Lieutenant Commander
Frederick Basil
CURRIE
Royal Navy
32
Born in South Africa on 23 August 1908 the son of Colonel Oswald James Currie (South African Medical Corps) and Mrs Sarah Gough Currie (née Gubbins), Frederick Currie joined the Royal Navy at Dartmouth as a Cadet on 15 May 1922, having arrived in Southampton in the Union Castle Liner ARMADALE CASTLE on 10 April 1922. He was appointed to the Battleship HMS VALIANT on 15 January 1926, promoted to Midshipman on 15 Sep the same year and promoted further to Sub Lieutenant on 16 Sep 29.
After training at HMS DOLPHIN on the Submarine Course starting on 5 May 1930, he qualified that year and was appointed to HMS OTUS in December. Promoted to Lieutenant on 1 December 1931, he later served in the Destroyer, HMS RESTLESS, from 29 September 1933. Returning to submarines on 1 August 1934, he served in HMS L54 as First Lieutenant. This was followed by HMS SNAPPER as First Lieutenant on 19 March 1935. Upon return to HMS DOLPHIN on 6 December 1936, he successfully completed the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course (COQC) which started on 26 April 1937. His first appointment in Command was to HMS SEAHORSE on 20 August 1937.
Frederick Currie served briefly in the Cruiser HMS KENT on the China Station from 8 July 1939 to September 1939. Promoted to Lieutenant Commander on 1 December 1939, he joined the Submarine Depot Ship HMS LUCIA in February 1940 before his appointment to HMS REGULUS in Command followed on 31 July 1940. Based at Alexandria in Egypt with the 1st Submarine Flotilla, HMS REGULUS was ordered to patrol in the Southern Adriatic on 23 November 1940.
It is most likely that she struck a mine in late November or early December 1940 while on that patrol. The Submarine was reported overdue having failed to return to Alexandria on 6 December 1940 and was subsequently reported as lost with all hands.
Frederick Currie died in REGULUS; he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval War Memorial on Panel No 36 Column No 3.