David Stocks was born in 1884, the son of John Wallace Stocks (late Captain B H Light Horse) and Elizabeth Stocks (née Brock).  He joined the Royal Navy in 1899.  

Promoted to Lieutenant he was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS THAMES at Portsmouth ‘For Training’ in 1905 and then to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS FORTH at Devonport ‘for Submarines’.  His first Command appointment came in 1907 when he was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MERCURY at Portsmouth ‘for Submarine B4 in Command’.   His next submarine command was HMS D1, building in Barrow-in-Furness in 1910.

He returned to the Surface Fleet for his ‘Big Ship’ time in 1911 when he was appointed to the Cruiser HMS DIANA, and he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1912.  On his return from General Service in 1913, he was appointed in command of HMS E2.

In HMS E2, he carried out patrols in the North Sea before being transferred to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS ADAMANT at Mudros in 1915.  He was awarded the DSO – “For his services in command of a submarine in the Sea of Marmora, where he made a prolonged cruise in spite of adverse conditions, and succeeded in inflicting much damage on the enemy” – see London Gazette dated 19 November 1915. He was propmoted to Commander on 31 December 1915.

After leaving HMS E2 he was next appointed in command of the steam powered submarine HMS K4 – standing by whilst building.  In 1917, K4 collided with a sister vessel, HMS K1, off the Danish coast. K1 was badly damaged and, after her crew was rescued by the Light Cruiser HMS BLANCHE, was sunk by gunfire.  Commander Stocks was held not to be at fault for the collision.

HMS K4 was lost with all hands in the Firth of Forth on the night of 31 January/1 February 1918 during the so called ‘Battle of May Island’ when she was rammed by another submarine of the same class – HMS K6.

David Stocks was the husband of Cheridah Stocks of Westcombe, Evercreech, Somerset, who was the second woman to gain the Royal Aero Club Aviator’s Certificate in 1911.  He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval War Memorial on Panel No.28.