Sub Lieutenant
Richard Frank
"Dickie"
NORTH
Royal Navy
21
Midshipman Richand North joined the Royal Navy in January 1947. He was promoted to Acting Sub Lieutenant on 1 January 1948 having gained two months seniority on passing out. He was appointed to the aircraft carrier HMS THESEUS on 9 February 1948 and served in that ship until April 1949.
He then went to the Royal Naval College, Greenwich for his Sub Lieutenant’s course and decided to specialise in submarines. He joined HMS AFFRAY at HMS DOLPHIN as a member of an Officers Training Class on 16 April 1951.
HMS AFFRAY was lost with all hands in unknown circumstances in the English Channel near the Hurd Deep overnight 16/17 April 1951. It is suspected that the loss occurred because of a metal failure of the snort mast which broke off close to the hull valve.
Richard North of St Annes, Woodmill Terrace, Dunfermline, Fife died in the accident. He is commemorated in the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, East Port, Dunfermline by windows on North Wall, donated by his parents. He is also commemorated on the AFFRAY memorials on The Esplanade, Gosport and at St Anne, Alderney.
One Response
Dickie was a great friend of mine for the all too brief time I knew him. We both had an interest in climbing and as I recall we joined the RN Ski and Mountaineering Club. One leave we went camping with another friend in Skye and managed some routes in the Cuillins to escape the midges. Maybe his smoking a pipe also helped!