Herbert Fox was born on 20 August 1895, the Fox family’s second child, in Walsingham, Norfolk, his parents Herbert and Christiana (née Howell) Fox and the 7 children living in Fakenham Road, Great Snoring, Walsingham, Norfolk.

Herbert joined the Royal Navy on 26 September 1911 when he walked through the gates of HMS GANGES, the “Boy Training Establishment” at Shotley, Suffolk, and became a Boy Second Class. On 2 June 1912 he was advanced to Boy First Class. On 3 June he was drafted to HMS DONEGAL for sea training and on 12 September 1912 made his first visit to HMS VICTORY 1, the RN barracks in Portsmouth. On 9 April 1913 he had a draft to HMS COCHRANE and was rated Ordinary Seaman on the 20 August  before a move to HMS EUROPA on 16 December 1913 until 13 March 1914. After a seven day stop in HMS ARGONAUT from 14 March, on 22 March he joined HMS BRISTOL for 2 months before joining HMS SPEEDWELL on 19 May.

Here he was advanced to Able Seaman (AB) on 4 September 1914 and requested to join the Submarine Service. On 24 December 1914 after another visit to VICTORY 1 until 24 March 1915, he joined HMS MAIDSTONE in Harwich for four months. On 27 July 1915 he arrived back in Portsmouth to join HMS DOLPHIN for 6 months until the 12 January 1916 when he was drafted back to Harwich and MAIDSTONE for HMS E26.

E26 was reported overdue and missing on 6 July 1916 when she did not return from a patrol in the North Sea around  Terschelling Island off the North Western coast of Holland. Later information from German and English sources has the 3 July as a more probable date, officially E26 is listed as “Lost, cause unknown”.

Able Seaman Herbert John Fox, Svc No. J14172, had “Crossed The Bar” with the other 30 of his shipmates. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel 12.