Charles Thorp was born in Beadnell, Northumberland on 26 June 1899, the son of the Rev Charles Fenwick Thorp (a Church of England Clergyman – the incumbent in the Beadnell Vicarage, Belford) and Jane Thorp. Charles had two younger siblings – Frances Victoria and John Christopher. At the time of the 1901 Census the Thorp family were living in Belford, Berwick on Tweed. In the April 1911 Census Charles Thorp was listed as a schoolboy at the Aysgarth School, Newton-le-Willows, Yorkshire.

He joined the Royal Navy as a ‘Special Entry’ Cadet on 7 September 1917, was promoted to Midshipman on 1 February 1918, appointed to the battleship HMS MONARCH on the same date and was still serving in that ship in December 1918. He was promoted to Acting Sub Lieutenant on 15 February 1919 and was appointed to HM Yacht TRIAD ‘on Commissioning for service as the Flagship of the Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf’ on 13 November 1919.

Charles Thorp volunteered for service in submarines on 2 January 1921 and, on 19 April 1921 he was appointed to HMS PRESIDENT ‘for course of instruction at Cambridge University’. He was promoted to Acting Lieutenant on 18 September 1921 and appointed to HMS DRYAD ‘for the ‘N’ Course’. He then joined submarines with an appointment to HMS DOLPHIN on 15 January 1922 ‘for the Submarine Course’ followed by an appointment to the Submarine Flotilla Leader HMS CONQUEST ‘additional as Spare 3rd Hand’ on 16 May 1922 and ‘for Submarine K2’ on 29 May 1922.

Also in May 192,2 he was summonsed at the Gosport Police Court ‘for failing to stop’ and ‘for failing to display an offside light on his motor car’ and, in his absence, was fined ten shillings. Next came an appointment to HMS LUCIA ‘for Submarine L16’ on 7 September 1922. On 1 January 1923 Charles Thorp  returned to HMS CONQUEST but this time ‘for Submarine K12’ where he served until 4 September 1923 when he joined HMS VULCAN ‘for Submarine H32 as First Lieutenant’.

On 23 July 1924, Charles Thorp was married to Anne Campbell Hunter (the daughter of a clergyman) in the Holy Cross Church, Ryton, Gateshead, County Durham. Charles and Anne Thorp then lived at 24, Alhambra Road, Southsea, Hampshire. In 1925 he was next appointed to HMS DOLPHIN ‘for M Class Submarines in Reserve’.

On 12 November 1925 Charles Thorpe was on board HMS M1, as First Lieutenant, on exercises in West Bay, Portland, when the submarine was lost with all hands after being in collision with the merchant vessel SS VIDAR. According to a report in the Daily Chronicle of 14 November 1925, Anne Thorp first heard of the accident when she was at home listening to the radio. She then contacted HMS DOLPHIN and the sad news was confirmed. Charles Thorp is commemorated on a wall plaque in the Holy Cross Church, Ryton, Gateshead where he and Anne were married.