMS MEDWAY was transferred to the Mediterranean as the Submarine Depot Ship of the 1st Submarine Flotilla at Alexandria in Egypt. James Drummond then joined HMS TRUANT as Third Hand on 29 Jan 41. He moved ashore to HMS TALBOT at Malta ‘for Staff Duties’ on 30 Nov before being appointed to HMS UPHOLDER as First Lieutenant from 4 December 1941.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross – see London Gazette dated 5 January 1942.

James returned home on 8 June 1942 with an appointment to HMS DOLPHIN for the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course. After successful completion he was appointed in command of HMS H32 at Rothesay and, thence, to HMS DOLPHIN ‘for Submarine HMS SICKLE’, standing by whilst completing and in Command on Commissioning’ on 5 October 1942. SICKLE was built by Cammell Lairds at Birkenhead, being laid down in May 1941, launched on 27 August 1942 and commissioned on 1 Dec 42. After sea training in home waters, she was despatched to the Mediterranean to join HMS MAIDSTONE at Algiers.

On 21 May 1943 James Drummond, in HMS SICKLE, attacked the 500-ton German U-Boat U-303 off Toulon. Two torpedoes were fired of which one hit abaft the conning tower and the U-Boat sank. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order – see London Gazette dated 27th July 1943.

HMS SICKLE was lost with all hands, probably after striking a mine in the Antikithera Channel, Greece, on or around 18 June 1944.

James Drummond is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel 81, Column 1.

He had became known as the man who nearly blew up the Casino at Monte Carlo. In a successful attack on a supply ship close to shore, two of his torpedoes missed, ran the beach, and one exploded under the Casino.