Leslie Francis was born on 26 October 1895, the son of the Rev W B K Francis Royal Navy and Florence Louise Francis of Bedford.  He entered the Royal Navy at the Royal Naval College Osborne on 15 September 1908. He was promoted to Midshipman on 15 May 1913 and was appointed to the battleship HMS HERCULES in which he saw action at the battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916, having been further promoted to Sub Lieutenant on 15 December 1915.

He joined HMS DOLPHIN on 1 September 1916 ‘for Submarine training’.  This was followed by an appointment to the Submarine Depot Ship  HMS EUROPA originally ‘for Submarine E12 as First Lieutenant’ but this was changed to ‘Submarine E21 as First Lieutenant’ on 1 November 1916.  In January he was noted as ‘On passage home’ travelling from Marseilles in the SS EURYLOCHUS and he re-joined HMS DOLPHIN on 23 January 1918. He was then appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS TITANIA at Blyth ‘for Submarine L9 as First Lieutenant (standing by whilst completing & on commissioning)’.  HMS L9 was transferred to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MAIDSTONE at Harwich in May 1918.

Leslie Francis died on 12 July 1918 when he was accidentally drowned after he was washed overboard from L9 whilst trying to recover the WT aerial which had carried away in heavy weather, and his lifeline broke.  There was an investigation which reported that ‘no blame was attached to anyone’.

His body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel 28.