Herbert Dransfield was born in Halifax in Yorkshire on 24 May 1917, the posthumous son of Joshua Dransfield and Ethel Dransfield (née Carling). His father, who served in the Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment, had been killed three weeks previously in fighting on the Western Front on 3 May 1917. Herbert Dransfield had an elder brother and sister.

It is not known when he joined the Royal Navy or submarines but, in 1939, he was serving in HMS H43. Herbert Dransfield is reported to have died on 3 July 1939 in the Royal Portsmouth Hospital from shock and injuries following a motor-cycle accident. He is buried in the Royal Navy Cemetery at Clayhall in Gosport in Grave No E43. 27