Able Seaman
Frank Stanley
JAMES
,
RFR
35
Frank James was born in Lowestoft in Suffolk on 25 July 1907, the son of George and Bessie James. He was educated at school in Bridlington. Sixteen year old Frank James joined the Royal Navy at HMS GANGES as a Boy 2nd Class from school on 2 February 1924.
Following new entry and basic training, he was drafted to the destroyer HMS DAUNTLESS from 2 January 1925 to 2 February 1926. From 20 April 1926 to 18 September 1928 he served in the cruiser HMS BIRMINGHAM. After further training in HMS PEMBROKE and HMS VERNON, Able Seaman Frank James joined HMS DOLPHIN ‘for Submarine Training’ on 28 January 1929 and, on 15 August 1929, joined the Submarine Depot Ship HMS VULCAN ‘for Submarine R4′. He returned to HMS DOLPHIN on 17 March 1921 and next served in HMS X1 from 9 June 1931 to 19 April 1932.
Rejoining HMS DOLPHIN he was drafted to HMS H32 from 29 July 32 to 18 January 1933. He was then sent to the Far East to join the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MEDWAY at Hong Kong and ‘for Submarine HMS PHOENIX’ from 9 February 1933 to 10 December 1935. After returning home and to HMS DOLPHIN he was released from Service on 26 July 1937.
Having joined the Royal Fleet Reserve, Frank James was briefly recalled for Service at the time of the Munich Crisis (28 September to 3 October 1938) and again recalled on the outbreak of WWII, serving firstly in HMS DOLPHIN and then HMS H31 from 2 August 1939 to 28 March 1940. On 29 March 1940 he was sent to the Cammell Laird shipyard at Birkenhead in Cheshire ‘for Submarine HMS TALISMAN – standing by whilst completing and on Completion Commissioning and Work up’.
Frank James died when TALISMAN was lost with all hands either having hit an Italian mine off Sicily or possibly sunk by Italian surface forces on 17 September.
He was the husband of Hannah James of Flamborough, Yorkshire and is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial on Panel 53, Column 2.
One Response
Son of George and Bessie James; husband of Hannah James, of Flamborough, Yorkshire.
He attended Bridlington Grammar School and is commemorated there.
Bridlington and District Submariners Association is trying to track down any of his relatives.
We hope to have a memorial stone placed in the War Memorial Gardens, Bridlington, to commemorate both Frank and a WW1 Submariner from Bridlington that we have just become aware of. He survived WW1.