William Berridge was born in Lewisham in London on 28 July 1899, the son of Mr William Walter John Berridge (a master printer) and Florence A Berridge.

He joined the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet at the Royal Naval College, Osborne on the Isle of Wight in May 1912.  He was promoted to Midshipman on 2 April 1914 and, in December 1914 he was serving in the battleship HMS ALBION in which he served until October 1916.  HMS ALBION took part in operations at the Dardanelles in 1915 before being based at Salonika.  He was next appointed to the battleship HMS NEPTUNE ‘additional’.  He was promoted to Acting Sub Lieutenant on 15 July 1917, served in HMS NEPTUNE until 6 January 1918 and was then appointed to HMS DOLPHIN ‘for Submarine Training’ on 7 January 1918.

William Berridge was confirmed as Sub Lieutenant on 15 March 1918 and was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS AMBROSE at Portsmouth ’for Submarines’ on 20 March 1918.  This was followed by an appointment to HMS CRESCENT at Rosyth ‘for Submarine K10 as Third Hand’ to date 14 May 1918.  He attended HMS PRESIDENT ‘for course of Instruction at Cambridge University’ from 31 January 1919 to August 1919 and was promoted to Lieutenant on  15 June 1919.

On 6 August 1919 William Berridge was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN ‘additional for Submarines’ and then ‘for Submarine M2 for ‘G’ duties’  In January 1920 he was ‘undertaking a Short Course of Instruction in Navigation’ followed by ‘the ‘N’ Course for the Rank of Lieutenant’.  On 9 August 1920 he was appointed to the Submarine Flotilla Leader HMS INCONSTANT (1st Submarine Flotilla) at Rosyth ‘for Submarine K5 as Navigating Officer’.  This was followed by an appointment to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS VULCAN (the Periscope School) at Portland ‘for Submarine H47 as First Lieutenant’ on 1 December 1920.

On 1 August 1922 he returned to HMS DOLPHIN (Submarine School) ‘for Submarine K26 as First Lieutenant’.  On 24 September 1923 he was appointed to HMS VULCAN (the Periscope School) at Portland ‘for Submarine Commanding Officer Qualifying Course’ and, on successful completion of the Course he was appointed to HMS VULCAN ‘for Submarine R10 in Command’ to date 2 February 1924.  He was sent to the Far East on 15 December 1924 with an appointment to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS AMBROSE (4th Submarine Flotilla, China Station) at Hong Kong ‘for Submarine L15 in Command’.

Leslie Berridge died on Saturday 10 April 1926 in the Civil General Hospital at Penang in the Federated Malay States.  It is understood that he fractured his spine in a diving accident at the Penang Swimming Club.  He was buried in the Penang Cemetery on the same day.