Christopher John Oswin Hopkins was born in 1943, the son of Raymond Oswin Hopkins and Muriel Frances Stanley Hopkins (née Hughes). He joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet (seniority 1 January 1961). He was promoted to Sub Lieutenant on 1 September 1963.

He joined submarines and the Autumn 1964 Navy List shows him appointed to HMS DOLPHIN. Christopher was sent to the Far East to join the Submarine Division at Singapore in November 1964. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 January 1966, at which time he was serving in HMS AMBUSH. Christopher Hopkins died in a road accident in Singapore on 20 March 1966, when the car in which he was travelling crashed. The driver, Sub Lt Robert Peel, of HMS ANCHORITE was seriously injured in the accident.