Cecil Bernard Crouch was born in Malling, Kent on 26 November 1909, the son of Charles Crouch and Olive May Crouch. After two years in the Training Ship WORCESTER, he joined the Royal Navy at the age of sixteen. He was promoted Midshipman on 1 September 1928 and appointed to the Battle Cruiser HMS REPULSE on the same date. On 1 January 1931 Crouch was promoted to Acting Sub Lieutenant and appointed to the RN College, Greenwich for his Lieutenant’s Course.

He was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN for the Submarine Course on 9 May 1932 and was then sent to the far East to join HMS PARTHIAN as Third Hand (Fourth Submarine Flotilla, China Station) on 19 August 1932. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 June 1933. After nearly three years away he arrived home at Tilbury from Singapore in the Blue Funnel Line SS HECTOR on 20 March 1935. Cecil Crouch served in HMS STURGEON from 30 May 1935 before joining HMS SEAHORSE as First Lieutenant on 14 October 1935. His next appointment was to HMS CACHALOT as First Lieutenant from 20 September 1937.

Cecil Crouch joined HMS DOLPHIN for the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course on 24 April 1939 and was appointed to HMS SWORDFISH in Command from 24 July 1939 to 10 February 1940. This was followed by HMS L27 in Command from February 1940 to 15 April 1940 and HMS OBERON in Command from 8 May 1940 to 19 August 1940.

His appointment to HMS THUNDERBOLT in Command was dated 16 September 1940. On 15 December 1940 HMS THUNDERBOLT torpedoed and sank the Italian submarine Capitano Caffaele Tarantini near Bordeaux. Cecil Crouch was awarded the DSO for this attack.

He was promoted Lieutenant Commander on 1 June 1941. It is thought that HMS THUNDERBOLT was most likely sunk by the Italian corvette Cicogna off Capo San Vito, Sicily, Italy on 14 March 1943. The Submarine was reported overdue on 28 March 1943.

 Cecil Crouch is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval War Memorial on Panel No. 72 Column No. 3.